Psalms 18
1 I will love you, O LORD, my strength.
To the chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David, the servant of Jehovah, who spoke to Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Saul. And he said, I will love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I will trust; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
3 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies.
I will call upon Jehovah, who is to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
The bands of death encompassed me, and torrents of Belial made me afraid.
The bands of Sheol surrounded me, the cords of death encountered me. (Sheol h7585)
6 In my distress I called on the LORD, and cried to my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
In my distress I called upon Jehovah, and I cried out to my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled and shook, because he was wroth.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals burned forth from it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
And he bowed the heavens, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode on a cherub, and did fly: yes, he did fly on the wings of the wind.
And he rode upon a cherub and did fly; yea, he flew fast upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
He made darkness his secret place, his tent round about him: darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed forth: hail and coals of fire.
13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
And Jehovah thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice: hail and coals of fire.
14 Yes, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightning, and discomfited them.
And he sent his arrows, and scattered [mine enemies]; and he shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
And the beds of the waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered at thy rebuke, Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
He reached forth from above, he took me, he drew me out of great waters:
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me; for they were mightier than I.
18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
They encountered me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my stay.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
And 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 has he recompensed me.
Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; 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 Jehovah, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
For all his ordinances were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me;
23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.
And I was upright with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 Therefore has the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
And Jehovah hath recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful; with an upright man you will show yourself upright;
With the gracious thou dost shew thyself gracious; with the upright man thou dost shew thyself upright;
26 With the pure you will show yourself pure; and with the fraudulent you will show yourself devious.
With the pure thou dost shew thyself pure; and with the perverse thou dost shew thyself contrary.
27 For you will save the afflicted people; but will bring down high looks.
For it is thou that savest the afflicted people; but the haughty eyes wilt thou bring down.
28 For you will light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
For it is thou that makest my lamp to shine: Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
29 For by you I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of Jehovah is tried: he is a shield to all that trust in him.
31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
For who is God save Jehovah? and who is a rock if not our God?
32 It is God that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect.
The God who girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect,
33 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places.
Who maketh my feet like hinds' [feet], and setteth me upon my high places;
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms.
Who teacheth my hands to war, and mine arms bend a bow of brass;
35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation: and your right hand has held me up, and your gentleness has made me great.
And thou didst give me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand held me up; and thy condescending gentleness hath made me great.
36 You have enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
Thou didst enlarge my steps under me, and mine ankles have not wavered.
37 I have pursued my enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
I pursued mine enemies, and overtook them; and I turned not again till they were consumed.
38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
I crushed them, and they were not able to rise: they fell under my feet.
39 For you have girded me with strength to the battle: you have subdued under me those that rose up against me.
And thou girdedst me with strength to battle; thou didst subdue under me those that rose up against me.
40 You have also given me the necks of my enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
And mine enemies didst thou make to turn their backs unto me, and those that hated me I destroyed.
41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even to the LORD, but he answered them not.
They cried, and there was none to save; — unto Jehovah, and he answered them not.
42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
And I did beat them small as dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; and you have made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; thou hast made me the head of the nations: a people I knew not doth serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves to me.
At the hearing of the ear, they obey me: strangers come cringing unto me.
45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
Strangers have faded away, and they come trembling forth from their close places.
46 The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation,
47 It is God that avenges me, and subdues the people under me.
The God who hath avenged me, and hath subjected the peoples to me;
48 He delivers me from my enemies: yes, you lift me up above those that rise up against me: you have delivered me from the violent man.
Who hath delivered me from mine enemies: yea, thou hast lifted me up above them that rose up against me; from the man of violence hast thou delivered me.
49 Therefore will I give thanks to you, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises to your name.
Therefore will I give thanks to thee, Jehovah, among the nations, and will sing psalms to thy name.
50 Great deliverance gives he to his king; and shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for ever more.
[It is he] who giveth great deliverances to his king, and sheweth loving-kindness to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
