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.
I love thee, 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.
Jehovah is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I trust; My shield, my strong defence, 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 called upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And was delivered from my enemies.
4 The sorowes of death compassed me, and the floods of wickednes made me afraide.
The snares of death encompassed me; The floods of destruction filled me with dismay;
The snares of the underworld surrounded me, And the nets of death seized upon 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 distress I called upon the LORD, And cried unto my God; He heard my voice from his palace, And my cry came before him into his ears.
7 Then the earth trembled, and quaked: the foundations also of the mountaines mooued and shooke, because he was angrie.
Then the earth quaked and trembled; The foundations of the mountains rocked and were shaken, Because his wrath was kindled.
8 Smoke went out at his nostrels, and a consuming fire out of his mouth: coales were kindled thereat.
A smoke went up from his nostrils, And fire from his mouth devoured; Burning coals shot forth from him.
9 He bowed the heauens also and came downe, and darkenes was vnder his feete.
He bowed the heavens, and came down; And darkness was under his feet;
10 And he rode vpon Cherub and did flie, and he came flying vpon the wings of the winde.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he did fly upon 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.
And he made darkness his covering; His pavilion round about him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightnes of his presence his clouds passed, haylestones and coles of fire.
At the brightness before him, his thick clouds passed away; Then came hailstones and coals of fire.
13 The Lord also thundred in the heauen, and the Highest gaue his voyce, haylestones and coales of fire.
The LORD also thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered his voice, Amid hailstones and coals of fire.
14 Then hee sent out his arrowes and scattred them, and he increased lightnings and destroyed them.
He sent forth his arrows, and scattered them; Continual lightnings, and discomfited them.
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 channels of the deep were seen, And the foundations of the earth were laid bare At thy rebuke, O LORD! At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He hath sent downe from aboue and taken mee: hee hath drawen mee out of many waters.
He stretched forth his hand from above; he took me, And drew me out of deep waters.
17 He hath deliuered mee from my strong enemie, and from them which hate me: for they were too strong for me.
He delivered me from my strong enemy; From my adversaries, who were too powerful for me.
18 They preuented me in the day of my calamitie: but the Lord was my stay.
They fell upon me in the day of my calamity; But the LORD was my stay.
19 Hee brought mee foorth also into a large place: hee deliuered mee because hee fauoured me.
He brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnes: according to the purenes of mine hands he recompensed me:
The LORD hath rewarded me according to my righteous; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
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, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his Lawes were before mee, and I did not cast away his commandements from mee.
For all his laws were in my sight; I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 I was vpright also with him, and haue kept me from my wickednes.
I was upright before him, And kept myself from iniquity.
24 Therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse, and according to the purenes of mine hands in his sight.
Therefore hath the LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.
25 With the godly thou wilt shewe thy selfe godly: with the vpright man thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright.
To the merciful thou showest thyself merciful; To the upright thou showest thyself upright;
26 With the pure thou wilt shewe thy selfe pure, and with the froward thou wilt shewe thy selfe froward.
To the pure thou showest thyself pure, And to the perverse thou showest thyself perverse.
27 Thus thou wilt saue the poore people, and wilt cast downe the proude lookes.
For thou savest the afflicted people, But the haughty countenance thou bringest down.
28 Surely thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God wil lighten my darkenes.
Thou causest my lamp to shine; Jehovah, my God, enlighteneth my darkness.
29 For by thee I haue broken through an hoste, and by my God I haue leaped ouer a wall.
For through thee I have broken through troops; Through my God I have leaped over walls.
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.
The ways of God are just and true; His word is pure, tried in the fire; He is a shield to all who put their trust in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord? and who is mightie saue our God?
Who, then, is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, save our God?
32 God girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way vpright.
It is God that girded me with strength, And made my way plain.
33 He maketh my feete like hindes feete, and setteth me vpon mine high places.
He made my feet like the hind's, And set me in my high places;
34 He teacheth mine hands to fight: so that a bowe of brasse is broken with mine armes.
He taught my hands to war, So that my arm bent the bow of brass.
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.
Thou gavest me the shield of thy protection; Thy right hand held me up, And thy goodness made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps vnder mee, and mine heeles haue not slid.
Thou didst make a wide path for my steps, So that my feet did not stumble.
37 I haue pursued mine enemies, and taken them, and haue not turned againe till I had consumed them.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And turned not back till I had destroyed them.
38 I haue wounded them, that they were not able to rise: they are fallen vnder my feete.
I smote them, so that they could not rise; They fell under my feet.
39 For thou hast girded me with strength to battell: them, that rose against me, thou hast subdued vnder me.
Thou didst gird me with strength for the battle; Thou didst cast down my adversaries under me.
40 And thou hast giuen me the neckes of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
Thou didst cause my enemies to turn their backs, So that I destroyed them that hated me.
41 They cryed but there was none to saue them, euen vnto the Lord, but hee answered them not.
They cried, but there was none to help; To Jehovah, but he answered them not.
42 Then I did beate them small as the dust before the winde: I did treade them flat as the clay in the streetes.
I beat them small, like dust before the wind; I cast them out as the dirt 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.
Thou hast delivered me from the assaults of the nations; Thou hast made me the head of the kingdoms. Nations whom I knew not serve me;
44 As soone as they heare, they shall obey me: the strangers shall be in subiection to me.
They who have only heard of me obey me; Yea, men of a strange land submit themselves to me;
45 Strangers shall shrinke away, and feare in their priuie chambers.
Men of a strange land fade away, like a leaf, And come trembling from their strongholds.
46 Let the Lord liue, and blessed be my strength, and the God of my saluation be exalted.
Jehovah is the living God; blessed be my rock; Exalted be the God of my salvation!
47 It is God that giueth me power to auenge me, and subdueth the people vnder me.
It is God who hath given me vengeance, And subdued the nations under me;
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 delivered me from my enemies; Yea, thou hast lifted me up above my adversaries; Thou hast saved me from the violent man!
49 Therefore I will prayse thee, O Lord, among the nations, and wil sing vnto thy Name.
Therefore I will give thanks to thee, O LORD! among the nations, And sing praises to thy 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 deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth mercy to his anointed, —To David and to his posterity for ever.
