< Psalms 18 >
1 I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
2 Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised. So I shall be saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death encompassed me, and the floods of lawlessness made me afraid.
5 The cords of Sheol were round about me. The snares of death came upon me. (Sheol )
6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry before him came into his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken because he was angry.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured. Coals were kindled by it.
9 He also bowed the heavens, and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and flew. Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion round about him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire.
13 Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them, Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.
15 Then the channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at thy rebuke, O Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
18 They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my stay.
19 He also brought me forth into a large place. He delivered me because he delighted in me.
20 Jehovah has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands he has recompensed me.
21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his ordinances were before me, and I put not away his statutes from me.
23 I was also perfect with him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.
24 Therefore Jehovah has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 With the merciful thou will show thyself merciful. With the perfect man thou will show thyself perfect.
26 With the pure thou will show thyself pure. And with the perverse thou will show thyself contrary.
27 For thou will save the afflicted people, but the haughty eyes thou will bring down.
28 For thou will light my lamp. Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.
29 For by thee I run upon a troop, and by my God I leap over a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect. The word of Jehovah is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God, except Jehovah? And who is a rock, besides our God,
32 the God who girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
33 He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places.
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of brass.
35 Thou have also given me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand has held me up, and thy gentleness has made me great.
36 Thou have enlarged my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped.
37 I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. Neither will I turn again till they are consumed.
38 I will smite them through, so that they shall not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet.
39 For thou have girded me with strength to the battle. Thou have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40 Thou have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
41 They cried, but there was none to save, even to Jehovah, but he answered them not.
42 Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets.
43 Thou have delivered me from the strivings of the people. Thou have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
45 The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their close places.
46 Jehovah lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation,
47 even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
48 He rescues me from my enemies. Yea, thou lift me up above those who rise up against me. Thou deliver me from the violent man.
49 Therefore I will give thanks to thee, O Jehovah, among the Gentiles, and will sing praises to thy name.
50 He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore.