David praises the Lord in a psalm of thanksgiving—The Lord is his fortress and savior; he is mighty and powerful in deliverance; he rewards men according to their righteousness; he showeth mercy to the merciful; his way is perfect; he liveth, and blessed be he.

1 - And David spake unto the L ORD the words of this song in the day that the L ORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:

2 - And he said, The L ORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

3 - The God of my rock; in him will I trust : he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

4 - I will call on the L ORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

5 - When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;

6 - The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;

7 - In my distress I called upon the L ORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

8 - Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.

9 - There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

10 - He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.

11 - And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

12 - And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.

13 - Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.

14 - The L ORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.

15 - And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.

16 - And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the L ORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

17 - He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;

18 - He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.

19 - They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the L ORD was my stay.

20 - He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

21 - The L ORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

22 - For I have kept the ways of the L ORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

23 - For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.

24 - I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.

25 - Therefore the L ORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.

26 - With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.

27 - With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.

28 - And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.

29 - For thou art my lamp, O L ORD : and the L ORD will lighten my darkness.

30 - For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.

31 - As for God, his way is perfect ; the word of the L ORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

32 - For who is God, save the L ORD ? and who is a rock, save our God?

33 - God is my strength and power : and he maketh my way perfect.

34 - He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.

35 - He teacheth my hands to war ; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

36 - Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.

37 - Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.

38 - I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.

39 - And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.

40 - For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.

41 - Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.

42 - They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the L ORD, but he answered them not.

43 - Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.

44 - Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.

45 - Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.

46 - Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.

47 - The L ORD liveth ; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.

48 - It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me,

49 - And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

50 - Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O L ORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.

51 - He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.