Psalms 18
1 To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid the seruant of the Lord, which spake unto the Lord the wordes of this song (in the day that the Lord delivered him for the hande of all this enemies, and form the and of saul) and sayd, I will loue thee dearely, O Lord my strength.
To the chief music-maker. Of the servant of the Lord, of David, who said the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord made him free from the hand of all his haters, and from the hand of Saul; and he said, I will give you my love, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rocke, and my fortresse, and he that deliuereth me, my God and my strength: in him will I trust, my shield, the horne also of my saluation, and my refuge.
The Lord is my Rock, my walled town, and my saviour; my God, my Rock, in him will I put my faith; my breastplate, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 I will call vpon the Lord, which is worthie to be praysed: so shall I be safe from mine enemies.
I will send up my cry to the Lord, who is to be praised; so will I be made safe from those who are against me.
4 The sorowes of death compassed me, and the floods of wickednes made me afraide.
The cords of death were round me, and the seas of evil put me in fear.
The cords of hell were round me: the nets of death came on me. (Sheol h7585)
6 But in my trouble did I call vpon the Lord, and cryed vnto my God: he heard my voyce out of his Temple, and my crye did come before him, euen into his eares.
In my trouble my voice went up to the Lord, and my cry to my God: my voice came to his hearing in his holy Temple, and my prayer came before him, even into his ears.
7 Then the earth trembled, and quaked: the foundations also of the mountaines mooued and shooke, because he was angrie.
Then trouble and shock came on the earth; and the bases of the mountains were moved and shaking, because he was angry.
8 Smoke went out at his nostrels, and a consuming fire out of his mouth: coales were kindled thereat.
There went up a smoke from his nose, and a fire of destruction from his mouth: flames were lighted by it.
9 He bowed the heauens also and came downe, and darkenes was vnder his feete.
The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet.
10 And he rode vpon Cherub and did flie, and he came flying vpon the wings of the winde.
And he went in flight through the air, seated on a storm-cloud: going quickly on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkenes his secrete place, and his pauilion round about him, euen darkenesse of waters, and cloudes of the ayre.
He made the dark his secret place; his tent round him was the dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightnes of his presence his clouds passed, haylestones and coles of fire.
Before his shining light his dark clouds went past, raining ice and fire.
13 The Lord also thundred in the heauen, and the Highest gaue his voyce, haylestones and coales of fire.
The Lord made thunder in the heavens, and the voice of the Highest was sounding out: a rain of ice and fire.
14 Then hee sent out his arrowes and scattred them, and he increased lightnings and destroyed them.
He sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled.
15 And the chanels of waters were seene, and the foundations of the worlde were discouered at thy rebuking, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath of thy nostrels.
Then the deep beds of the waters were seen, and the bases of the world were uncovered, because of your words of wrath, O Lord, because of the breath from your mouth.
16 He hath sent downe from aboue and taken mee: hee hath drawen mee out of many waters.
He sent from on high, he took me, pulling me out of great waters.
17 He hath deliuered mee from my strong enemie, and from them which hate me: for they were too strong for me.
He made me free from my strong hater, and from those who were against me, because they were stronger than I.
18 They preuented me in the day of my calamitie: but the Lord was my stay.
They came on me in the day of my trouble; but the Lord was my support.
19 Hee brought mee foorth also into a large place: hee deliuered mee because hee fauoured me.
He took me out into a wide place; he was my saviour because he had delight in me.
20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnes: according to the purenes of mine hands he recompensed me:
The Lord gives me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean before him.
21 Because I kept the wayes of the Lord, and did not wickedly against my God.
For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not been turned away in sin from my God.
22 For all his Lawes were before mee, and I did not cast away his commandements from mee.
For all his decisions were before me, and I did not put away his laws from me.
23 I was vpright also with him, and haue kept me from my wickednes.
And I was upright before him, and I kept myself from sin.
24 Therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse, and according to the purenes of mine hands in his sight.
Because of this the Lord has given me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean in his eyes.
25 With the godly thou wilt shewe thy selfe godly: with the vpright man thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright.
