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David said the words of this song to ADONAI on the day ADONAI delivered him from the power of all his enemies and from the power of Sha'ul.
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He said: "ADONAI is my Rock, my fortress and deliverer,
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the God who is my Rock, in whom I find shelter, my shield, the power that saves me, my stronghold and my refuge. My savior, you have saved me from violence.
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I call on ADONAI, who is worthy of praise; and I am saved from my enemies.
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"For death's breakers were closing over me, the floods of B'liya'al terrified me,
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the ropes of Sh'ol were wrapped around me, the snares of death lay there before me.
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In my distress I called to ADONAI; yes, I called to my God. Out of his temple he heard my voice, and my cry entered his ears.
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"Then the earth quaked and shook, the foundations of heaven trembled. They were shaken because he was angry.
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Smoke arose in his nostrils; and from his mouth, devouring fire, with coals blazing from it.
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He lowered heaven and came down with thick darkness under his feet.
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He rode on a keruv and flew, he was seen on the wings of the wind.
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He made darkness his canopy around him, thick clouds in the skies dense with water.
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From the brightness before him, fiery coals flamed out.
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"ADONAI thundered from heaven, Ha'Elyon sounded his voice.
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He sent out arrows and scattered them; with lightning he routed them.
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The channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were exposed at ADONAI's rebuke, at the blast of breath from his nostrils.
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"He sent from on high, he took me and pulled me out of deep water;
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he rescued me from my powerful enemy, from those who hated me, for they were stronger than I.
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They came against me on my day of calamity, but ADONAI was my support.
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"He brought me out to an open place; he rescued me, because he took pleasure in me.
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ADONAI rewarded me for my uprightness, he repaid me because my hands were clean.
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"For I have kept the ways of ADONAI, I have not done evil by leaving my God;
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for all his rulings were before me, I did not depart from his regulations.
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I was pure-hearted toward him and kept myself from my sin.
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"Hence ADONAI repaid me for my uprightness, according to my purity in his view.
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With the merciful, you are merciful; with the champion of purity, you are pure;
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with the honest, you are honest; but with the crooked you are cunning.
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People afflicted, you save; but when your eyes are on the haughty, you humble them.
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"For you, ADONAI, are my lamp; ADONAI lights up my darkness.
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With you I can run through a whole troop of men, with my God I can leap a wall.
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"As for God, his way is perfect, the word of ADONAI has been tested by fire; he shields all who take refuge in him.
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For who is God but ADONAI, and who is a Rock but our God?
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"God is my strength and protection; he makes my way go straight.
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He makes me swift and sure-footed as a deer and enables me to stand on my high places.
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He trains my hands for war until my arms can bend a bow of bronze;
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You give me your shield, which is salvation; your answers make me great.
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You lengthen the steps I can take, yet my ankles do not turn.
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"I pursued my enemies and wiped them out, without turning back until they were destroyed.
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I destroyed them, crushed them; they can't get up; they have fallen under my feet.
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"For you braced me with strength for the battle and bent down my adversaries beneath me.
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You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, so that I could destroy those who hate me.
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"They looked, but there was no one to help, even to ADONAI, but he didn't answer.
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I pulverized them like dust on the ground, pounded and stamped on them like mud in the streets.
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"You also freed me from the quarrels of my people. You kept me to be the head of the nations; a people I did not know now serve me.
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Foreigners come cringing to me; the moment they hear of me, they obey me.
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Foreigners lose heart as they stagger from their fortresses.
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"ADONAI is alive! Blessed is my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock of my salvation,
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the God who gives me vengeance and makes peoples submit to me.
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He brings me out from my enemies. You raise me over those who rebel against me, you rescue me from violent men.
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"So I give thanks to you, ADONAI, among the nations; I sing praises to your name.
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He is a tower of salvation for his king; he displays grace to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever."
