To the chief Musician, a psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who spake the words of this Song, in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. and he Said,
1 I’LL dearly love thee, Lord, my strength.
2The Lord is my rock, and my tower
and my deliverer, my God,
I’ll trust in him who is my power,
My shield, and my salvation’s-horn,
3 my high-fort; Who is praise worthy
I on the Lord will call, so shall
I be kept from mine enemy.
4 Deaths sorrows me encompassed,
me fear’d the floods of ungodly,
5 Hells pangs beset me round about,
the snares of death prevented me.
6 I in my straits, call’d on the Lord,
and to my God cry’d: he did hear
from his temple my voice, my cry,
before him came, unto his ear.
7 Then th’ earth shook, and quak’t, and mountains
roots mov’d, and were stirr’d at his ire,
8 Up from his nostrils went a smoke,
and from his mouth devouring fire:
By it the coals enkindled were.
9 Likewise the heavens he down-bow’d,
and he descended, and there was
under his feet a gloomy cloud.
10 And he on cherub rode, and flew;
yea he flew on the wings of wind.
11 His secret place he darkness made
his covert that him round confine,
Dark waters, and thick clouds of skies.
12 From brightness, that before him was,
his thicken’d clouds did pass away,
hail-stones and coals of fire did pass.
13 Also Jehovah thundered,
within the heavens, the most high
likewise his angry-voice did give,
hail-stones, and coals of fire did fly.
14 Yea he did out his arrows send,
and bruising he them scattered,
and lightnings he did multiply,
likewise he them discomfited.
15 The waters channels then were seen,
and the foundations of the world
appear’d; at thy rebuke, at blast,
of the breath of thy nostrils Lord.
(2)
16 He from above sent he me took:
me out of waters-great he drew.
17 He from mine enemies-strong, and from
them which me hated did rescue:
For they were mightier then I.
18 They me prevented in the day
of my cloudy calamity;
but for me was the Lord a stay.
19 And he me to large place brought forth:
he sav’d me, for he did delight
20 in me. The Lord rewarded me
according as I did aright,
According to the cleanness of
my hands, he recompensed me.
21 For the ways of the Lord I kept:
nor from my God went wickedly.
22 For all his judgments me before:
nor from me put I his decree.
23 With him I upright was, and kept
myself from mine iniquity.
24 The Lord hath recompensed me,
after my righteousness therefore:
according to the cleanness of
my hands that was his eyes before.
25 With merciful, thou merciful,
with upright thou deals uprightly.
26 With pure thou pure, thou also wilt
with froward turn thy self awry.
27 For thou wilt save th’ afflicted folk:
but wilt the lofty looks suppress.
28 For thou wilt light my lamp: the Lord,
my God will lighten my darkness.
29 For by thee I ran through a troupe,
and by my God leapt o’re a wall.
30 Gods way is perfect: Gods word tried:
that trust in him he’s shield to all.
(3)
31 For who is God except the Lord?
or who a rock, our God except?
32 Its God that girdeth me with strength,
and he doth make my way perfect.
33 Like to the hinds he makes my feet:
and on my high place makes me stand.
34 Mine arms do break a bow of brass;
so well to war he learns my hand.
35 The shield of thy salvation
thou furthermore hast given me:
and thy right-hand hath me upheld,
thy meekness made me great to be.
36 Under me thou mak’st large my steps,
so that mine ankles did not slide
37 My foes pursu’d I, and them caught:
nor turn’d I till they were destroy’d.
38 I wounded them and they could not
rise up: under my feet they fell.
39 Because that thou hast girded me
with fortitude to the battle:
Thou hast subdued under me,
those that did up against me rise.
40 And my foes necks thou gavest me,
that I might wast mine enemies.
41 They cried but there was none to save,
to God, yet with no answer meet.
42 I beat them then as dust i’th wind
and cast them out as dirt i’th street.
(4)
43 And thou from the contentions
hast of the people me set free;
thou of the heathen mad’st me head:
people I knew not shall serve me.
44 They’ll at first hearing me obey:
strangers shall yield themselves to me.
45 The strangers shall consume away,
and from their closets frighted be.
46 The Lord lives, and blest be my Rock,
let my health’s God exalted be.
47 It’s God for me that vengeance works,
and brings down people under me.
48 Me from mine enemies he doth save:
and above those that ‘gainst me went,
thou lift’st me up; and thou hast freed
me from the man that’s violent.
49 I with confession will therefore
unto thee render thanksgiving,
o Lord, among the heathen-folk;
and to thy name I’ll praise sing.
50 He giveth great deliverance
to his King, and doth shew mercy
to his anointed, to David,
and to his seed eternally.