1David dedicó al Señor la letra de esta canción cuando el Señor lo libró de Saúl y de todos sus enemigos.2Dijo así: «El Señor es mi roca, mi amparo, mi libertador;3es mi Dios, el peñasco en que me refugio. Es mi escudo, el poder que me salva,[1] ¡mi más alto escondite! Él es mi protector y mi salvador. ¡Tú me salvaste de la violencia!4Invoco al Señor, que es digno de alabanza, y quedo a salvo de mis enemigos.5»Las olas de la muerte me envolvieron; los torrentes destructores me abrumaron.6Me enredaron los lazos del sepulcro, y me encontré ante las trampas de la muerte.7En mi angustia invoqué al Señor; llamé a mi Dios, y él me escuchó desde su templo; ¡mi clamor llegó a sus oídos!8»La tierra tembló, se estremeció; se sacudieron los cimientos de los cielos; ¡se tambalearon a causa de su enojo!9Por la nariz echaba humo, por la boca, fuego consumidor; ¡lanzaba carbones encendidos!10»Rasgando el cielo, descendió, pisando sobre oscuros nubarrones.11Montando sobre un querubín, surcó los cielos y se remontó[2] sobre las alas del viento.12De las tinieblas y de los cargados nubarrones hizo pabellones que lo rodeaban.13De su radiante presencia brotaron carbones encendidos.14»Desde el cielo se oyó el trueno del Señor, resonó la voz del Altísimo.15Lanzó flechas y centellas contra mis enemigos; los dispersó y los puso en fuga.16A causa de la reprensión del Señor, y por el resoplido de su enojo,[3] las cuencas del mar quedaron a la vista; ¡al descubierto quedaron los cimientos de la tierra!17»Extendiendo su mano desde lo alto, tomó la mía y me sacó del mar profundo.18Me libró de mi enemigo poderoso, de aquellos que me odiaban y que eran más fuertes que yo.19En el día de mi desgracia me salieron al encuentro, pero mi apoyo fue el Señor.20Me sacó a un amplio espacio; me libró porque se agradó de mí.21»El Señor me ha pagado conforme a mi justicia, me ha premiado conforme a la limpieza de mis manos;22pues he andado en los caminos del Señor; no he cometido mal alguno ni me he apartado de mi Dios.23Presentes tengo todas sus sentencias; no me he alejado de sus decretos.24He sido íntegro ante él y me he abstenido de pecar.25El Señor me ha recompensado conforme a mi justicia, conforme a mi limpieza delante de él.26»Tú eres fiel con quien es fiel, e irreprochable con quien es irreprochable;27sincero eres con quien es sincero, pero sagaz con el que es tramposo.28Das la victoria a los humildes, pero tu mirada humilla a los altaneros.29Tú, Señor, eres mi lámpara; tú, Señor, iluminas mis tinieblas.30Con tu apoyo me lanzaré contra un ejército: contigo, Dios mío, podré asaltar murallas.31»El camino de Dios es perfecto; la palabra del Señor es intachable. Escudo es Dios a los que en él se refugian.32¿Pues quién es Dios, si no el Señor? ¿Quién es la roca, si no nuestro Dios?33Es él quien me arma de valor y endereza mi camino;34da a mis pies la ligereza del venado, y me mantiene firme en las alturas;35adiestra mis manos para la batalla, y mis brazos para tensar arcos de bronce.36Tú me cubres con el escudo de tu salvación; tu bondad me ha hecho prosperar.37Me has despejado el camino; por eso mis tobillos no flaquean.38»Perseguí a mis enemigos y los destruí; no retrocedí hasta verlos aniquilados.39Los aplasté por completo. Ya no se levantan. ¡Cayeron debajo de mis pies!40Tú me armaste de valor para el combate; bajo mi planta sometiste a los rebeldes.41Hiciste retroceder a mis enemigos, y así exterminé a los que me odiaban.42Pedían ayuda; no hubo quien los salvara. Al Señor clamaron, pero no les respondió.43Los desmenucé. Parecían el polvo de la tierra. ¡Los pisoteé como al lodo de las calles!44»Me has librado de una turba amotinada; me has puesto por encima de los paganos; me sirve gente que yo no conocía.45Son extranjeros, y me rinden homenaje; apenas me oyen, me obedecen.46¡Esos extraños se descorazonan, y temblando salen de sus refugios!47¡El Señor vive! ¡Alabada sea mi roca! ¡Exaltado sea Dios mi Salvador!48Él es el Dios que me vindica, el que pone los pueblos a mis pies.49Tú me libras de mis enemigos, me exaltas por encima de mis adversarios, me salvas de los hombres violentos.50Por eso, Señor, te alabo entre las naciones y canto salmos a tu nombre.51»El Señor da grandes victorias a su rey; a su ungido David y a sus descendientes les muestra por siempre su gran amor.»
1David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.2He said: ‘The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;3my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield[1] and the horn[2] of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour – from violent people you save me.4‘I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies.5The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.6The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.7‘In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.8The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens[3] shook; they trembled because he was angry. (Sal 18:7)9Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.10He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.11He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared[4] on the wings of the wind. (Sal 18:10)12He made darkness his canopy around him – the dark[5] rain clouds of the sky. (Sal 18:11)13Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth.14The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.15He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.16The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of breath from his nostrils.17‘He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.18He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.19They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.20He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.21‘The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.22For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God.23All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.24I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.25The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness[6] in his sight. (Sal 18:24)26‘To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,27to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.28You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.29You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light.30With your help I can advance against a troop[7]; with my God I can scale a wall.31‘As for God, his way is perfect: the Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.32For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God?33It is God who arms me with strength[8] and keeps my way secure. (Sal 18:32)34He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.35He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.36You make your saving help my shield; your help has made[9] me great.37You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.38‘I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.39I crushed them completely, and they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.40You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.41You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.42They cried for help, but there was no-one to save them – to the Lord, but he did not answer.43I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.44‘You have delivered me from the attacks of the peoples; you have preserved me as the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me,45foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.46They all lose heart; they come trembling[10] from their strongholds. (Sal 18:45)47‘The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Saviour!48He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me,49who sets me free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you rescued me.50Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.51‘He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants for ever.’