The God Who Avenges On My Behalf

Of David the Lord’s servant, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord after the Lord delivered him from the power of all his enemies and from Saul.

David said: I love You, LORD, my Strength. The LORD is my Solid Rock, my Fortress, my Rescuer. My God is my Rock—I take refuge in Him!—He’s my Shield, my Salvation’s Strength, my Place of Safety. Because He is praise-worthy, I cried out to the LORD, and I was saved from my enemies. Death’s cords were wrapped around me; rivers of wickedness terrified me. The cords of the grave surrounded me; death’s traps held me tight. In my distress I cried out to the LORD; I called to my God for help. God heard my voice from His temple; I called to Him for help, and my call reached His ears.

The earth rocked and shook; the bases of the mountains trembled and reeled because of God’s anger. Smoke went up from God’s nostrils; out of His mouth came a devouring fire; flaming coals blazed out in front of Him! God parted the skies and came down; thick darkness was beneath His feet. God mounted the heavenly creatures and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind. God made darkness cloak Him; His covering was dark water and dense cloud. God’s clouds went ahead of the brightness before Him; hail and coals of fire went too. The LORD thundered in heaven; the Most High made His voice heard with hail and coals of fire. God shot His arrows, scattering the enemy; He sent the lightning and threw them into confusion. The seabeds were exposed; the earth’s foundations were laid bare at Your rebuke, LORD, at the angry blast of air coming from Your nostrils.

From on high God reached down and grabbed me; He took me out of all that water.  God saved me from my powerful enemy, saved me from my foes, who were too much for me. They came at me on the very day of my distress, but the Lord was my Support. He brought me out to wide-open spaces; He pulled me out safe because He is pleased with me. The LORD rewarded me for my righteousness; He restored me because my hands are clean, because I have kept the LORD’s ways. I haven’t acted wickedly against my God. All His rules are right in front of me; I haven’t turned away from any of His laws. I have lived with integrity before Him; I’ve kept myself from wrongdoing. And so the LORD restored me for my righteousness because my hands are clean in His eyes.

You deal faithfully with the faithful; You show integrity toward the one who has integrity. You are pure toward the pure, but toward the crooked, You are tricky. You are the One Who saves people who suffer and brings down those with proud eyes. You are the One Who lights my lamp—the LORD my God illumines my darkness. With You I can charge into battle; with my God I can leap over a wall. God! His way is perfect; the LORD’s Word is tried and true. He is a Shield for all who take refuge in Him.

Now really, who is divine except the LORD? And who is a Rock but our God? Only God! The God Who equips me with strength and makes my way perfect, Who makes my step as sure as the deer’s, Who lets me stand securely on the heights, Who trains my hands for war so my arms can bend a bronze bow. You’ve given me the shield of Your salvation; Your strong hand has supported me; Your help has made me great. You’ve let me walk fast and safe, without even twisting an ankle. I chased my enemies and caught them! I didn’t come home until I finished them off. I struck them down; they couldn’t get up again; they fell under my feet. You equipped me with strength for war; You brought my adversaries down underneath me. You made my enemies turn tail from me; I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them. They cried for help to the LORD, but He wouldn’t answer them. I crushed them like dust blown away by the wind; I threw them out like mud dumped in the streets. You delivered me from struggles with many people; You appointed me the leader of many nations. Strangers come to serve me. After hearing about me, they obey me; foreigners grovel before me. Foreigners lose their nerve; they come trembling out of their fortresses.

The LORD lives! Bless God, my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be lifted high! This is the God Who avenges on my behalf, Who subdues people before me, Who delivers me from my enemies. Yes, You lifted me high above my adversaries; You delivered me from violent people. That’s why I thank You, LORD, in the presence of the nations. That’s why I sing praises to Your Name. You are the One Who gives great victories to Your king, Who shows faithful love to Your anointed one—to David and to his descendants forever.