18 For the musical director: a song by Yahweh’s servant David, when he sang the words of this song to Yahweh on the day that Yahweh rescued him from Shaul (King Saul) and all his other enemies.

18 He said:

I love you, Yahweh, my source of strength.

2 Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, the one who brings me to safety.

≈He’s my God, my rock. I take refuge in him.

He’s my shield, the power that saves me, my fortress.

3 I will call for help from Yahweh

who deserves all the praise he gets,

and then I’ll be rescued from my enemies.

4 I felt like I was about to die,

≈and torrents of worthlessness overwhelmed me.

5 The grave seemed to be putting its ropes around me.

≈The snares of death trapped me.

6 In my distress I called out to Yahweh.

≈I cried for help to my God.

He heard my voice from his temple.

≈My call for help entered his presence.

≈It reached his ears.

7 Then the earth quaked and shook.

≈The foundations of the mountains trembled

≈and were shaken because God was angry.

8 Smoke went up from out of his nostrils,

≈and blazing fire came out of his mouth.

Coals were ignited by it.

9 He opened the skies and came down,

and heavy darkness was under his feet.

10 He rode on a winged creature and flew.

≈He glided on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness into a tent around him—

heavy rain clouds in the skies.

12 Hail and burning coals fell from the brightness in front of him.

13 Yahweh thundered from the heavens.

The voice of the highest one shouted.[fn]

14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies—

≈many lightning bolts, and forced them to disperse.

15 Then the water channels appeared.

≈The foundations of the world were exposed

at your rebuke, Yahweh—

≈at the blast of the breath from your nostrils.

16 He reached down from above and took hold of me.

≈He pulled me out of the surging waters.

17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy—

from those who hated me,

because they were too strong for me.

18 They confronted me when I was in distress,

but Yahweh was my support.

19 He brought me out to a wide open place.

≈He saved me because he was pleased with me.

20 Yahweh has rewarded me because I’ve done nothing wrong.

≈He has restored me because I’m innocent.

21 because I’ve followed Yahweh’s instructions

and haven’t acted wickedly towards my God.

22 I keep all his instructions in mind,

and I haven’t refused to follow any of his rules.

23 I’ve done nothing that he could blame me for

and I’ve kept myself from disobeying him.

24 So Yahweh has restored me because of my obedience,

because I was innocent in his sight.

25 To the faithful, you show yourself faithful.

≈To the blameless, you show yourself blameless.

26 ≈To the pure, you show yourself pure,

but you’re shrewd towards anyone who’s crooked,

27 because you save people who’re suffering,

but you bring down those with proud, uplifted eyes.

28 You give light to my lamp.

≈Yahweh my God lights up my darkness.

29 With your help, I can run forward into the invaders.

≈With my God’s assistance, I can leap over a wall.

30 As for God, his ways are perfect.

≈Yahweh’s message has been refined.

He is a shield to everyone who goes to him to stay safe,

31 because who is God except Yahweh?

≈Who is a reliable place of safety except our God?

32 It is God who puts strength onto me like a belt around me—

who makes my path clear of obstacles.

33 He makes me sure-footed like a deer,

and places me in the hills.[ref]

34 He trains my hands for battle,

≈and my arms to bend a bronze bow.

35 You protect and save me with your shield.

You use your power to support me,

and your favour has made me strong.

36 You’ve made the path for my feet wide beneath me

so that my feet haven’t slipped.

37 I chased my enemies and overtook them.

≈I didn’t turn back until they were destroyed.

38 I smashed them so that they were unable to regroup.

≈They have fallen under my feet.

39 You put strength on me for battle like a belt around me.

You made my enemies bow down to me.

40 You allowed me to kill my enemies.

≈I annihilated those who hated me.

41 They called for help, but no rescuer came.

≈They called out to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them.

42 I hammered them into fine pieces like dust in the wind.

≈I emptied them out like mud in the streets.

43 You rescued me from people’s feuds.

You’ve made me the head over nations.

≈People serve me that I never knew before.

44 As soon as they heard about me, they obeyed me.

≈Foreigners cower down to me.

45 The foreigners lose heart,

≈and came trembling out of their strongholds.

46 Yahweh lives—may my place of security be praised.

≈Praise the God who saved me.

47 He’s the God who executes vengeance on my behalf—

who subdues the nations under me.

48 I’m set free from my enemies.

Indeed, you helped me stay ahead of those who opposed me.

You rescued me from violent men.

49 Therefore I’ll give thanks to you among the nations, Yahweh,

≈I’ll sing praises to your name.[ref]

50 God gives great victory to his king,

and he shows his loyal commitment to his anointed one—

to David and to his descendants forever.

