Psalms 18
1 I will love you, O LORD, my strength.
To the music director. A psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who sang the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord saved him from all his enemies, and from Saul. He sang: I love you, Lord. You are 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.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my Savior. He is my God, my rock who protects me. He shields me from harm, his power protects me, he keeps me safe.
3 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies.
I call for help from the Lord who should be praised, and he saves me from those who hate me.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
Ropes of death encircled me, surging waters of destruction flooded over me;
The grave wound its ropes around me; death set snares for 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 despair I called on the Lord—I cried out to my God for help. He heard my voice from his Temple—my cry for help reached his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
The earth shook to and fro; the foundations of the mountains trembled, shaking because of his anger.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Smoke came out of his nostrils, and fire came from his mouth; burning coals blazed before him.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
He parted the heavens and came down, with dark clouds beneath his feet.
10 And he rode on a cherub, and did fly: yes, he did fly on the wings of the wind.
Riding on an angel he flew, swooping on 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 hid himself in darkness, covering himself with black thunderclouds.
12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
Hailstones and burning coals flew out from his brightness, passing through his thick clouds.
13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High sounded among the hailstones and burning coals.
14 Yes, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightning, and discomfited them.
He fired his arrows, scattering his enemies; he routed them with his lightning bolts.
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.
You roared, Lord, and by the wind from the breath of your nostrils the valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth were uncovered.
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
He reached down his hand from above and grabbed hold of me. He pulled me out of the deep water.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and who were much stronger than me.
18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
They came at me at my worst possible moment, but the Lord supported me.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
He set me free, he rescued me because he's my friend.
20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me.
The Lord rewarded me because I do what's right; he repaid me because I am innocent.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For I have followed the Lord's ways; I have not sinned by turning away from my God.
22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
I have kept all his laws in mind; I have not ignored his commandments.
23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.
I am blameless in his sight; I keep myself from sinning.
24 Therefore has the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
The Lord rewarded me for doing what's right. I am innocent in his sight.
25 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful; with an upright man you will show yourself upright;
You show trust to those who trust; you show integrity to those with integrity,
26 With the pure you will show yourself pure; and with the fraudulent you will show yourself devious.
You show yourself pure to those who are pure, but you show yourself smart to those who are crafty.
27 For you will save the afflicted people; but will bring down high looks.
You save the humble, but you bring down the proud.
28 For you will light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
You light my lamp! Lord, my God, you light up my darkness!
29 For by you I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
With you, I can charge down a troop of soldiers; with you, my God, I can climb a fortress 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.
God's way is absolutely right. What the Lord says is trustworthy. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
For who is God except the Lord? Who is the rock, except our God?
32 It is God that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect.
God makes me strong and keeps me safe.
33 He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places.
He makes me surefooted like the deer, able to walk the heights in safety.
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms.
He teaches me how to fight in battle; he gives me the strength to draw a bronze bow.
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.
You protect me with the shield of your salvation; you support me with your powerful right hand; your help has made me great.
36 You have enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
You gave me space in which to walk, and prevented my feet from slipping.
37 I have pursued my enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
I chased my enemies, and caught up with them. I did not turn around until I had destroyed them.
38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
I struck them down—they couldn't get up. They fell at my feet.
39 For you have girded me with strength to the battle: you have subdued under me those that rose up against me.
You made me strong for battle; you made those who rose up against me kneel down before me.
40 You have also given me the necks of my enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
You made my enemies run away; I destroyed all my enemies.
41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even to the LORD, but he answered them not.
They cried out for help, but no one came to rescue them. They even called out to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
I ground them into dust, like dust in the wind. I threw them out like mud in the street.
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.
You rescued me from rebellious people; you made me ruler over nations—people I didn't know now serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves to me.
As soon as they hear of me, they obey; foreigners cringe before me.
45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
They lose heart, and come trembling in surrender from their strongholds.
46 The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock! May the God who saves me be praised!
47 It is God that avenges me, and subdues the people under me.
God avenges me, he subdues peoples under 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.
he rescues me from those who hate me. You keep me safe from those who rebel against me, you save me from violent men.
49 Therefore will I give thanks to you, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises to your name.
That's why I will praise you among the nations, Lord; I will sing praises about who you are.
50 Great deliverance gives he to his king; and shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for ever more.
You have saved the king so often, showing your trustworthy love to David, your anointed, and to his descendants forever.
