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(For the music leader. A psalm by David, the Lord's servant. David sang this to the Lord after the Lord had rescued him from his enemies, but especially from Saul.)
David's Song of Thanks
1 I love you, Lord God,
and you make me strong.
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  Chapter recording
List of all recordings of KJV To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,
1 I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
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2 You are my mighty rock,  x 18.2 mighty rock: The Hebrew text has “rock,” which is sometimes used in poetry to compare the Lord to a mountain where his people can run for protection from their enemies.
my fortress, my protector,
the rock where I am safe,
my shield,
my powerful weapon, y 18.2 my powerful weapon: The Hebrew text has “the horn,” which refers to the horn of a bull, one of the most powerful animals in ancient Palestine.
and my place of shelter.
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2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. my strength: Heb. my rock
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3 I praise you, Lord!
I prayed, and you rescued me
from my enemies.
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3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
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4 Death had wrapped
its ropes around me,
and I was almost swallowed
by its flooding waters.
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4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. ungodly men: Heb. Belial
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5 Ropes from the world
of the dead
had coiled around me,
and death had set a trap
in my path.
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5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. sorrows: or, cords
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6 I was in terrible trouble
when I called out to you,
but from your temple
you heard me
and answered my prayer.
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6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
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7 The earth shook and shivered,
and the mountains trembled
down to their roots.
You were angry
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7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
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8 and breathed out smoke.
Scorching heat and fiery flames
spewed from your mouth.
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8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. out of his nostrils: Heb. by his, etc
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9 You opened the heavens
like curtains,
and you came down
with storm clouds
under your feet.
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9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
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10 You rode on the backs
of flying creatures
and swooped down
with the wind as wings.
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10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
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11 Darkness was your robe;
thunderclouds filled the sky,
hiding you from sight.
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11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
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12 Hailstones and fiery coals
lit up the sky
in front of you.
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12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
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13 Lord Most High, your voice
thundered from the heavens,
as hailstones and fiery coals
poured down like rain.
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13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
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14 You scattered your enemies
with arrows of lightning.
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14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
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15 You roared at the sea,
and its deepest channels
could be seen.
You snorted,
and the earth shook
to its foundations.
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15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
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16 You reached down from heaven,
and you lifted me
from deep in the ocean.
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16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. many: or, great
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17 You rescued me from enemies,
who were hateful
and too powerful for me.
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17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
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18 On the day disaster struck,
they came and attacked,
but you defended me.
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18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
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19 When I was fenced in,
you freed and rescued me
because you love me.
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19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
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20 You are good to me, Lord,
because I do right,
and you reward me
because I am innocent.
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20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
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21 I do what you want
and never turn to do evil.
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21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
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22 I keep your laws in mind
and never look away
from your teachings.
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22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
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23 I obey you completely
and guard against sin.
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23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. before: Heb. with
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24 You have been good to me
because I do right;
you have rewarded me
for being innocent
by your standards.
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24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. in...: Heb. before his eyes
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25 You are always loyal
to your loyal people,
and you are faithful
to the faithful.
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25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
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26 With all who are sincere,
you are sincere,
but you treat the unfaithful
as their deeds deserve.
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26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. shew thyself froward: or, wrestle
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27 You rescue the humble,
but you put down all
who are proud.
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27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
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28 You, the Lord God,
keep my lamp burning
and turn darkness to light.
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28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. candle: or, lamp
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29 You help me defeat armies
and capture cities.
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29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. run...: or, broken
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30 Your way is perfect, Lord,
and your word is correct.
You are a shield for those
who run to you for help.
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30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. tried: or, refined
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31 You alone are God!
Only you are a mighty rock. z 18.31,46; 19.14 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
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31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
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32 You give me strength
and guide me right.
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32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
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33 You make my feet run as fast 
as those of a deer,
and you help me stand
on the mountains.
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33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
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34 You teach my hands to fight
and my arms to use
a bow of bronze.
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34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
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35 You alone are my shield.
Your right hand supports me,
and by coming to help me,
you have made me famous.
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35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. thy gentleness...: or, with thy meekness thou hast multiplied me
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36 You clear the way for me,
and now I won't stumble.
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36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip. my feet: Heb. mine ankles
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37 I kept chasing my enemies,
until I caught them
and destroyed them.
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37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
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38 I stuck my sword
through my enemies,
and they were crushed
under my feet.
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38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
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39 You helped me win victories,
and you forced my attackers
to fall victim to me.
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39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. subdued: Heb. caused to bow
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40 You made my enemies run,
and I killed them.
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40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
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41 They cried out for help,
but no one saved them;
they called out to you,
but there was no answer.
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41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
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42 I ground them to dust
blown by the wind,
and I poured them out
like mud in the streets.
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42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
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43 You rescued me
from stubborn people,
and you made me the leader
of foreign nations,
who are now my slaves.
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43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
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44 They obey and come crawling.
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44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. As soon...: Heb. At the hearing of the ear submit...: or, yield feigned obedience strangers: Heb. sons of the stranger
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45 They have lost all courage,
and from their fortresses,
they come trembling.
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45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places. strangers: Heb. sons of the stranger
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46 You are the living Lord!
I will praise you.
You are a mighty rock. z 18.31,46; 19.14 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
I will honor you
for keeping me safe.
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46 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
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47 You took revenge for me,
and you put nations
in my power.
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47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me. avengeth: Heb. giveth avengements for subdueth: or, destroyeth
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48 You protected me
from violent enemies
and made me much greater
than all of them.
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48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. violent...: Heb. man of violence
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49 I will praise you, Lord,
and I will honor you
among the nations.
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49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. give...: or, confess
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50 You give glorious victories
to your chosen king.
Your faithful love for David
and for his descendants
will never end.
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50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
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© 1999 American Bible Society |
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