Psalms 18
1 To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto 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: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
To the chief music-maker. Of the servant of the Lord, of David, who said the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord made him free from the hand of all his haters, and from the hand of Saul; and he said, I will give you my love, 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 walled town, and my saviour; my God, my Rock, in him will I put my faith; my breastplate, and the horn of my salvation, 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 will send up my cry to the Lord, who is to be praised; so will I be made safe from those who are against me.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
The cords of death were round me, and the seas of evil put me in fear.
The cords of hell were round me: the nets 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 trouble my voice went up to the Lord, and my cry to my God: my voice came to his hearing in his holy Temple, and my prayer came before him, even 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 trouble and shock came on the earth; and the bases of the mountains were moved and shaking, 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.
There went up a smoke from his nose, and a fire of destruction from his mouth: flames were lighted by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness [was] under his feet.
The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark 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 went in flight through the air, seated on a storm-cloud: going quickly 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 the dark his secret place; his tent round him was the 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.
Before his shining light his dark clouds went past, raining ice and fire.
13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail [stones] and coals of fire.
The Lord made thunder in the heavens, and the voice of the Highest was sounding out: a rain of ice and fire.
14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
He sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled.
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 deep beds of the waters were seen, and the bases of the world were uncovered, because of your words of wrath, O Lord, because of the breath from your mouth.
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
He sent from on high, he took me, pulling 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 made me free from my strong hater, and from those who were against me, because they were stronger than I.
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 trouble; 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 took me out into a wide place; he was my saviour because he had delight in me.
20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
The Lord gives me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean before him.
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; I have not been turned away in sin from my God.
22 For all his judgments [were] before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
For all his decisions were before me, and I did not put away his laws from me.
23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
And I was upright before him, and I kept myself from sin.
24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
Because of this the Lord has given me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean in his eyes.
25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
On him who has mercy you will have mercy; to the upright you will be upright;
26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
He who is holy will see that you are holy; but to the man whose way is not straight you will be a hard judge.
27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
For you are the saviour of those who are in trouble; but eyes full of pride will be made low.
28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
You, O Lord, will be my light; by you, my God, the dark will be made bright for me.
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
By your help I have made a way through the wall which was shutting me in; by the help of my God I have gone 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 completely good; the word of the Lord is tested; he is a breastplate for all those who put their faith in him.
31 For who [is] God save the LORD? or who [is] a rock save our God?
For who is God but the Lord? or who is a Rock but our God?
32 [It is] God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
God puts a strong band about me, guiding me in a straight way.
33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ [feet], and setteth me upon my high places.
He makes my feet like roes' feet, and puts me on high places.
34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
He makes my hands expert in war, so that a bow of brass is bent by my arms.
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 given me the breastplate of your salvation: your right hand has been my support, and your mercy has made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
You have made my steps wide under me, so that my feet are kept from slipping.
37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
I go after my haters and overtake them; not turning back till they are all overcome.
38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
I will give them wounds, so that they are not able to get up: they are stretched 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.
For I have been armed by you with strength for the fight: you have made low under me those who come out against me.
40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
By you their backs are turned in flight, so that my haters are cut off.
41 They cried, but [there was] none to save [them: even] unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
They were crying out, but there was no one to come to their help: even to the Lord, but he gave them no 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.
Then they were crushed as small as dust before the wind; they were drained out like the waste 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.
You have made me free from the fightings of the people; you have made me the head of the nations: a people of whom I had no knowledge will be my servants.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
From the time when my name comes to their ears they will be ruled by me: men of other countries will, with false hearts, put themselves under my authority.
45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
They will be wasting away, they will come out of their secret places shaking with fear.
46 The LORD liveth; and blessed [be] my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
The Lord is living; praise be to my Rock, and let the God of my salvation be honoured.
47 [It is] God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
It is God who sends punishment on my haters, and puts peoples under my rule.
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 makes me free from my haters; I am lifted up over those who come up against me: you have made me free from the violent man.
49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
Because of this I will give you praise, O Lord, among the nations, and will make a song of praise 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.
Great salvation does he give to his king; he has mercy on the king of his selection, David, and on his seed for ever.
