⁴ The cords of death encompassed me;
    the torrents of perdition assailed me;
⁵ the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

⁶ In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears.

⁷ Then the earth reeled and rocked;
    the foundations also of the mountains trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
⁸ Smoke went up from his nostrils,
    and devouring fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
⁹ He bowed the heavens, and came down;
    thick darkness was under his feet.
¹⁰ He rode on a cherub, and flew;
    he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made darkness his covering around him,
    his canopy thick clouds dark with water.
¹² Out of the brightness before him
    there broke through his clouds
    hailstones and coals of fire.
¹³ The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High uttered his voice.^[a]
14 And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them;
    he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them.
¹⁵ Then the channels of the sea were seen,
    and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O Lord,
    at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

¹⁶ He reached down from on high, he took me;
    he drew me out of mighty waters.
¹⁷ He delivered me from my strong enemy,
    and from those who hated me;
    for they were too mighty for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my calamity;
    but the Lord was my support.
¹⁹ He brought me out into a broad place;
    he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

²⁰ The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
    according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.
²¹ For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
²² For all his ordinances were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
²³ I was blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from guilt.
²⁴ Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵ With the loyal you show yourself loyal;
    with the blameless you show yourself blameless;
²⁶ with the pure you show yourself pure;
    and with the crooked you show yourself perverse.
²⁷ For you deliver a humble people,
    but the haughty eyes you bring down.
²⁸ It is you who light my lamp;
    the Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
²⁹ By you I can crush a troop,
    and by my God I can leap over a wall.
³⁰ This God—his way is perfect;
    the promise of the Lord proves true;
    he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

³¹ For who is God except the Lord?
    And who is a rock besides our God?—
³² the God who girded me with strength,
    and made my way safe.
³³ He made my feet like the feet of a deer,
    and set me secure on the heights.
³⁴ He trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵ You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand has supported me;
    your help^[b] has made me great.
³⁶ You gave me a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
³⁷ I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
    and did not turn back until they were consumed.
³⁸ I struck them down, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
³⁹ For you girded me with strength for the battle;
    you made my assailants sink under me.
⁴⁰ You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
⁴¹ They cried for help, but there was no one to save them;
    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
⁴² I beat them fine, like dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

⁴³ You delivered me from strife with the peoples;^[c]
    you made me head of the nations;
    people whom I had not known served me.
⁴⁴ As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    foreigners came cringing to me.
⁴⁵ Foreigners lost heart,
    and came trembling out of their strongholds.

⁴⁶ The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation,
⁴⁷ the God who gave me vengeance
    and subdued peoples under me;
⁴⁸ who delivered me from my enemies;
    indeed, you exalted me above my adversaries;
    you delivered me from the violent.

⁴⁹ For this I will extol you, O Lord, among the nations,
    and sing praises to your name.
⁵⁰ Great triumphs he gives to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
    to David and his descendants for ever.

In the heavens^[c] he has set a tent for the sun,
⁵ which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
    and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
⁶ Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
    and its circuit to the end of them;
    and nothing is hidden from its heat.

⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
    making wise the simple;
⁸ the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
    enlightening the eyes;
⁹ the fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
    and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
    and drippings of the honeycomb.

¹¹ Moreover by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
¹² But who can detect their errors?
    Clear me from hidden faults.
¹³ Keep back your servant also from the insolent;^[d]
    do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.