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 Chief Musician. By David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that 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.
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, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
3 I call for help from the Lord who should be praised, and he saves me from those who hate me.
I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies.
4 Ropes of death encircled me, surging waters of destruction flooded over me;
The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death came on 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 on the LORD, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into 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 trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
8 Smoke came out of his nostrils, and fire came from his mouth; burning coals blazed before him.
Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down, with dark clouds beneath his feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
10 Riding on an angel he flew, swooping on the wings of the wind.
He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, 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, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 Hailstones and burning coals flew out from his brightness, passing through his thick clouds.
At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, 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 also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire.
14 He fired his arrows, scattering his enemies; he routed them with his lightning bolts.
He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts.
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.
Then the channels of waters appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, 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 sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and who were much stronger than me.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
18 They came at me at my worst possible moment, but the Lord supported me.
They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
19 He set me free, he rescued me because he's my friend.
He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered 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. According to the cleanness of my hands, he has recompensed me.
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 were before me. I didn’t put away his statutes from me.
23 I am blameless in his sight; I keep myself from sinning.
I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
24 The Lord rewarded me for doing what's right. I am innocent in his sight.
Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 You show trust to those who trust; you show integrity to those with integrity,
With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.
26 You show yourself pure to those who are pure, but you show yourself smart to those who are crafty.
With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble, but you bring down the proud.
For you will save the afflicted people, but the arrogant eyes you will bring down.
28 You light my lamp! Lord, my God, you light up my darkness!
For you will light my lamp, LORD. My God will light 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 by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over 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 LORD’s word is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God except the Lord? Who is the rock, except our God?
For who is God, except the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God,
32 God makes me strong and keeps me safe.
the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
33 He makes me surefooted like the deer, able to walk the heights in safety.
He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places.
34 He teaches me how to fight in battle; he gives me the strength to draw a bronze bow.
He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms 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 also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.
36 You gave me space in which to walk, and prevented my feet from slipping.
You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
37 I chased my enemies, and caught up with them. I did not turn around until I had destroyed them.
I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed.
38 I struck them down—they couldn't get up. They fell at my feet.
I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet.
39 You made me strong for battle; you made those who rose up against me kneel down before me.
For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40 You made my enemies run away; I destroyed all my enemies.
You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate 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, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them.
42 I ground them into dust, like dust in the wind. I threw them out like mud in the street.
Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of 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 strivings of the people. You 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 obey; foreigners cringe before me.
As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
45 They lose heart, and come trembling in surrender from their strongholds.
The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
46 The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock! May the God who saves me be praised!
The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
47 God avenges me, he subdues peoples under me,
even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under 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.
He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.
49 That's why I will praise you among the nations, Lord; I will sing praises about who you are.
Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, amongst the nations, and 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.
He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.