22 Then after Yahweh had rescued David from Sha’ul and all his enemies, David sang this song for Yahweh,

2 “Yahweh is my rock and my fortress

and the one who rescues me, yes, even me.

3 God of my rock—I find safety in him,

≈my shield and my powerful saviour,

my high fort and my refuge,

≈my saviour—you save me from violence.

4 I call out to Yahweh who deserves to be praised.

I was kept safe from my enemies.

5 Death was enveloping me like a wave.

≈Torrents of worthlessness were overwhelming me.

6 Sheol’s ropes tightened around me.

≈Deadly traps confronted me.

7 In my distress I called to Yahweh,

≈and to my God I called out.

He listened to my voice from his temple,

≈and he heard my cry for help.

8 The earth reeled and it shook.

≈The foundations of the heavens trembled,

and they shook because because he became angry.

9 Smoke went up from his nose,

≈and burning coals and fire from his mouth.

10 He stretched out the heavens,

then he came down and it was dark below him.

11 He rode on a winged creature, and he flew.

Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind.

12 He placed darkness all around him as a covering—

a collection of dark clouds holding water in them.

13 From the brightness in front of him,

coals of fire burnt.

14 Yahweh thundered from the sky.

≈The most high God made his voice known.

15 He sent out arrows, and he scattered them.

≈He sent out lightning, and he confused them.

16 The channels of the sea became visible.

≈The foundations of the world were uncovered

at Yahweh’s rebuke,

from the blast from his nostrils.

17 He reached down from above and picked me up.

≈He pulled me up out of the surging waters.

18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy—

from the people who hated me—

because they were stronger than me.

19 They confronted me when I was experiencing difficulties,

but Yahweh supported me.

20 He brought me out into a wide area.

He rescued me because he was pleased with me.

21 Yahweh has rewarded me because of my obedience.

≈He’s repaid me because my hands were clean,

22 because I’ve followed Yahweh’s paths,

≈and I haven’t acted wickedly by turning away from my God.

23 I’m aware of all his regulations,

≈and I haven’t turned away from his decrees.

24 I’ve done nothing that he can accuse me of,

≈and I’ve stopped myself when I wanted to disobey.

25 Yahweh rewarded me for my obedience,

because he saw my innocence.

26 With a faithful person, you show yourself faithful.

≈with a blameless warrior, you prove yourself blameless.

27 With someone who purifies themself, you show yourself pure,

^but you show yourself deceptive to a crooked person.

28 You save afflicted people,

^but you dislike the proud—you bring them down.

29 For you are my lamp, Yahweh,

≈and you lighten my darkness.

30 For by you, I can charge against a troop of warriors.

≈With my God’s help I can leap over a city wall.

31 God’s path is perfect.

≈Yahweh’s message is tried and tested.

≥He keeps everyone safe who requests his protection.

32 Who could be God other than Yahweh?

≈And who is a rock apart from our God?

33 This God is my strong fortress,

and he keeps my pathways cleared.

34 The one who makes my feet nimble like a deer,

≈and places me securely up on the heights.[ref]

35 The one who trains me how to win in battle,

≈and strengthens my arms to pull back a powerful bow.

36 You saved me from death like a shield,

and you helped me become well-known by answering my prayers.

37 You helped me make large strides,

and stopped my feet from slipping.

38 Let me chase down my enemies and destroy them.

≈Then I won’t return until they’re all defeated.

39 I will attack them and smash them.

≈They won’t stand again—they’ll fall under my feet.

40 You give me extra strength for the war.

You make the people who rebelled against me submit.

41 You make my enemies flee away from me.

You help me destroy the people who hate me.

42 They look, but there’s no one to rescue them.

They call out to you, Yahweh, but you don’t answer them.

43 I crush them as finely as the dust on the ground.

≈I trample them like the mud on the streets and flatten them.

44 You rescue me from the arguments of my people.

You help me remain as the head of nations.

People serve me even if I don’t even know them.

45 Foreigners are afraid of me.

≈When they hear me, they obey me.

46 They lose heart,

and come out of their fortresses trembling.

47 Yahweh is alive—may my secure rock be blessed.

≈May the God of the rock of my salvation be praised.

48 He’s the God who avenges me,

≈and the one who makes the people who rebelled against me submit.

49 He’s the one who helps me escape from my enemies.

≈You hold me up away from the ones who rise up against me.

≈You rescue me from violent men.

50 Therefore I praise you, Yahweh, among the nations,

and I sing praises about who you are.[ref]

51 The one who helps his king to save the people,

and the one who shows loyalty to the one he chose—

to David and to his descendants forever.”