The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, (A)the servant of the Lord, (B)who addressed the words of this (C)song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

18 I love you, O Lord, my strength.

Read full chapter

Psalm 18[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He 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. He said:

I love you, Lord, my strength.(B)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.

The Song of Moses

15 Then Moses and the people of Israel (A)sang this song to the Lord, saying,

(B)“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
    the horse and his rider[a] he has thrown into the sea.
(C)The Lord is my strength and my (D)song,
    and he has become (E)my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
    (F)my father's God, and (G)I will exalt him.
The Lord is (H)a man of war;
    (I)the Lord is his name.

(J)“Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea,
    and his chosen (K)officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
The (L)floods covered them;
    they (M)went down into the depths like a stone.
(N)Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power,
    your right hand, O Lord, (O)shatters the enemy.
In the (P)greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;
    you send out your fury; it (Q)consumes them like stubble.
At the (R)blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;
    the (S)floods stood up in a heap;
    the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said, (T)‘I will pursue, I will overtake,
    I (U)will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.
    I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’
10 You (V)blew with your wind; the (W)sea covered them;
    they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

11 (X)“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
    awesome in (Y)glorious deeds, (Z)doing wonders?
12 You stretched out (AA)your right hand;
    the earth swallowed them.

13 “You have (AB)led in your steadfast love the people whom (AC)you have redeemed;
    you have (AD)guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
14 (AE)The peoples have heard; they tremble;
    pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Now are the chiefs of Edom (AF)dismayed;
    trembling seizes the leaders of (AG)Moab;
    (AH)all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
16 Terror and (AI)dread fall upon them;
    because of the greatness of your arm, they are still (AJ)as a stone,
till your people, O Lord, pass by,
    till the people pass by whom (AK)you have purchased.
17 You will bring them in and (AL)plant them on your own mountain,
    the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode,
    (AM)the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.
18 (AN)The Lord will reign forever and ever.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 15:1 Or its chariot; also verse 21

The Song of Moses and Miriam

15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song(A) to the Lord:

“I will sing(B) to the Lord,
    for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver(C)
    he has hurled into the sea.(D)

“The Lord is my strength(E) and my defense[a];
    he has become my salvation.(F)
He is my God,(G) and I will praise him,
    my father’s God, and I will exalt(H) him.
The Lord is a warrior;(I)
    the Lord is his name.(J)
Pharaoh’s chariots and his army(K)
    he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
    are drowned in the Red Sea.[b]
The deep waters(L) have covered them;
    they sank to the depths like a stone.(M)
Your right hand,(N) Lord,
    was majestic in power.
Your right hand,(O) Lord,
    shattered(P) the enemy.

“In the greatness of your majesty(Q)
    you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;(R)
    it consumed(S) them like stubble.
By the blast of your nostrils(T)
    the waters piled up.(U)
The surging waters stood up like a wall;(V)
    the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.(W)
The enemy boasted,
    ‘I will pursue,(X) I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;(Y)
    I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
    and my hand will destroy them.’
10 But you blew with your breath,(Z)
    and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
    in the mighty waters.(AA)
11 Who among the gods
    is like you,(AB) Lord?
Who is like you—
    majestic in holiness,(AC)
awesome in glory,(AD)
    working wonders?(AE)

12 “You stretch out(AF) your right hand,
    and the earth swallows your enemies.(AG)
13 In your unfailing love you will lead(AH)
    the people you have redeemed.(AI)
In your strength you will guide them
    to your holy dwelling.(AJ)
14 The nations will hear and tremble;(AK)
    anguish(AL) will grip the people of Philistia.(AM)
15 The chiefs(AN) of Edom(AO) will be terrified,
    the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,(AP)
the people[c] of Canaan will melt(AQ) away;
16     terror(AR) and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
    they will be as still as a stone(AS)
until your people pass by, Lord,
    until the people you bought[d](AT) pass by.(AU)
17 You will bring(AV) them in and plant(AW) them
    on the mountain(AX) of your inheritance—
the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,(AY)
    the sanctuary,(AZ) Lord, your hands established.

18 “The Lord reigns
    for ever and ever.”(BA)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 15:2 Or song
  2. Exodus 15:4 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 22
  3. Exodus 15:15 Or rulers
  4. Exodus 15:16 Or created

The Song of Deborah and Barak

(A)Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam on that day:

“That the leaders took the lead in Israel,
    that (B)the people offered themselves willingly,
    bless the Lord!

“Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes;
    to the Lord I will sing;
    I will make melody to the Lord, the God of Israel.

Lord, (C)when you went out from Seir,
    when you marched from the region of Edom,
(D)the earth trembled
    and the heavens dropped,
    yes, the clouds dropped water.
The mountains (E)quaked before the Lord,
    (F)even Sinai before the Lord,[a] the God of Israel.

“In the days of (G)Shamgar, son of Anath,
    in the days of (H)Jael, (I)the highways were abandoned,
    and travelers kept to the byways.
The villagers ceased in Israel;
    they ceased to be until I arose;
    I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel.
(J)When new gods were chosen,
    then war was in the gates.
(K)Was shield or spear to be seen
    among forty thousand in Israel?
My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel
    who (L)offered themselves willingly among the people.
    Bless the Lord.

10 “Tell of it, (M)you who ride on white donkeys,
    you who sit on rich carpets[b]
    and you who walk by the way.
11 To the sound of musicians[c] at the watering places,
    there they repeat the righteous triumphs of the Lord,
    the righteous triumphs of his villagers in Israel.

“Then down to the gates marched the people of the Lord.

12 (N)“Awake, awake, Deborah!
    Awake, awake, break out in a song!
Arise, Barak, (O)lead away your captives,
    O son of Abinoam.
13 Then down marched the remnant of the noble;
    the people of the Lord marched down for me against the mighty.
14 From (P)Ephraim their root (Q)they marched down into the valley,[d]
    following you, Benjamin, with your kinsmen;
from (R)Machir marched down the commanders,
    and from Zebulun those who bear the lieutenant's[e] staff;
15 the princes of Issachar came with Deborah,
    and Issachar faithful to (S)Barak;
    into the valley they rushed at his heels.
Among the clans of Reuben
    there were great searchings of heart.
16 Why did you sit still (T)among the sheepfolds,
    to hear the whistling for the flocks?
Among the clans of Reuben
    there were great searchings of heart.
17 (U)Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan;
    (V)and Dan, why did he stay with the ships?
(W)Asher sat still (X)at the coast of the sea,
    staying by his landings.
18 (Y)Zebulun is a people who risked their lives to the death;
    (Z)Naphtali, too, on the heights of the field.

19 “The kings came, they fought;
    then fought the kings of Canaan,
at (AA)Taanach, by the waters of (AB)Megiddo;
    (AC)they got no spoils of silver.
20 (AD)From heaven the stars fought,
    from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 (AE)The torrent Kishon swept them away,
    the ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon.
    March on, my soul, with might!

22 “Then loud beat the horses' hoofs
    with the galloping, galloping of his steeds.

23 “Curse Meroz, says the angel of the Lord,
    curse its inhabitants thoroughly,
(AF)because they did not come to the help of the Lord,
    to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

24 “Most blessed of women be (AG)Jael,
    the wife of Heber the Kenite,
    of tent-dwelling women most blessed.
25 (AH)He asked for water and she gave him milk;
    she brought him curds in a noble's bowl.
26 (AI)She sent her hand to the tent peg
    and her right hand to the workmen's mallet;
she struck Sisera;
    she crushed his head;
    she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 Between her feet
    he sank, he fell, he lay still;
between her feet
    he sank, he fell;
where he sank,
    there he fell—dead.

28 (AJ)“Out of the window she peered,
    the mother of Sisera wailed through (AK)the lattice:
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
    Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?’
29 Her wisest princesses answer,
    indeed, she answers herself,
30 ‘Have they not found and (AL)divided the spoil?—
    A womb or two for every man;
spoil of dyed materials for Sisera,
    spoil of dyed materials embroidered,
    two pieces of dyed work embroidered for the neck as spoil?’

31 (AM)“So may all your enemies perish, O Lord!
    But your friends be (AN)like the sun (AO)as he rises in his might.”

