Yahweh is my rock and my Metsuda and my Savior,
³ my Elohim, my rock in whom I take refuge, my Magen,
    the strength of my salvation, my stronghold,
        my refuge, and my Savior who saved me from violence.
⁴ Yahweh should be praised.
    I called on him, and I was saved from my enemies.

⁵ The waves of death had surrounded me.
    The torrents of destruction had overwhelmed me.
⁶ The ropes of the grave had surrounded me.
    The clutches of death had confronted me.

⁷ I called on Yahweh in my distress.
    I called to my Elohim for help.
        He heard my voice from his temple,
            and my cry for help reached his ears.
⁸ Then the earth shook and quaked.
    Even the foundations of the heavens trembled.
        They shook violently because he was angry.
⁹ Smoke went up from his nostrils,
    and a raging fire came out of his mouth.
        Glowing coals flared up from it.
¹⁰ He spread apart the heavens
    and came down with a dark cloud under his feet.
¹¹ He rode on one of the angels^[a] as he flew,
    and he soared on the wings of the wind.
¹² He surrounded himself with darkness.
    He made the dark rain clouds his covering.
¹³ Out of the brightness in front of him, he made lightning.
¹⁴ Yahweh thundered from heaven.
The Elyon made his voice heard.
¹⁵ He shot arrows and scattered them.
He flashed streaks of lightning and threw them into confusion.
¹⁶ Then the ocean floor could be seen.
    The foundations of the earth were laid bare
        at Yahweh’s stern warning,
        at the blast of the breath from his nostrils.

¹⁷ He reached down from high above and took hold of me.
He pulled me out of the raging water.
¹⁸ He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
        because they were too strong for me.
¹⁹ On the day when I faced disaster, they confronted me,
    but Yahweh became my defense.
²⁰ He brought me out to a wide-open place.
    He rescued me because he was pleased with me.

²¹ Yahweh rewarded me
    because of my righteousness,
    because my hands are clean.
He paid me back
²² because I have kept the ways of Yahweh
    and I have not wickedly turned away from my Elohim,
²³ because all his judgments are in front of me
    and I have not turned away from his laws.
²⁴ I was innocent as far as he was concerned.
    I have kept myself from guilt.
²⁵ Yahweh paid me back
    because of my righteousness,
    because he can see that I am clean.

²⁶ In dealing with faithful people you are faithful,
    with innocent warriors you are innocent,
²⁷ with pure people you are pure.
In dealing with devious people you are clever.

²⁸ You save humble people,
    but your eyes bring down arrogant people.
²⁹ O Yahweh, you are my lamp.
    Yahweh turns my darkness into light.
³⁰ With you I can attack a line of soldiers.
    With my Elohim I can break through barricades.

³¹ Elohim’s way is perfect!
    The promise of Yahweh has proven to be true.
        He is a Magen to all those who take refuge in him.
³² Who is Elohim but Yahweh?
    Who is a rock other than our Elohim?
³³ El arms me with strength.^[b]
His perfect way sets me free.
³⁴ He makes my feet like those of a deer
    and gives me sure footing on high places.
³⁵ He trains my hands for battle
    so that my arms can bend an archer’s bow of bronze.
³⁶ You have given me the shield of your salvation.
Your help makes me great.
³⁷ You make a wide path for me to walk on
    so that my feet do not slip.
³⁸ I chased my enemies and destroyed them.
I did not return until I had ended their lives.
³⁹ I ended their lives by shattering them.
    They were unable to get up.
    They fell under my feet.
⁴⁰ You armed me with strength for battle.
You made my opponents bow at my feet.
⁴¹ You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
    and I destroyed those who hated me.
⁴² They looked, but there was no one to save them.
They looked to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
⁴³ I beat them into a powder as fine as the dust on the ground.
    I crushed them and stomped on them like the dirt on the streets.
⁴⁴ You rescued me from my conflicts with my people.
You kept me as the leader of nations.
    A people I did not know will serve me.
⁴⁵ Foreigners will cringe in front of me.
    As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.
⁴⁶ Foreigners will lose heart,
    although they are armed^[c] in their fortifications.

⁴⁷ Yahweh lives!
    Thanks be to my rock!
        May Elohim, the rock of my salvation, be glorified.
⁴⁸ El gives me vengeance!
    He brings people under my authority.
⁴⁹ He frees me from my enemies.
    You lift me up above my opponents.
        You rescue me from violent people.
⁵⁰ That is why I will give thanks to you, O Yahweh, among the nations
    and make music to praise your name.
⁵¹ He gives great victories to his king.
He shows mercy to his anointed,
    to David, and to his descendant^[d] forever.