1 ¶ I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

To the Overseer. -- By a servant of Jehovah, by David, who hath spoken to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, and he saith: -- I love Thee, O Jehovah, my strength.

2 T he LORD is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Jehovah my rock, and my bulwark, And my deliverer, My God my rock, I trust in Him: My shield, and a horn of my salvation, My high tower.

3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from my enemies.

The `Praised One' I call Jehovah, And from my enemies I am saved.

4 T he pain of death compassed me, and the rivers of Belial made me afraid.

Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid.

5 T he pain of Sheol compassed me about: the snares of death came before me.

Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death.

6 I n my distress I called upon the LORD and cried unto my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh into His ears.

7 T hen the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the mountains collapsed and were removed because he was wroth.

And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake -- because He hath wrath.

8 S moke went up out of his nostrils, and fire devoured out of his mouth; coals were kindled by it.

Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.

9 H e lowered the heavens and came down; and darkness was under his feet.

And He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness under His feet.

10 A nd he rode upon a cherub and flew: yea, he flew upon the wings of the wind.

And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And He flieth on wings of wind.

11 H e made darkness his hiding place; in his tabernacle round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the heavens.

He maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

12 A t the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.

From the brightness over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire.

13 T he LORD thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire.

14 H e sent out his arrows and scattered them; he shot out lightnings and destroyed them.

And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them.

15 T hen the depths of the waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

And seen are the streams of waters, And revealed are foundations of the earth. From Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of Thine anger.

16 H e sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

He sendeth from above -- He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.

17 H e delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, even though they were too strong for me.

He delivereth me from my strong enemy, And from those hating me, For they have been stronger than I.

18 T hey were ready for me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my staff.

They go before me in a day of my calamity And Jehovah is for a support to me.

19 H e brought me forth also into a wide place; he delivered me because he delighted in me.

And He bringeth me forth to a large place, He draweth me out, because He delighted in me.

20 ¶ The LORD will reward me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he shall recompense me.

Jehovah doth recompense me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me.

21 B ecause I have kept the ways of the LORD and did not become wicked departing in apostasy from my God.

For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not done wickedly against my God.

22 F or all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.

For all His judgments before me, And His statutes I turn not from me.

23 I was perfect before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.

And I am perfect with him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity.

24 T herefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.

And Jehovah doth return to me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, Over-against his eyes.

25 W ith the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with a perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect;

With the kind Thou showest Thyself kind, With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect.

26 w ith the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt show thyself adversary.

With the pure Thou showest Thyself pure, And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler,

27 T herefore thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring down high looks.

For Thou a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall.

28 F or thou wilt light my fire: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

For Thou -- Thou lightest my lamp, Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.

29 ¶ For with thee I have scattered armies; and in my God I have overcome walled defenses.

For by Thee I run -- a troop! And by my God I leap a wall.

30 A s for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is precise: a shield to all those that wait in him.

God! perfect His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield He to all those trusting in Him.

31 F or who is God except the LORD? or who is a refuge except our God?

For who God besides Jehovah? And who a rock save our God?

32 I t is God that girds me with strength and makes my way perfect.

God! who is girding me strength, And He maketh perfect my way.

33 H e makes my feet like hinds’ feet and sets me upon my high places.

Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand.

34 H e trains my hands for the battle, so that a bow of bronze shall be broken by my arms.

Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms.

35 I n the same manner thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand will hold me up, and thy meekness shall multiply me.

And Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy right hand doth support me, And Thy lowliness maketh me great.

36 T hou shall enlarge my steps under me, and my knees shall not tremble.

Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.

37 I shall pursue my enemies and overtake them: neither shall I turn again until they are consumed.

I pursue mine enemies, and overtake them, And turn back not till they are consumed.

38 I shall smite them, and they will not be able to rise: they shall fall under my feet.

I smite them, and they are not able to rise, They fall under my feet,

39 F or thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued my enemies under me.

And Thou girdest me strength for battle, Causest my withstanders to bow under me.

40 T hou hast also given me the necks of my enemies that I might destroy those that hate me.

As to mine enemies -- Thou hast given to me the neck, As to those hating me -- I cut them off.

41 T hey cried out, but there was no one to save them: even unto the LORD, but he did not answer them.

They cry, and there is no saviour, On Jehovah, and He doth not answer them.

42 T hen I beat them as small as the dust before the wind: I scattered them as the dirt in the streets.

And I beat them as dust before wind, As mire of the streets I empty them out.

43 T hou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the Gentiles: a people whom I did not know served me.

Thou dost deliver me From the strivings of the people, Thou placest me for a head of nations, A people I have not known do serve me.

44 A s soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me: the sons of strangers submitted themselves unto me even against their will.

At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me, Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me,

45 T he strangers fell away and were afraid in their close places.

Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places.

46 T he LORD lives; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

Jehovah liveth -- and blessed my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.

47 I t is God that avenges me and subdues the peoples under me.

God -- who is giving vengeance to me, And He subdueth peoples under me,

48 H e delivers me from my enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the one who would betray me.

My deliverer from mine enemies, Above my withstanders Thou raisest me, From a man of violence dost deliver me.

49 T herefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the Gentiles and sing praises unto thy name.

Therefore I confess Thee among nations, O Jehovah, And to Thy name I sing praise,

50 H e gives great deliverance to his king and shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

Magnifying the salvation of His king, And doing kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed -- unto the age!