⁴ The ropes of death had become tangled around me.
    The torrents of destruction had overwhelmed me.
⁵         The ropes of the grave had surrounded me.
            The clutches of death had confronted me.

⁶ I called on Yahweh in my distress.
    I cried to my Elohim for help.
        He heard my voice from his temple,
            and my cry for help reached his ears.

⁷ Then the earth shook and quaked.
    Even the foundations of the mountains trembled.
        They shook violently because he was angry.
⁸ Smoke went up from his nostrils,
    and a raging fire came out of his mouth.
        Glowing coals flared up from it.
⁹ He spread apart the heavens
    and came down with a dark cloud under his feet.
¹⁰ He rode on one of the angels^[b] as he flew,
    and he soared on the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made the darkness his hiding place,
    the dark rain clouds his covering.
¹² Out of the brightness in front of him,
    those rain clouds passed by with hailstones and lightning.
¹³ Yahweh thundered in the heavens.
    Elyon made his voice heard with hailstones and lightning.
¹⁴ He shot his arrows and scattered them.
    He flashed streaks of lightning and threw them into confusion.
¹⁵ Then the ocean floor could be seen.
    The foundations of the earth were laid bare
        at your stern warning, O Yahweh,
        at the blast of the breath from your nostrils.

¹⁶ He reached down from high above and took hold of me.
    He pulled me out of the raging water.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
        because they were too strong for me.
¹⁸ On the day when I faced disaster, they confronted me,
    but Yahweh came to my defense.
¹⁹ He brought me out to a wide-open place.
    He rescued me because he was pleased with me.

²⁰ Yahweh rewarded me
    because of my righteousness,
    because my hands are clean.
    He paid me back
²¹ because I have kept the ways of Yahweh
    and I have not wickedly turned away from my Elohim,
²² because all his judgments are in front of me
    and I have not turned away from his laws.
²³ I was innocent as far as he was concerned.
    I have kept myself from guilt.
²⁴ Yahweh paid me back
    because of my righteousness,
    because he can see that my hands are clean.

²⁵ In dealing with faithful people you are faithful,
    with innocent people you are innocent,
²⁶ with pure people you are pure.
    In dealing with devious people you are clever.

²⁷ You save humble people,
    but you bring down a conceited look.
²⁸ O Yahweh, you light my lamp.
    My Elohim turns my darkness into light.
²⁹ With you I can attack a line of soldiers.
    With my Elohim I can break through barricades.

³⁰ El’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.
³¹ Who is Eloah but Yahweh?
    Who is a rock except our Elohim?
³² El arms me with strength
    and makes my way perfect.
³³ He makes my feet like those of a deer
    and gives me sure footing on high places.
³⁴ He trains my hands for battle
    so that my arms can bend an archer’s bow of bronze.
³⁵ You have given me the shield of your salvation.
    Your right hand supports me.
    Your gentleness makes me great.
³⁶ You make a wide path for me to walk on
    so that my feet do not slip.
³⁷ I chased my enemies and caught up with them.
    I did not return until I had ended their lives.
³⁸ I wounded them so badly that they were unable to get up.
    They fell under my feet.
³⁹ You armed me with strength for battle.
    You made my opponents bow at my feet.
⁴⁰ You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
    and I destroyed those who hated me.
⁴¹ They cried out for help, but there was no one to save them.
    They cried out to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
⁴² I beat them into a powder as fine as the dust blown by the wind.
    I threw them out as though they were dirt on the streets.
⁴³ You rescued me from my conflicts with the people.
    You made me the leader of nations.
    A people I did not know will serve me:
⁴⁴ As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.
    Foreigners will cringe in front of me.
⁴⁵ Foreigners will lose heart,
    and they will tremble when they come out of their fortifications.

⁴⁶ Yahweh lives!
    Thanks be to my rock!
        May Elohim my Savior be honored.
⁴⁷ El gives me vengeance!
    He brings people under my authority.
⁴⁸ He saves me from my enemies.
    You lift me up above my opponents.
        You rescue me from violent people.
⁴⁹ That is why I will give thanks to you, O Yahweh, among the nations
    and make music to praise your name.
⁵⁰ He gives great victories to his king.
    He shows mercy to his anointed,
    to David, and to his descendant^[c] forever.