Psalms 18
1 I WILL 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 strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and 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 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
I called upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And was delivered from my enemies.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
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: 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 unto my God; He heard my voice from his palace, 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 quaked and trembled; The foundations of the mountains rocked and were shaken, Because his wrath was kindled.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
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 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 fly 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 secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and 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 that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones 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 Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
The LORD also thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered his voice, Amid hailstones and coals of fire.
14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
He sent forth his arrows, and scattered them; Continual lightnings, and discomfited 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.
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 above, 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 my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
He delivered me from my strong enemy; From my adversaries, who were too powerful for me.
18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.
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 judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
For all his laws were in my sight; 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 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 eyesight.
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 wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
To the merciful thou showest thyself merciful; To the upright thou showest thyself upright;
26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
To the pure thou showest thyself pure, And to the perverse thou showest thyself perverse.
27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
For thou savest the afflicted people, But the haughty countenance thou bringest down.
28 For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
Thou causest my lamp to shine; Jehovah, my God, enlighteneth my darkness.
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over 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 buckler to all those that trust 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? or who is a rock save our God?
Who, then, is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, save our God?
32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
It is God that girded me with strength, And made my way plain.
33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
He made my feet like the hind's, And set me in my high places;
34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
He taught my hands to war, So that my arm bent the bow of brass.
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.
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, that my feet did not slip.
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 again till they were consumed.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And turned not back till I had destroyed them.
38 I have wounded them that they were 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 given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy 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 them: 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 dirt in 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 strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall 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 shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
They who have only heard of me obey me; Yea, men of a strange land submit themselves to me;
45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid 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 let the God of my salvation be exalted.
Jehovah is the living God; blessed be my rock; Exalted be the God of my salvation!
47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people 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 those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered 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 will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and 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 deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth 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.
