1 I love you, Lord God,
and you make me strong.
2 You are my mighty rock,
my
fortress, my protector.
the rock where I am safe.
my shield, my powerful weapon,
and
my place of shelter.
3 I praise you, our Lord!
I prayed, and you rescued me
from
my enemies.
4 Death had wrapped
its
ropes around me,
and I was almost swallowed
by
its flooding waters.
5 Ropes from the world
of the dead
had
coiled around me,
and death had set a trap
in
my path.
6 I was in terrible trouble
when
I called out to you,
but from your temple
you heard me
and
answered my prayer.
7 Earth shook and shivered,
and the mountains trembled
down
to their roots.
You were angry
8 and breathed out smoke.
Scorching heat and fiery flames
spewed
from your mouth.
9 You opened the heavens
like
curtains,
and you came down
with storm clouds
under
your feet.
10 You rode on the backs
of
flying creatures.
and swooped down
with
the wind as wings.
11 Darkness was your robe;
thunderclouds filled the sky,
hiding
you from sight.
12 Hailstones and fiery coals
lit up the sky
in
front of you.
13 Lord Most High, your voice
thundered
from the heavens,
as hailstones and fiery coals
poured
down like rain.
14 You scattered your enemies
with
arrows of lightning.
15 You roared at the sea,
and its deepest channels
could
be seen.
You snorted,
and the earth shook
to
its foundations.
16 You reached down from heaven,
and you lifted me
from
deep in the ocean.
17 You rescued me from enemies
who were hateful
and
too powerful for me.
18 On the day disaster struck,
they came and attacked,
but
you defended me.
19 When I was fenced in,
you freed and rescued me
because
you love me.
20 You are good to me, Lord,
because
I do right,
and you reward me
because
I am innocent.
21 I do what you want
and
never turn to do evil.
23 I keep your laws in mind
and never turn away
from
your teachings.
23 I obey you completely
and
guard against sin.
24 You have been good to me
because
I do right;
you have rewarded me
for being innocent
by
your standards.
25 You are always loyal
to
your loyal people,
and you are faithful
to
the faithful.
26 With all who are sincere
you
are sincere,
but you treat the unfaithful
as
their deeds deserve.
27 You rescue the humble,
but you look for ways
to
put down the proud.
28 You, the Lord God
keep my lamp burning
and turn
darkness to light.
29 You help me defeat armies
and
capture cities.
30 Your way is perfect, Lord,
and
your word is correct.
You are a shield for those
who
run to you for help.
31 You alone are God!
Only
you are a mighty rock.
32 You give me strength
and
guide me right.
33 You make my feet run as fast
as
those of a deer,
and you help me stand
on
the mountains.
34 You teach my hands to fight
and my arms to use
a
bow of bronze.
35 You alone are my shield.
Your right
hand supports me,
by coming to help me,
you
have made me famous.
36 You clear the way for me,
and
now I won’t stumble.
37 I kept chasing my enemies
until I caught them
and
destroyed them.
38 I stuck my sword
through
my enemies,
and they were crushed
under
my feet.
39 You helped me win victories
and forced my attackers
to
fall victim to me.
40 You made my enemies run,
and
I killed them.
41 They cried out for help,
but no
one saved them;
they called out to you,
but
there was no answer.
42 I ground them to dust,
blown
by the wind,
and I poured them out
like
mud in the streets.
43 You rescued me
from
my stubborn people
and made me the leader
of foreign nations,
who
are now my slaves.
44 They obey and come crawling.
45 They have lost all courage
and from their fortresses
they
come trembling.
46 You are the living Lord!
I
will praise you!
You are a mighty rock.
I will honor you
for
keeping me safe.
47 You took revenge for me,
and you put nations
in
my power.
48 You protected me
from
violent enemies,
and made me much greater
than
all of them.
49 I will praise you, Lord,
and I will honor you
among
the nations.
50 You give glorious victories
to
your chosen king.
Your faithful love for David
and for his descendants
will
never end.
The Contemporary English Version, c1995 by the American Bible
Society.
Selected texts provided for use with the Amos: Hypertext Bible Commentary