Refrain: The Lord my God shall make my darkness to be bright.
1 I love you, O Lord my strength. ♦
The Lord is my crag, my fortress and my deliverer,
2 My God, my rock in whom I take refuge, ♦
my shield, the horn of my salvation and my stronghold.
3 I cried to the Lord in my anguish ♦
and I was saved from my enemies. [R]
4 The cords of death entwined me ♦
and the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the Pit fastened about me ♦
and the snares of death entangled me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord ♦
and cried out to my God for help.
7 He heard my voice in his temple ♦
and my cry came to his ears. [R]
8 The earth trembled and quaked; ♦
the foundations of the mountains shook;
they reeled because he was angry.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils
and a consuming fire went out of his mouth; ♦
burning coals blazed forth from him.
10 He parted the heavens and came down ♦
and thick darkness was under his feet.
11 He rode upon the cherubim and flew; ♦
he came flying on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness his covering round about him, ♦
dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion. [R]
13 From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds ♦
burst hailstones and coals of fire.
14 The Lord also thundered out of heaven; ♦
the Most High uttered his voice
with hailstones and coals of fire.
15 He sent out his arrows and scattered them; ♦
he hurled down lightnings and put them to flight.
16 The springs of the ocean were seen,
and the foundations of the world uncovered ♦
at your rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your displeasure. [R]
17 He reached down from on high and took me; ♦
he drew me out of the mighty waters.
18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, ♦
from foes that were too mighty for me.
19 They came upon me in the day of my trouble; ♦
but the Lord was my upholder.
20 He brought me out into a place of liberty; ♦
he rescued me because he delighted in me. [R]
21 The Lord rewarded me after my righteous dealing; ♦
according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me,
22 Because I had kept the ways of the Lord ♦
and had not gone wickedly away from my God,
23 For I had an eye to all his laws, ♦
and did not cast out his commandments from me.
24 I was also wholehearted before him ♦
and kept myself from iniquity;
25 Therefore the Lord rewarded me
after my righteous dealing, ♦
and according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. [R]
26 With the faithful you show yourself faithful; ♦
with the true you show yourself true;
27 With the pure you show yourself pure, ♦
but with the crooked you show yourself perverse.
28 For you will save a lowly people ♦
and bring down the high looks of the proud.
29 You also shall light my candle; ♦
the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be bright.
30 By your help I shall run at an enemy host; ♦
with the help of my God I can leap over a wall. [R]
31 As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord is tried in the fire; ♦
he is a shield to all who trust in him.
32 For who is God but the Lord, ♦
and who is the rock except our God?
33 It is God who girds me about with strength ♦
and makes my way perfect.
34 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet ♦
so that I tread surely on the heights.
35 He teaches my hands to fight ♦
and my arms to bend a bow of bronze. [R]
36 You have given me the shield of your salvation; ♦
your right hand upholds me
and your grace has made me great.
37 You enlarge my strides beneath me, ♦
yet my feet do not slide.
38 I will pursue my enemies and overtake them, ♦
nor turn again until I have destroyed them.
39 I will smite them down so they cannot rise; ♦
they shall fall beneath my feet.
40 You have girded me with strength for the battle; ♦
you will cast down my enemies under me;
41 You will make my foes turn their backs upon me ♦
and I shall destroy them that hate me. [R]
42 They will cry out, but there shall be none to help them; ♦
they will cry to the Lord, but he will not answer.
43 I shall beat them as small as the dust on the wind; ♦
I will cast them out as the mire in the streets.
44 You will deliver me from the strife of the peoples; ♦
you will make me the head of the nations.
45 A people I have not known shall serve me;
as soon as they hear me, they shall obey me; ♦
strangers will humble themselves before me.
46 The foreign peoples will lose heart ♦
and come trembling out of their strongholds. [R]
47 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock! ♦
Praised be the God of my salvation,
48 Even the God who vindicates me ♦
and subdues the peoples under me!
49 You that deliver me from my enemies,
you will set me up above my foes; ♦
from the violent you will deliver me;
50 Therefore will I give you thanks, O Lord, among the nations ♦
and sing praises to your name,
51 To the one who gives great victory to his king ♦
and shows faithful love to his anointed,
to David and his seed for ever.
Refrain: The Lord my God shall make my darkness to be bright.
From your royal throne, O God,
you sent your living Word
to pierce the gloom of oppression;
so, in our souls’ night,
come with your saving help
and penetrate our darkness with the
rays of your glory
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Common Worship: Daily Prayer, material from which is included here,
is copyright © The Archbishops' Council 2005 and published by Church House Publishing.