[1] He said, ”Lord my strength, I love you!”
[2] The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, my Place of Safety.” My God is my Rock. I run to him for protection. God is my shield. His power saves me. The Lord is my hiding place high in the hills.
[3] They made fun of me. But I called to the Lord for help, and I was saved from my enemies!
[4] ˻My enemies were trying to kill me!˼ The ropes of death were all around me. I was caught in a flood carrying me to that place of death.
[5] Ropes of the grave were all around me. Traps of death lay before me.
[6] Trapped, I called to the Lord for help. Yes, I called to my God. God was in his temple. He heard my voice. He heard my cry for help.
[7] The earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven shook. Why? Because the Lord was angry!
[8] Smoke came from God’s nose. Burning flames came from God’s mouth, Burning sparks flew from him.
[9] The Lord tore open the sky, and he came down! He stood on a thick, dark cloud.
[10] The Lord was flying ˻across the sky˼, riding on the flying Cherub angels. He was soaring high on the wind.
[11] The Lord was hidden in the dark clouds that surrounded him like a tent. He was hidden in the thick thunder clouds.
[12] Then, God’s shining brightness broke through the clouds. There was hail and flashes of lightning.
[13] The Lord thundered from the sky! God Most-High let his voice be heard. There was hail and flashes of lightning.
[14] The Lord shot his arrows and scattered the enemy. The Lord sent many bolts of lightning and the people scattered in confusion.
[15] Lord, you shouted your command; and a powerful wind began to blow. ˻The water was pushed back,˼ and we could see the bottom of the sea. We could see the earth’s foundations.
[16] The Lord reached down from above and saved me. The Lord caught me and pulled me out of deep water ˻(trouble)˼.
[17] My enemies were stronger than me. Those people hated me. My enemies were too strong for me, so God saved me.
[18] I was in trouble, and my enemies attacked me. But the Lord was there to support me!
[19] The Lord loves me, so he rescued me. He took me to a safe place.
[20] I am innocent, so the Lord will give me my reward. I did nothing wrong, so he will do good things for me.
[21] Why? Because I obeyed the Lord! I did not sin against my God.
[22] I always remember the Lord’s decisions. I obey his laws!
[23] I was pure and honest with him. I kept myself from doing bad things.
[24] So the Lord will give me my reward! Why? Because I am innocent! The way God sees it, I did nothing wrong, so he will do good things for me.
[25] Lord, if a person really loves you, then you will show your true love to him. If a person is true to you, then you will be true to him.
[26] Lord, you are good and pure to people that are good and pure. But, you can outsmart the meanest and sneakiest people.
[27] Lord, you help humble people. But you humiliate proud people.
[28] Lord, you light my lamp. My God lights up the darkness around me!
[29] With your help, Lord, I can run with the soldiers. With God’s help, I can climb over enemy walls.
[30] God’s power is complete. The Lord’s word has been tested. He protects people who trust him.
[31] There is no God except the Lord. There is no Rock, except our God.
[32] God gives me strength. He helps me live a pure life.
[33] God helps me run fast like a deer. He keeps me steady in high places.
[34] God trains me for war, so my arms can bend a powerful bow.
[35] God, you protected me and helped me win. You supported me with your right arm. You helped me defeat my enemy.
[36] Make my legs and ankles strong, so I can walk fast without stumbling.
[37] Then I can chase my enemies and catch them. I won’t come back until they are destroyed!
[38] I will defeat my enemies. They won’t get up again. All my enemies will be under my feet.
[39] God, you made me strong in battle. You made my enemies fall before me.
[40] You gave me a chance to strike at my enemy’s neck, and I cut my opponent down!
[41] My enemies called for help, but there was no one to save them. They even called to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
[42] I beat my enemies to pieces. They were like dust blowing in the wind. I crushed them into small pieces.
[43] Save me from the people that fight against me. Make me the leader of those nations. People I don’t even know will serve me.
[44] Those people will hear about me and quickly obey me. Those foreigners will be afraid of me.
[45] Those foreigners will wilt with fear. They will come from their hiding places shaking with fear.
[46] The Lord is alive! I praise my Rock, God saves me. He is great!
[47] God punished my enemies for me. He put people under my control.
[48] Lord, you rescued me from my enemies. You helped me defeat the people who stood against me. You saved me from cruel men.
[49] Lord, that is why I praise you among the nations. That is why I sing songs about your name.
[50] The Lord helps his king win many battles! He shows his true love for his chosen king. He will be loyal to David and his descendants forever!