On him who has mercy you will have mercy; to the upright you will be upright;
26 With the pure thou wilt shewe thy selfe pure, and with the froward thou wilt shewe thy selfe froward.
He who is holy will see that you are holy; but to the man whose way is not straight you will be a hard judge.
27 Thus thou wilt saue the poore people, and wilt cast downe the proude lookes.
For you are the saviour of those who are in trouble; but eyes full of pride will be made low.
28 Surely thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God wil lighten my darkenes.
You, O Lord, will be my light; by you, my God, the dark will be made bright for me.
29 For by thee I haue broken through an hoste, and by my God I haue leaped ouer a wall.
By your help I have made a way through the wall which was shutting me in; by the help of my God I have gone over a wall.
30 The way of God is vncorrupt: the worde of the Lord is tried in the fire: he is a shield to all that trust in him.
As for God, his way is completely good; the word of the Lord is tested; he is a breastplate for all those who put their faith in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord? and who is mightie saue our God?
For who is God but the Lord? or who is a Rock but our God?
32 God girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way vpright.
God puts a strong band about me, guiding me in a straight way.
33 He maketh my feete like hindes feete, and setteth me vpon mine high places.
He makes my feet like roes' feet, and puts me on high places.
34 He teacheth mine hands to fight: so that a bowe of brasse is broken with mine armes.
He makes my hands expert in war, so that a bow of brass is bent by my arms.
35 Thou hast also giuen me the shield of thy saluation, and thy right hand hath stayed me, and thy louing kindenes hath caused me to increase.
You have given me the breastplate of your salvation: your right hand has been my support, and your mercy has made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps vnder mee, and mine heeles haue not slid.
You have made my steps wide under me, so that my feet are kept from slipping.
37 I haue pursued mine enemies, and taken them, and haue not turned againe till I had consumed them.
I go after my haters and overtake them; not turning back till they are all overcome.
38 I haue wounded them, that they were not able to rise: they are fallen vnder my feete.
I will give them wounds, so that they are not able to get up: they are stretched under my feet.
39 For thou hast girded me with strength to battell: them, that rose against me, thou hast subdued vnder me.
For I have been armed by you with strength for the fight: you have made low under me those who come out against me.
40 And thou hast giuen me the neckes of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
By you their backs are turned in flight, so that my haters are cut off.
41 They cryed but there was none to saue them, euen vnto the Lord, but hee answered them not.
They were crying out, but there was no one to come to their help: even to the Lord, but he gave them no answer.
42 Then I did beate them small as the dust before the winde: I did treade them flat as the clay in the streetes.
Then they were crushed as small as dust before the wind; they were drained out like the waste of the streets.
43 Thou hast deliuered me from the contentions of the people: thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people, whom I haue not knowen, shall serue me.
You have made me free from the fightings of the people; you have made me the head of the nations: a people of whom I had no knowledge will be my servants.
44 As soone as they heare, they shall obey me: the strangers shall be in subiection to me.
From the time when my name comes to their ears they will be ruled by me: men of other countries will, with false hearts, put themselves under my authority.
45 Strangers shall shrinke away, and feare in their priuie chambers.
They will be wasting away, they will come out of their secret places shaking with fear.
46 Let the Lord liue, and blessed be my strength, and the God of my saluation be exalted.
The Lord is living; praise be to my Rock, and let the God of my salvation be honoured.
47 It is God that giueth me power to auenge me, and subdueth the people vnder me.
It is God who sends punishment on my haters, and puts peoples under my rule.
48 O my deliuerer from mine enemies, euen thou hast set mee vp from them, that rose against me: thou hast deliuered mee from the cruell man.
He makes me free from my haters; I am lifted up over those who come up against me: you have made me free from the violent man.
49 Therefore I will prayse thee, O Lord, among the nations, and wil sing vnto thy Name.
Because of this I will give you praise, O Lord, among the nations, and will make a song of praise to your name.
50 Great deliuerances giueth hee vnto his King, and sheweth mercie to his anoynted, euen to Dauid, and to his seede for euer.
Great salvation does he give to his king; he has mercy on the king of his selection, David, and on his seed for ever.
