Psalms 18
1 For the Leader. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke unto 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; And he said: I love thee, O LORD, my strength.
I love thee, O LORD, my strength!
2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in Him I take refuge; my shield, and my horn of salvation, my high tower.
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 Praised, I cry, is the LORD, and I am saved from mine enemies.
I called upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And was delivered from my enemies.
4 The cords of Death compassed me, and the floods of Belial assailed me.
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 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God; out of His temple He heard my voice, and my cry came before Him unto His ears.
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 did shake and quake, the foundations also of the mountains did tremble; they were shaken, because He was wroth.
Then the earth quaked and trembled; The foundations of the mountains rocked and were shaken, Because his wrath was kindled.
8 Smoke arose up in His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth did devour; coals flamed forth from Him.
A smoke went up from his nostrils, And fire from his mouth devoured; Burning coals shot forth from him.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet.
He bowed the heavens, and came down; And darkness was under his feet;
10 And He rode upon a cherub, and did fly; yea, He did swoop down upon the wings of the wind.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him; darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
And he made darkness his covering; His pavilion round about him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness before Him, there passed through His thick clouds hailstones and coals of fire.
At the brightness before him, his thick clouds passed away; Then came hailstones and coals of fire.
13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave forth His voice; hailstones and coals of fire.
The LORD also thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered his voice, Amid hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And He sent out His arrows, and scattered them; and He shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
He sent forth his arrows, and scattered them; Continual lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 And the channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare, at Thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Thy nostrils.
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 sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.
He stretched forth his hand from above; he took me, And drew me out of deep waters.
17 He delivered me from mine enemy most strong, and from them that hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
He delivered me from my strong enemy; From my adversaries, who were too powerful for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity; but the LORD was a stay unto me.
They fell upon me in the day of my calamity; But the LORD was my stay.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in 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 righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath He recompensed me.
The LORD hath rewarded me according to my righteous; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all His ordinances were before me, and I put not away His statutes from me.
For all his laws were in my sight; I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 And I was single-hearted with Him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
I was upright before him, And kept myself from iniquity.
24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.
Therefore hath the LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.
25 With the merciful Thou dost show Thyself merciful, with the upright man Thou dost show Thyself upright;
To the merciful thou showest thyself merciful; To the upright thou showest thyself upright;
26 With the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure; and with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself subtle.
To the pure thou showest thyself pure, And to the perverse thou showest thyself perverse.
27 For Thou dost save the afflicted people; but the haughty eyes Thou dost humble.
For thou savest the afflicted people, But the haughty countenance thou bringest down.
28 For Thou dost light my lamp; the LORD my God doth lighten my darkness.
Thou causest my lamp to shine; Jehovah, my God, enlighteneth my darkness.
29 For by Thee I run upon a troop; and by my God do I scale a wall.
For through thee I have broken through troops; Through my God I have leaped over walls.
30 As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge 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, save the LORD? And who is a Rock, except our God?
Who, then, is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, save our God?
32 The God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way straight;
It is God that girded me with strength, And made my way plain.
33 Who maketh my feet like hinds', and setteth me upon my high places;
He made my feet like the hind's, And set me in my high places;
34 Who traineth my hands for war, so that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.
He taught my hands to war, So that my arm bent the bow of brass.
35 Thou hast also given me Thy shield of salvation, and Thy right hand hath holden me up; and Thy condescension hath made me great.
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 under me, and my feet have not slipped.
Thou didst make a wide path for my steps, So that my feet did not stumble.
37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them; neither did I turn back till they were consumed.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And turned not back till I had destroyed them.
38 I have smitten them through, so that they are not able to rise; they are fallen under my feet.
I smote them, so that they could not rise; They fell under my feet.
39 For Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
Thou didst gird me with strength for the battle; Thou didst cast down my adversaries under me.
40 Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, and I did cut off them that hate me.
Thou didst cause my enemies to turn their backs, So that I destroyed them that hated me.
41 They cried, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but He answered them not.
They cried, but there was none to help; To Jehovah, but he answered them not.
42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.
I beat them small, like dust before the wind; I cast them out as the dirt of the streets.
43 Thou hast delivered me from the contentions of the people; Thou hast made me the head of the nations; a people whom I have not known serve 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 soon as they hear of me, they obey me; the sons of the stranger dwindle away before me.
They who have only heard of me obey me; Yea, men of a strange land submit themselves to me;
45 The sons of the stranger fade away, and come trembling out of their close places.
Men of a strange land fade away, like a leaf, And come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The LORD liveth, and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation;
Jehovah is the living God; blessed be my rock; Exalted be the God of my salvation!
47 Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, and subdueth peoples under me.
It is God who hath given me vengeance, And subdued the nations under me;
48 He delivereth me from mine enemies; yea, Thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent 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 give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises unto Thy name.
Therefore I will give thanks to thee, O LORD! among the nations, And sing praises to thy name.
50 Great salvation giveth He to His king; and showeth mercy to His anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore.
Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth mercy to his anointed, —To David and to his posterity for ever.
