Psalms 18
1 I will love you, O LORD, my strength.
For the choirmaster. Of David the servant of the LORD, who sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love You, 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.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.
The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted 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; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was angry.
Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth.
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 upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
He mounted a cherub and flew; 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, and storm clouds a canopy around Him.
12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
From the brightness of His presence His clouds advanced— 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 thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— hailstones and coals of fire.
14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and humiliated them.
He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed 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.
The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at Your rebuke, O 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 reached down from on high and took hold of me; He 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 rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me.
18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
They confronted me in my day of 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 out into the open; He rescued 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.
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
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 are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.
23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity.
24 Therefore has the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
So the LORD has repaid 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;
To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
26 With the pure you will show yourself pure; and with the perverse you will show yourself perverse.
to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
27 For you will save the afflicted people; but will bring down high looks.
For You save an afflicted people, but You humble those with haughty eyes.
28 For you will light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness.
29 For by you I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
For in You I can charge an army, and with my God I can scale 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 flawless. He is a shield to all 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 besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect.
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way clear.
33 He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places.
He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
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 have given me Your shield of salvation; Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness exalts me.
36 You have enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.
37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I return till they were consumed.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.
38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
I crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet.
39 For you have girded me with strength unto the battle: you have subdued under me those that rose up against me.
You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.
40 You have also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me.
41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but He did not answer.
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 as dust in the face of the wind; I trampled them like mud in 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.
You have delivered me from the strife of the people; You have made me the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me.
45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may the God of my salvation be exalted—
47 It is God that avenges me, and subdues the people under me.
the God who avenges me and subdues nations beneath me,
48 He delivers me from mine enemies: yea, you lift me up above those that rise up against me: you have delivered me from the violent man.
who delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.
49 Therefore will I give thanks unto you, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto your name.
Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.
50 Great deliverance gives he to his king; and shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.
