The Living Bible (175 page)
Authors: Inc. Tyndale House Publishers
Tags: #BIBLES / Other Translations / Text
This song of David was written at a time when the Lord had delivered him from his many enemies, including Saul.
Lord, how I love you! For you have done such tremendous things for me.
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The Lord is my fort where I can enter and be safe; no one can follow me in and slay me. He is a rugged mountain where I hide; he is my Savior, a rock where none can reach me, and a tower of safety. He is my shield. He is like the strong horn of a mighty fighting bull.
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All I need to do is cry to him—oh, praise the Lord—and I am saved from all my enemies!
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Death bound me with chains, and the floods of ungodliness mounted a massive attack against me.
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Trapped and helpless, I struggled against the ropes that drew me on to death.
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In my distress I screamed to the Lord for his help. And he heard me from heaven;
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my cry reached his ears.
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Then the earth rocked and reeled, and mountains shook and trembled. How they quaked! For he was angry.
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Fierce flames leaped from his mouth, setting fire to the earth;
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smoke blew from his nostrils.
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He bent the heavens down and came to my defense;
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thick darkness was beneath his feet.
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Mounted on a mighty angel,
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he sped swiftly to my aid with wings of wind.
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He enshrouded himself with darkness, veiling his approach with dense clouds dark as murky waters.
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Suddenly the brilliance of his presence broke through the clouds with lightning
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and a mighty storm of hail.
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The Lord thundered in the heavens; the God above all gods has spoken—oh, the hailstones; oh, the fire!
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He flashed his fearful arrows of lightning and routed all my enemies. See how they run!
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Then at your command, O Lord, the sea receded from the shore. At the blast of your breath the depths were laid bare.
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He reached down from heaven and took me and drew me out of my great trials. He rescued me from deep waters.
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He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me—I who was helpless in their hands.
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On the day when I was weakest, they attacked. But the Lord held me steady.
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He led me to a place of safety, for he delights in me.
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The Lord rewarded me for doing right and being pure.
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For I have followed his commands and have not sinned by turning back from following him.
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I kept close watch on all his laws; I did not refuse a single one.
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I did my best to keep them all, holding myself back from doing wrong.
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And so the Lord has paid me with his blessings, for I have done what is right, and I am pure of heart. This he knows, for he watches my every step.
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Lord, how merciful you are to those who are merciful. And you do not punish those who run from evil.
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You give blessings to the pure but pain to those who leave your paths.
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You deliver the humble but condemn the proud and haughty ones.
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You have turned on my light! The Lord my God has made my darkness turn to light.
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Now in your strength I can scale any wall, attack any troop.
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What a God he is! How perfect in every way! All his promises prove true. He is a shield for everyone who hides behind him.
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For who is God except our Lord? Who but he is as a rock?
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He fills me with strength and protects me wherever I go.
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He gives me the surefootedness of a mountain goat upon the crags. He leads me safely along the top of the cliffs.
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He prepares me for battle and gives me strength to draw an iron bow!
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You have given me your salvation as my shield. Your right hand, O Lord, supports me; your gentleness has made me great.
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You have made wide steps beneath my feet so that I need never slip.
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I chased my enemies; I caught up with them and did not turn back until all were conquered.
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I pinned them to the ground; all were helpless before me. I placed my feet upon their necks.
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For you have armed me with strong armor for the battle. My enemies quail before me and fall defeated at my feet.
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You made them turn and run; I destroyed all who hated me.
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They shouted for help, but no one dared to rescue them; they cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer them.
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So I crushed them fine as dust and cast them to the wind. I threw them away like sweepings from the floor.
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You gave me victory in every battle. The nations came and served me. Even those I didn’t know before come now and bow before me. Foreigners who have never seen me submit instantly. They come trembling from their strongholds.
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God is alive! Praise him who is the great rock of protection.
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He is the God who pays back those who harm me and subdues the nations before me.
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He rescues me from my enemies; he holds me safely out of their reach and saves me from these powerful opponents.
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For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations.
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Many times you have miraculously rescued me, the king you appointed. You have been loving and kind to me and will be to my descendants.
The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of his craftsmanship.
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Day and night they keep on telling about God.
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Without a sound or word, silent in the skies, their message reaches out to all the world. The sun lives in the heavens where God placed it
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and moves out across the skies as radiant as a bridegroom
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going to his wedding,
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or as joyous as an athlete looking forward to a race!
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The sun crosses the heavens from end to end, and nothing can hide from its heat.
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God’s laws are perfect. They protect us, make us wise, and give us joy and light.
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God’s laws are pure, eternal, just.
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They are more desirable than gold. They are sweeter than honey dripping from a honeycomb.
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For they warn us away from harm and give success to those who obey them.
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But how can I ever know what sins are lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
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And keep me from deliberate wrongs; help me to stop doing them. Only then can I be free of guilt and innocent of some great crime.
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May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer.
In your day of trouble, may the Lord be with you! May the God of Jacob keep you from all harm.
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May he send you aid from his sanctuary in Zion.
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May he remember with pleasure the gifts you have given him, your sacrifices and burnt offerings.
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May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans.
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May there be shouts of joy when we hear the news of your victory, flags flying with praise to God for all that he has done for you. May he answer all your prayers!
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“God save the king”—I know he does! He hears me from highest heaven and sends great victories.
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Some nations boast of armies and of weaponry, but our boast is in the Lord our God.
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Those nations will collapse and perish; we will arise to stand firm and sure!
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Give victory to our king, O Lord; oh, hear our prayer.
How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord! How he exults in your salvation.
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For you have given him his heart’s desire, everything he asks you for!
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You welcomed him to the throne with success and prosperity. You set a royal crown of solid gold upon his head.
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He asked for a long, good life, and you have granted his request; the days of his life stretch on and on forever.
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You have given him fame and honor. You have clothed him with splendor and majesty.
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You have endowed him with eternal happiness. You have given him the unquenchable joy of your presence.
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And because the king trusts in the Lord, he will never stumble, never fall; for he depends upon the steadfast love of the God who is above all gods.
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Your hand, O Lord, will find your enemies, all who hate you.
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When you appear, they will be destroyed in the fierce fire of your presence. The Lord will destroy them and their children.
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For these men plot against you, Lord, but they cannot possibly succeed.
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They will turn and flee when they see your arrows aimed straight at them.
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Accept our praise, O Lord, for all your glorious power. We will write songs to celebrate your mighty acts!