Study

David’s Song of Thanksgiving

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David spoke to the L ord the words of this song on the day when the L ord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. ²He said:

The L ord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,

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my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield and the horn of my salvation,

my stronghold and my refuge,

my savior; you save me from violence.

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I call upon the L ord, who is worthy to be praised,

and I am saved from my enemies.

 

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For the waves of death encompassed me,

the torrents of perdition assailed me;

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the cords of Sheol entangled me,

the snares of death confronted me.

 

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In my distress I called upon the L ord;

to my God I called.

From his temple he heard my voice,

and my cry came to his ears.

 

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Then the earth reeled and rocked;

the foundations of the heavens trembled

and quaked, because he was angry.

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Smoke went up from his nostrils,

and devouring fire from his mouth;

glowing coals flamed forth from him.

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He bowed the heavens, and came down;

thick darkness was under his feet.

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He rode on a cherub, and flew;

he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

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He made darkness around him a canopy,

thick clouds, a gathering of water.

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Out of the brightness before him

coals of fire flamed forth.

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The L ord thundered from heaven;

the Most High uttered his voice.

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He sent out arrows, and scattered them

—lightning, and routed them.

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Then the channels of the sea were seen,

the foundations of the world were laid bare

at the rebuke of the L ord,

at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

 

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He reached from on high, he took me,

he drew me out of mighty waters.

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He delivered me from my strong enemy,

from those who hated me;

for they were too mighty for me.

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They came upon me in the day of my calamity,

but the L ord was my stay.

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He brought me out into a broad place;

he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

 

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The L ord rewarded me according to my righteousness;

according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.

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For I have kept the ways of the L ord,

and have not wickedly departed from my God.

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For all his ordinances were before me,

and from his statutes I did not turn aside.

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I was blameless before him,

and I kept myself from guilt.

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Therefore the L ord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,

according to my cleanness in his sight.

 

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With the loyal you show yourself loyal;

with the blameless you show yourself blameless;

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with the pure you show yourself pure,

and with the crooked you show yourself perverse.

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You deliver a humble people,

but your eyes are upon the haughty to bring them down.

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Indeed, you are my lamp, O L ord,

the L ord lightens my darkness.

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By you I can crush a troop,

and by my God I can leap over a wall.

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This God—his way is perfect;

the promise of the L ord proves true;

he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

 

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For who is God, but the L ord?

And who is a rock, except our God?

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The God who has girded me with strength

has opened wide my path.

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He made my feet like the feet of deer,

and set me secure on the heights.

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He trains my hands for war,

so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

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You have given me the shield of your salvation,

and your help has made me great.

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You have made me stride freely,

and my feet do not slip;

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I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,

and did not turn back until they were consumed.

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I consumed them; I struck them down, so that they did not rise;

they fell under my feet.

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For you girded me with strength for the battle;

you made my assailants sink under me.

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You made my enemies turn their backs to me,

those who hated me, and I destroyed them.

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They looked, but there was no one to save them;

they cried to the L ord, but he did not answer them.

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I beat them fine like the dust of the earth,

I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.

 

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You delivered me from strife with the peoples;

you kept me as the head of the nations;

people whom I had not known served me.

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Foreigners came cringing to me;

as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.

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Foreigners lost heart,

and came trembling out of their strongholds.

 

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The L ord lives! Blessed be my rock,

and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,

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the God who gave me vengeance

and brought down peoples under me,

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who brought me out from my enemies;

you exalted me above my adversaries,

you delivered me from the violent.

 

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For this I will extol you, O L ord, among the nations,

and sing praises to your name.

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He is a tower of salvation for his king,

and shows steadfast love to his anointed,

to David and his descendants forever.