Psalms 18
1 To the music director. A psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who sang the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord saved him from all his enemies, and from Saul. He sang: I love you, Lord. You are my strength.
For the choirmaster. Of David the servant of the LORD, who sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love You, O LORD, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my Savior. He is my God, my rock who protects me. He shields me from harm, his power protects me, he keeps me safe.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call for help from the Lord who should be praised, and he saves me from those who hate me.
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 Ropes of death encircled me, surging waters of destruction flooded over me;
The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.
The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. (Sheol h7585)
6 In my despair I called on the Lord—I cried out to my God for help. He heard my voice from his Temple—my cry for help reached his ears.
In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears.
7 The earth shook to and fro; the foundations of the mountains trembled, shaking because of his anger.
Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.
8 Smoke came out of his nostrils, and fire came from his mouth; burning coals blazed before him.
Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth.
9 He parted the heavens and came down, with dark clouds beneath his feet.
He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.
10 Riding on an angel he flew, swooping on the wings of the wind.
He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He hid himself in darkness, covering himself with black thunderclouds.
He made darkness His hiding place, and storm clouds a canopy around Him.
12 Hailstones and burning coals flew out from his brightness, passing through his thick clouds.
From the brightness of His presence His clouds advanced— hailstones and coals of fire.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High sounded among the hailstones and burning coals.
The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— hailstones and coals of fire.
14 He fired his arrows, scattering his enemies; he routed them with his lightning bolts.
He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
15 You roared, Lord, and by the wind from the breath of your nostrils the valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth were uncovered.
The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at Your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
16 He reached down his hand from above and grabbed hold of me. He pulled me out of the deep water.
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and who were much stronger than me.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me.
18 They came at me at my worst possible moment, but the Lord supported me.
They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD was my support.
19 He set me free, he rescued me because he's my friend.
He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me.
20 The Lord rewarded me because I do what's right; he repaid me because I am innocent.
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
21 For I have followed the Lord's ways; I have not sinned by turning away from my God.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 I have kept all his laws in mind; I have not ignored his commandments.
For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.
23 I am blameless in his sight; I keep myself from sinning.
And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity.
24 The Lord rewarded me for doing what's right. I am innocent in his sight.
So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
25 You show trust to those who trust; you show integrity to those with integrity,
To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
26 You show yourself pure to those who are pure, but you show yourself smart to those who are crafty.
to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble, but you bring down the proud.
For You save an afflicted people, but You humble those with haughty eyes.
28 You light my lamp! Lord, my God, you light up my darkness!
For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness.
29 With you, I can charge down a troop of soldiers; with you, my God, I can climb a fortress wall.
For in You I can charge an army, and with my God I can scale a wall.
30 God's way is absolutely right. What the Lord says is trustworthy. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
31 For who is God except the Lord? Who is the rock, except our God?
For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
32 God makes me strong and keeps me safe.
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way clear.
33 He makes me surefooted like the deer, able to walk the heights in safety.
He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.
34 He teaches me how to fight in battle; he gives me the strength to draw a bronze bow.
He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You protect me with the shield of your salvation; you support me with your powerful right hand; your help has made me great.
You have given me Your shield of salvation; Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness exalts me.
36 You gave me space in which to walk, and prevented my feet from slipping.
You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.
37 I chased my enemies, and caught up with them. I did not turn around until I had destroyed them.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.
38 I struck them down—they couldn't get up. They fell at my feet.
I crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet.
39 You made me strong for battle; you made those who rose up against me kneel down before me.
You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.
40 You made my enemies run away; I destroyed all my enemies.
You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me.
41 They cried out for help, but no one came to rescue them. They even called out to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but He did not answer.
42 I ground them into dust, like dust in the wind. I threw them out like mud in the street.
I ground them as dust in the face of the wind; I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43 You rescued me from rebellious people; you made me ruler over nations—people I didn't know now serve me.
You have delivered me from the strife of the people; You have made me the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they obey; foreigners cringe before me.
When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me.
45 They lose heart, and come trembling in surrender from their strongholds.
Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock! May the God who saves me be praised!
The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may the God of my salvation be exalted—
47 God avenges me, he subdues peoples under me,
the God who avenges me and subdues nations beneath me,
48 he rescues me from those who hate me. You keep me safe from those who rebel against me, you save me from violent men.
who delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.
49 That's why I will praise you among the nations, Lord; I will sing praises about who you are.
Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.
50 You have saved the king so often, showing your trustworthy love to David, your anointed, and to his descendants forever.
Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.
