O Lord, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,
³     my God, my rock of refuge!
My shield, my saving horn,^[b]
    my stronghold, my refuge,
    my savior, from violence you keep me safe.^(C)
4 Praised be the Lord, I exclaim!
    I have been delivered from my enemies.

⁵ The breakers of death surged round about me,
    the menacing floods^[c] terrified me;
⁶ The cords of Sheol tightened;
    the snares of death lay in wait for me.
⁷ In my distress I called out: Lord!
    I cried out to my God;
From his temple^[d] he heard my voice,
    my cry reached his ears.

⁸ The earth rocked and shook;^[e]
    the foundations of the heavens trembled;
    they shook as his wrath flared up.
⁹ Smoke rose in his nostrils,
    a devouring fire from his mouth;
    it kindled coals into flame.
¹⁰ He parted the heavens and came down,
    a dark cloud under his feet.^(D)
11 Mounted on a cherub^[f] he flew,
    borne along on the wings of the wind.^(E)
12 He made darkness the cover about him,
    a mass of water, heavy thunderheads.
¹³ From the brightness of his presence
    coals were kindled to flame.
¹⁴ The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the Most High made his voice resound.
¹⁵ He let fly arrows and scattered them;
    lightning, and dispersed them.^(F)
16 Then the bed of the sea appeared;
    the world’s foundations lay bare,
At the roar of the Lord,
    at the storming breath of his nostrils.^(G)
17 He reached down from on high and seized me,
    drew me out of the deep waters.^(H)
18 He rescued me from my mighty enemy,
    from foes too powerful for me.
¹⁹ They attacked me on a day of distress,
    but the Lord came to my support.
²⁰ He set me free in the open;
    he rescued me because he loves me.

²¹ The Lord acknowledged my righteousness;
    rewarded my clean hands.
²² For I kept the ways of the Lord;
    I was not disloyal to my God.
²³ His laws were all before me,
    his decrees I did not cast aside.
²⁴ I was honest toward him;
    I was on guard against sin.
²⁵ So the Lord rewarded my righteousness,
    the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
^26 (I)Toward the faithful you are faithful;^[g]
    to the honest you are honest;
²⁷ Toward the sincere you are sincere;
    but to the perverse you are devious.
²⁸ Humble people you save,
    though on the haughty your eyes look down.
²⁹ You are my lamp, O Lord!
    My God brightens the darkness about me.
³⁰ With you I can rush an armed band,
    with my God to help I can leap a wall.
³¹ God’s way is unerring;
    the Lord’s promise is tried and true;
    he is a shield for all who trust in him.^(J)

³² Truly, who is God except the Lord?
    Who but our God is the rock?
³³ This God who girded me with might,
    kept my way unerring,
³⁴ Who made my feet swift as a deer’s,
    set me safe on the heights,^(K)
35 Who trained my hands for war,
    my arms to bend even a bow of bronze.

³⁶ You have given me your protecting shield,
    and your help has made me great.
³⁷ You gave me room to stride;
    my feet never stumbled.
³⁸ I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
    I did not turn back till I destroyed them.
³⁹ I struck them down, and they did not rise;
    they fell dead at my feet.
⁴⁰ You girded me with strength for war;
    subdued adversaries at my feet.
⁴¹ My foes you put to flight before me;
    those who hated me I destroyed.
⁴² They cried for help, but no one saved them,
    cried to the Lord but got no answer.
⁴³ I ground them fine as the dust of the earth;
    like mud in the streets I trod them down.
⁴⁴ You rescued me from the strife of my people;
    you made me head over nations.
A people I had not known became my slaves;
⁴⁵ Foreigners cringed before me;
    as soon as they heard of me they obeyed.
⁴⁶ Their courage failed;
    they came trembling from their fortresses.
⁴⁷ The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock!
    Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation.
⁴⁸ O God who granted me vindication,
    subdued peoples under me,
⁴⁹     and helped me escape from my enemies,
Truly you have exalted me above my adversaries,
    from the violent you have rescued me.
⁵⁰ Thus I will proclaim you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing the praises of your name.^(L)
51 You have given great victories to your king,
    and shown kindness to your anointed,
    to David and his posterity forever.

The oracle of David, son of Jesse;
    the oracle of the man God raised up,
Anointed of the God of Jacob,
    favorite of the Mighty One of Israel.^(M)
2 The spirit of the Lord spoke through me;
    his word was on my tongue.^(N)
3 The God of Israel spoke;
    of me the Rock of Israel said,
“One who rules over humankind with justice,
    who rules in the fear of God,^(O)
4 Is like the light at sunrise
    on a cloudless morning,
    making the land’s vegetation glisten after rain.”^(P)
5 Is not my house firm before God?
    He has made an eternal covenant with me,
    set forth in detail and secured.^(Q)
Will he not bring to fruition
    all my salvation and my every desire?
⁶ But the wicked are all like thorns to be cast away;
    they cannot be taken up by hand.^(R)
7 One wishing to touch them
    must be armed with iron or the shaft of a spear.
    They must be utterly consumed by fire.

² With my own voice I cry to the Lord;
    with my own voice I beseech the Lord.
³ Before him I pour out my complaint,
    tell of my distress in front of him.
⁴ When my spirit is faint within me,^(A)
    you know my path.^(B)
As I go along this path,
    they have hidden a trap for me.^(C)
5 I look to my right hand to see^(D)
    that there is no one willing to acknowledge me.
My escape has perished;
    no one cares for me.
⁶ I cry out to you, Lord,
    I say, You are my refuge,^(E)
    my portion in the land of the living.^(F)
7 Listen to my cry for help,
    for I am brought very low.^(G)
Rescue me from my pursuers,
    for they are too strong for me.
⁸ Lead my soul from prison,
    that I may give thanks to your name.
Then the righteous shall gather around me^[c]
    because you have been good to me.