Psalms 18
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of 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: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
“To the chief musician, by the servant of the Lord, by David, who spoke unto the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the power of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul; And he said,” I ever 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.
The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I trust; my shield, 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 my enemies.
Praised, I cried, be the Lord, and from my enemies was I saved.
4 The sorrows of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
The bonds of death encompassed me, and the floods of destruction made me afraid.
The bonds of hell encircled me: the snares of death seized on me. (Sheol h7585)
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
[When] in my distress I called upon the Lord, and unto my God I cried: he heard from his temple my voice, and my complaint 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 angry.
Then shook and trembled the earth; and the foundations of the mountains were moved; and they were shaken, because he was wroth.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Smoke went up in his anger and consuming fire out of his mouth: coals flamed forth from him.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
And he bent the heavens, and came down: and thick darkness was under his feet:
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and flew: yea, he flew upon the wings of the wind.
And he rode upon a cherub, and flew along, and he flitted by upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion around him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
He made darkness his hiding-place, round about him as his pavilion, dark waters, thick clouds of the skies.
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 away, [with] hail-stones and coals of fire.
13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
And the Lord thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered forth his voice, [with] hail-stones and coals of fire.
14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and destroyed them.
And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
And then were seen the channels of the waters, and there were laid open the foundations of the world, through thy rebuke, O Lord, through 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 out from above [his hand], he took me; he drew me out from mighty waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them who hated me: for they were too strong for me.
He delivered me from my enemy, the strong, and from those that hated me, when they were too mighty for me.
18 They came upon me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
They overcame me on the day of my calamity; but the Lord became my stay.
19 He brought me forth also in a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
And he brought me forth into a large space; he delivered me, 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 rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the purity of my hands did he recompense 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, and his statutes had I not put away from me.
23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.
I was also upright with him, and I guarded myself against my iniquity.
24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
Therefore did the Lord recompense me according to my righteousness, according to the purity of my hands before his eyes.
25 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright;
With the kind thou wilt show thyself kind; with the upright man thou wilt show thyself upright;
26 With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt contend.
With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt wage a contest.
27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
For thou wilt indeed save the afflicted people; but haughty eyes wilt thou bring down.
28 For thou wilt light my lamp: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
For thou wilt cause my light to shine: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
For [aided] by thee I run through a troop; and [helped] 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 tried: he is a shield to all those that trust in him.
31 For who is God except the LORD? or who is a rock except our God?
For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock beside our God?
32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
He is the God that girdeth me with strength, and rendereth my way unobstructed.
33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
He maketh my feet like those of the hinds, and upon my high-places he causeth me to stand.
34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms.
He teacheth my hands for the war, so that a brazen bow is bent by my arms.
35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath held me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
And thou gavest me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand supported me: and thy meekness hath made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
Thou enlargest my steps under me, so that my joints do not slip.
37 I have pursued my enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
I pursue my enemies, and overtake them; and I return not again till I have made an end of them.
38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they have fallen under my feet.
I crush them that they are not able to rise: they fall under my feet.
39 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
For thou hast girded me with strength for the war: thou subduest my opponents under me.
40 Thou hast also given me the necks of my enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
And my enemies thou causest to turn their back to me; and those that hate me, —that I may destroy them.
41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even to the LORD, but he answered them not.
They cry, but there is none to help; unto the Lord, —but he answereth them not.
42 Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
And I beat them small as the dust before the wind: like the dirt in the streets do I cast them out.
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 deliverest me from the contests of the people; thou appointest me to be the head of nations: a people that I know not shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves to me.
As soon as their ear heareth they shall be obedient to me: the children of the stranger shall utter flattery unto me.
45 The strangers shall fade away, and come trembling out of their fortresses.
The children of the stranger shall fade away, and come forth trembling out of their close places.
46 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
The Lord liveth, and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation;
47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
The God that granteth me vengeance, and subdueth nations under me;
48 He delivereth me from my enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
That delivereth me from my enemies: also above my opponents thou liftest me up; thou deliverest me from the man of violence.
49 Therefore will I give thanks to thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises to thy name.
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee among the nations, O Lord, and unto thy name will I sing praises, —
50 He giveth great deliverance to his king; and showeth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
[To him] that maketh great the salvation of his king, and who sheweth kindness to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for ever.