(AP)And the land had rest for forty years.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 5:5 Or before the Lord, the One of Sinai, before the Lord
  2. Judges 5:10 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; it may connote saddle blankets
  3. Judges 5:11 Or archers; the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  4. Judges 5:14 Septuagint; Hebrew in Amalek
  5. Judges 5:14 Hebrew commander's

The Song of Deborah

On that day Deborah(A) and Barak son of Abinoam(B) sang this song:(C)

“When the princes in Israel take the lead,
    when the people willingly offer(D) themselves—
    praise the Lord!(E)

“Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers!
    I, even I, will sing to[a] the Lord;(F)
    I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.(G)

“When you, Lord, went out(H) from Seir,(I)
    when you marched from the land of Edom,
the earth shook,(J) the heavens poured,
    the clouds poured down water.(K)
The mountains quaked(L) before the Lord, the One of Sinai,
    before the Lord, the God of Israel.

“In the days of Shamgar son of Anath,(M)
    in the days of Jael,(N) the highways(O) were abandoned;
    travelers took to winding paths.(P)
Villagers in Israel would not fight;
    they held back until I, Deborah,(Q) arose,
    until I arose, a mother in Israel.
God chose new leaders(R)
    when war came to the city gates,(S)
but not a shield or spear(T) was seen
    among forty thousand in Israel.
My heart is with Israel’s princes,
    with the willing volunteers(U) among the people.
    Praise the Lord!

10 “You who ride on white donkeys,(V)
    sitting on your saddle blankets,
    and you who walk along the road,
consider 11 the voice of the singers[b] at the watering places.
    They recite the victories(W) of the Lord,
    the victories of his villagers in Israel.

“Then the people of the Lord
    went down to the city gates.(X)
12 ‘Wake up,(Y) wake up, Deborah!(Z)
    Wake up, wake up, break out in song!
Arise, Barak!(AA)
    Take captive your captives,(AB) son of Abinoam.’

13 “The remnant of the nobles came down;
    the people of the Lord came down to me against the mighty.
14 Some came from Ephraim,(AC) whose roots were in Amalek;(AD)
    Benjamin(AE) was with the people who followed you.
From Makir(AF) captains came down,
    from Zebulun those who bear a commander’s[c] staff.
15 The princes of Issachar(AG) were with Deborah;(AH)
    yes, Issachar was with Barak,(AI)
    sent under his command into the valley.
In the districts of Reuben
    there was much searching of heart.
16 Why did you stay among the sheep pens[d](AJ)
    to hear the whistling for the flocks?(AK)
In the districts of Reuben
    there was much searching of heart.
17 Gilead(AL) stayed beyond the Jordan.
    And Dan, why did he linger by the ships?
Asher(AM) remained on the coast(AN)
    and stayed in his coves.
18 The people of Zebulun(AO) risked their very lives;
    so did Naphtali(AP) on the terraced fields.(AQ)

19 “Kings came(AR), they fought,
    the kings of Canaan fought.
At Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo,(AS)
    they took no plunder of silver.(AT)
20 From the heavens(AU) the stars fought,
    from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 The river Kishon(AV) swept them away,
    the age-old river, the river Kishon.
    March on, my soul; be strong!(AW)
22 Then thundered the horses’ hooves—
    galloping, galloping go his mighty steeds.(AX)
23 ‘Curse Meroz,’ said the angel of the Lord.
    ‘Curse its people bitterly,
because they did not come to help the Lord,
    to help the Lord against the mighty.’

24 “Most blessed of women(AY) be Jael,(AZ)
    the wife of Heber the Kenite,(BA)
    most blessed of tent-dwelling women.
25 He asked for water, and she gave him milk;(BB)
    in a bowl fit for nobles she brought him curdled milk.
26 Her hand reached for the tent peg,
    her right hand for the workman’s hammer.
She struck Sisera, she crushed his head,
    she shattered and pierced his temple.(BC)
27 At her feet he sank,
    he fell; there he lay.
At her feet he sank, he fell;
    where he sank, there he fell—dead(BD).

28 “Through the window(BE) peered Sisera’s mother;
    behind the lattice she cried out,(BF)
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
    Why is the clatter of his chariots delayed?’
29 The wisest of her ladies answer her;
    indeed, she keeps saying to herself,
30 ‘Are they not finding and dividing the spoils:(BG)
    a woman or two for each man,
colorful garments as plunder for Sisera,
    colorful garments embroidered,
highly embroidered garments(BH) for my neck—
    all this as plunder?(BI)

31 “So may all your enemies perish,(BJ) Lord!
    But may all who love you be like the sun(BK)
    when it rises in its strength.”(BL)

Then the land had peace(BM) forty years.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 5:3 Or of
  2. Judges 5:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  3. Judges 5:14 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  4. Judges 5:16 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags