¹Thee will I love, O Lord, my strength.

²My fortress is the Lord,

My rock, and he that doth to me

deliverance afford:

My God, my strength, whom I will trust,

a buckler unto me,

The horn of my salvation,

and my high tow’r, is he.

³Upon the Lord, who worthy is

of praises, will I cry;

And then shall I preserved be

safe from mine enemy.

⁴Floods of ill men affrighted me,

death’s pangs about me went;

⁵Hell’s sorrows me environed;

death’s snares did me prevent.

⁶In my distress I call’d on God,

cry to my God did I;

He from his temple heard my voice,

to his ears came my cry.

⁷Th’ earth, as affrighted, then did shake,

trembling upon it seiz’d:

The hills’ foundations moved were,

because he was displeas’d.

⁸Up from his nostrils came a smoke,

and from his mouth there came

Devouring fire, and coals by it

were turned into flame.

⁹He also bowed down the heav’ns,

and thence he did descend;

And thickest clouds of darkness did

under his feet attend.

¹⁰And he upon a cherub rode,

and thereon he did fly;

Yea, on the swift wings of the wind

his flight was from on high.

¹¹He darkness made his secret place:

about him, for his tent,

Dark waters were, and thickest clouds

of th’ airy firmament.

¹²And at the brightness of that light,

which was before his eye,

His thick clouds pass’d away, hailstones

and coals of fire did fly.

¹³The Lord God also in the heav’ns

did thunder in his ire;

And there the Highest gave his voice,

hailstones and coals of fire.

¹⁴Yea, he his arrows sent abroad,

and them he scattered;

His lightnings also he shot out,

and them discomfited.

¹⁵The waters’ channels then were seen,

the world’s foundations vast

At thy rebuke discover’d were,

and at thy nostrils’ blast.

¹⁶And from above the Lord sent down,

and took me from below;

From many waters he me drew,

which would me overflow.

¹⁷He me reliev’d from my strong foes,

and such as did me hate;

Because he saw that they for me

too strong were, and too great.

¹⁸They me prevented in the day

of my calamity;

But even then the Lord himself

a stay was unto me.

¹⁹He to a place where liberty

and room was hath me brought;

Because he took delight in me,

he my deliv’rance wrought.

²⁰According to my righteousness

he did me recompense,

He me repaid according to

my hands’ pure innocence.

²¹For I God’s ways kept, from my God

did not turn wickedly.

²²His judgments were before me, I

his laws put not from me.

²³Sincere before him was my heart;

with him upright was I;

And watchfully I kept myself

from mine iniquity.

²⁴After my righteousness the Lord

hath recompensed me,

After the cleanness of my hands

appearing in his eye.

²⁵Thou gracious to the gracious art,

to upright men upright:

²⁶Pure to the pure, froward thou kyth’st

unto the froward wight.

²⁷For thou wilt the afflicted save

in grief that low do lie:

But wilt bring down the countenance

of them whose looks are high.

²⁸The Lord will light my candle so,

that it shall shine full bright:

The Lord my God will also make

my darkness to be light.

²⁹By thee through troops of men I break,

and them discomfit all;

And, by my God assisting me,

I overleap a wall.

³⁰As for God, perfect is his way:

the Lord his word is try’d;

He is a buckler to all those

who do in him confide.

³¹Who but the Lord is God? but he

who is a rock and stay?

³²’Tis God that girdeth me with strength,

and perfect makes my way.

³³He made my feet swift as the hinds,

set me on my high places.

³⁴Mine hands to war he taught, mine arms

brake bows of steel in pieces.

³⁵The shield of thy salvation

thou didst on me bestow:

Thy right hand held me up, and great

thy kindness made me grow.

³⁶And in my way my steps thou hast

enlarged under me,

That I go safely, and my feet

are kept from sliding free.

³⁷Mine en’mies I pursued have,

and did them overtake;

Nor did I turn again till I

an end of them did make.

³⁸I wounded them, they could not rise;

they at my feet did fall.

³⁹Thou girdedst me with strength for war;

my foes thou brought’st down all:

⁴⁰And thou hast giv’n to me the necks

of all mine enemies;

That I might them destroy and slay,

who did against me rise.

⁴¹They cried out, but there was none

that would or could them save;

Yea, they did cry unto the Lord,

but he no answer gave.

⁴²Then did I beat them small as dust

before the wind that flies;

And I did cast them out like dirt

upon the street that lies.

⁴³Thou mad’st me free from people’s strife,

and heathen’s head to be:

A people whom I have not known

shall service do to me.

⁴⁴At hearing they shall me obey,

to me they shall submit.

⁴⁵Strangers for fear shall fade away,

who in close places sit.

⁴⁶God lives, bless’d be my Rock; the God

of my health praised be.

⁴⁷God doth avenge me, and subdues

the people under me.

⁴⁸He saves me from mine enemies;

yea, thou hast lifted me

Above my foes; and from the man

of vi’lence set me free.

⁴⁹Therefore to thee will I give thanks

the heathen folk among;

And to thy name, O Lord, I will

sing praises in a song.

⁵⁰He great deliv’rance gives his king:

he mercy doth extend

To David, his anointed one,

and his seed without end.