- David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
- He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
- my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield[1] and the horn[2] of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me.
- "I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies.
- The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
- The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
- "In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.
- The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens[3] shook; they trembled because he was angry.
- Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.
- He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.
- He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared[4] on the wings of the wind.
- He made darkness his canopy around him— the dark[5] rain clouds of the sky.
- Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth.
- The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
- He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
- The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of breath from his nostrils.
- "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.
- He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.
- They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.
- He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
- "The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
- For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I am not guilty of turning from my God.
- All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.
- I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.
- The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness[6] in his sight.
- "To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
- to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
- You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.
- You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light.
- With your help I can advance against a troop[7]; with my God I can scale a wall.
- "As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD's word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
- For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
- It is God who arms me with strength[8] and keeps my way secure.
- He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.
- He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
- You make your saving help my shield; your help has made[9] me great.
- You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.
- "I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
- I crushed them completely, and they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
- You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.
- You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
- They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but he did not answer.
- I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.
- "You have delivered me from the attacks of the peoples; you have preserved me as the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me,
- foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
- They all lose heart; they come trembling[10] from their strongholds.
- "The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!
- He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me,
- who sets me free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you rescued me.
- Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.
- "He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever."
David's Song of Praise
- Or 'sovereign'
- 'Horn' here symbolizes strength.
- Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) 'mountains'
- Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts 'appeared'
- Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrew 'massed'
- Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) 'to the cleanness of my hands'
- Or 'can run through a barricade'
- Dead Sea Scrolls, some Septuagint manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:32); Masoretic Text 'who is my strong refuge'
- Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text 'shield; / you stoop down to make'
- Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text 'they arm themselves'