Psalms 18
1 [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.
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, 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.
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 call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am 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 waves of death surrounded me, and the currents of ungodliness overwhelmed me.
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 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.
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 mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
The earth shook to and fro; the foundations of the mountains trembled, shaking because of his anger.
8 Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. 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. Thick darkness was under his feet.
He parted the heavens and came down, with dark clouds beneath his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
Riding on an angel he flew, swooping on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his hiding place, his canopy around him thick clouds dark with water.
He hid himself in darkness, covering himself with black thunderclouds.
12 From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed on, with hailstones 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 sky. The Most High uttered his voice.
The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High sounded among the hailstones and burning coals.
14 And he sent out arrows and scattered them, and he shot lightning bolts and routed them.
He fired his arrows, scattering his enemies; he routed them with his lightning bolts.
15 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.
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 on high. 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, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and who were much stronger than me.
18 They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
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 has 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 ordinances were before me. 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 blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
I am blameless in his sight; I keep myself from sinning.
24 Therefore the LORD has rewarded 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 faithful you show yourself faithful. With the innocent you show yourself innocent.
You show trust to those who trust; you show integrity to those with integrity,
26 With the pure you show yourself pure. And with the crooked you show yourself tortuous.
You show yourself pure to those who are pure, but you show yourself smart to those who are crafty.
27 For you will save a humble people, but the eyes of the proud you will bring low.
You save the humble, but you bring down the proud.
28 For you light my lamp. The LORD my God lights up my darkness.
You light my lamp! Lord, my God, you light up my darkness!
29 For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap 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 pure. He is a shield to all those who take refuge 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, except the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God,
For who is God except the Lord? Who is the rock, except our God?
32 the God who girds me with strength, and makes my way blameless?
God makes me strong and keeps me safe.
33 He makes my feet like deer's 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 my arms bend a bow of bronze.
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 holds me up, and your help 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, My feet have not slipped.
You gave me space in which to walk, and prevented my feet from slipping.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and I did not turn back until they were destroyed.
I chased my enemies, and caught up with them. I did not turn around until I had destroyed them.
38 I struck them through, so that they did not rise. They fell beneath my feet.
I struck them down—they couldn't get up. They fell at my feet.
39 For you have equipped me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who 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 made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
You made my enemies run away; I destroyed all my enemies.
41 They cried, but there was none to save; even to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
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 I ground them as fine as the dust on the surface of a path. Like the mud in the streets, I trampled them.
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. You have made me the head of the nations. 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 obey me. Foreigners come cringing to me;
As soon as they hear of me, they obey; foreigners cringe before me.
45 they are not bound in chains.
They lose heart, and come trembling in surrender from their strongholds.
46 The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock! May the God who saves me be praised!
47 even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
God avenges me, he subdues peoples under me,
48 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.
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 I will praise you, LORD, among the nations, and will 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 He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his descendants, until forever.
You have saved the king so often, showing your trustworthy love to David, your anointed, and to his descendants forever.
