Psalms 18
1 I WILL love thee, O Lord, my strength.
[For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to 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. He said, ] I love you, LORD, 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 deliverer; my God, my Rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
The waves of death surrounded me, and the currents of ungodliness overwhelmed me.
The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death came on me. (Sheol h7585)
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto 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 the LORD, and cried out to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry before him came 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 trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared 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 made darkness his hiding place, his canopy around him thick clouds dark with water.
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 on, with hailstones and coals of fire.
13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
The LORD also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice.
14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
And he sent out arrows and scattered them, and he shot lightning bolts and routed them.
15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
And the depths of the sea appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many 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, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.
They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
He brought me forth also 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 has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands has 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 judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
For all his ordinances were before me. I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
24 Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
With the faithful you show yourself faithful. With the innocent you show yourself innocent.
26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
With the pure you show yourself pure. And with the crooked you show yourself tortuous.
27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
For you will save a humble people, but the eyes of the proud you will bring low.
28 For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
For you light my lamp. The LORD my God lights up my darkness.
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap 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 the LORD is pure. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
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 a rock, besides our God,
32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
the God who girds me with strength, and makes my way blameless?
33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
He makes my feet like deer's feet, and sets me on my high places.
34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
You have also given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand holds me up, and your help has made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and I did not turn back until they were destroyed.
38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
I struck them through, so that they did not rise. They fell beneath my feet.
39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
For you have equipped me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the Lord, but he answered them not.
They cried, but there was none to save; even 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.
Then I ground them as fine as the dust on the surface of a path. Like the mud in the streets, I trampled them.
43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me;
44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
as soon as they hear of me they obey me. Foreigners come cringing to me;
45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
they are not bound in chains.
46 The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.
49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name.
50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his descendants, until forever.
