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.
For the leader. Of David, the servant of the Lord, who recited the words of this song to the Lord after the Lord had saved him from the power of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love you, 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 fortress, deliverer, my God, my rock, where I take refuge, my shield, my defender, my tower.
3 I will call vpon the Lord, which is worthie to be praysed: so shall I be safe from mine enemies.
Worthy of praise is the Lord whom I call on, he rescues me from all my foes.
4 The sorowes of death compassed me, and the floods of wickednes made me afraide.
The waves of death broke about me, fearful floods of chaos.
Sheol threw cords around me, snares of death came to meet 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 distress I cried to the Lord, and shouted for help to my God; in his temple he heard my voice, into his ears came my cry.
7 Then the earth trembled, and quaked: the foundations also of the mountaines mooued and shooke, because he was angrie.
Then the earth shook and quaked, mountains trembled to their foundations, and quaked because of his wrath.
8 Smoke went out at his nostrels, and a consuming fire out of his mouth: coales were kindled thereat.
Smoke went up from his nostrils, devouring fire from his mouth, coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heauens also and came downe, and darkenes was vnder his feete.
Then he bent the sky and came down, thick darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode vpon Cherub and did flie, and he came flying vpon the wings of the winde.
He rode on a cherub and flew, darting on wings of wind,
11 He made darkenes his secrete place, and his pauilion round about him, euen darkenesse of waters, and cloudes of the ayre.
with his screen of darkness about him, in thick dark clouds of water.
12 At the brightnes of his presence his clouds passed, haylestones and coles of fire.
At the radiance before him there passed 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 thundered from heaven, the Most High uttered his voice.
14 Then hee sent out his arrowes and scattred them, and he increased lightnings and destroyed them.
He shot his arrows and scattered them, flashed lightnings, and routed 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.
The channels of the sea were revealed, the world was laid bare to its base, at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 He hath sent downe from aboue and taken mee: hee hath drawen mee out of many waters.
He stretched from on high, he seized me, drew me up from the mighty waters,
17 He hath deliuered mee from my strong enemie, and from them which hate me: for they were too strong for me.
and saved me from those who hated me – fierce foes, too mighty for me.
18 They preuented me in the day of my calamitie: but the Lord was my stay.
In my day of distress they assailed me, but the Lord proved my support.
19 Hee brought mee foorth also into a large place: hee deliuered mee because hee fauoured me.
To a spacious place he brought me, and, for love of me, he saved me.
20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnes: according to the purenes of mine hands he recompensed me:
The Lord repays my innocence, he rewards my cleanness of hands.
21 Because I kept the wayes of the Lord, and did not wickedly against my God.
For I kept the ways of the Lord, nor have wickedly strayed from my God.
22 For all his Lawes were before mee, and I did not cast away his commandements from mee.
His commandments were all before me, his statutes I put not away.
23 I was vpright also with him, and haue kept me from my wickednes.
And I was blameless before him, guarding myself from sin.
24 Therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse, and according to the purenes of mine hands in his sight.
So the Lord repaid my innocence, my cleanness of hands in his sight.
25 With the godly thou wilt shewe thy selfe godly: with the vpright man thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright.
With the loyal you are loyal, and with the blameless blameless.
26 With the pure thou wilt shewe thy selfe pure, and with the froward thou wilt shewe thy selfe froward.
With the pure you show yourself pure, but shrewd with the devious.
27 Thus thou wilt saue the poore people, and wilt cast downe the proude lookes.
For the lowly people you save, but haughty eyes you abase.
28 Surely thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God wil lighten my darkenes.
You are my lamp, Lord, my God who enlightens my darkness.
29 For by thee I haue broken through an hoste, and by my God I haue leaped ouer a wall.
With you I can storm a rampart, with my God I can leap 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 perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. He is shield to all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord? and who is mightie saue our God?
For who is God but the Lord? And who is a rock but our God?
32 God girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way vpright.
The God who arms me with strength, who cleared and smoothed my way.
33 He maketh my feete like hindes feete, and setteth me vpon mine high places.
He made my feet like hinds’ feet, and set me up on the heights.
34 He teacheth mine hands to fight: so that a bowe of brasse is broken with mine armes.
He taught my hands how to fight, and my arms how to bend a bronze bow.
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.
The shield of your help you gave me, your right hand supports me, you stoop down to make me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps vnder mee, and mine heeles haue not slid.
In your strength I took giant strides, and my feet never slipped.
37 I haue pursued mine enemies, and taken them, and haue not turned againe till I had consumed them.
So I chased the foe till I caught them, and turned not, till I made an end of them.
38 I haue wounded them, that they were not able to rise: they are fallen vnder my feete.
I smashed them, they could not rise, they fell beneath my feet.
39 For thou hast girded me with strength to battell: them, that rose against me, thou hast subdued vnder me.
You did arm me with strength for war, you did bow my assailants beneath me.
40 And thou hast giuen me the neckes of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
You made my foes turn their back to me, and those who did hate me I finished.
41 They cryed but there was none to saue them, euen vnto the Lord, but hee answered them not.
They cried for help, but none saved them; to the Lord, 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 like dust of the market-place, stamped them like mud 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.
From the strife of the peoples you saved me, you made me head of the nations, peoples I knew not did serve me.
44 As soone as they heare, they shall obey me: the strangers shall be in subiection to me.
On the instant they hear, they obey me, foreigners come to me cringing.
45 Strangers shall shrinke away, and feare in their priuie chambers.
Foreigners lose courage, and come out of their strongholds trembling.
46 Let the Lord liue, and blessed be my strength, and the God of my saluation be exalted.
The Lord is alive! Blest be my rock! Exalted be God, my protector!
47 It is God that giueth me power to auenge me, and subdueth the people vnder me.
The God who gave me revenge, and brought down nations beneath 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.
who saved me from angry foes, and set me above my assailants, safe from the violent.
49 Therefore I will prayse thee, O Lord, among the nations, and wil sing vnto thy Name.
For this I will praise you among the nations, making music, O Lord, 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.
for great triumphs he grants to his king, and faithful love he shows his anointed, to David and his seed evermore.
