Psalm 18

Psalm 18

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the LORD. He sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:

1 I love you, LORD;
you are my strength.2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.3 I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.4 The ropes of death entangled me;
floods of destruction swept over me.5 The gravet wrapped its ropes around me;
death laid a trap in my path.6 But in my distress I cried out to the LORD;
yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry to him reached his ears.7 Then the earth quaked and trembled.
The foundations of the mountains shook;
they quaked because of his anger.8 Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
Glowing coals blazed forth from him.9 He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.10 Mounted on a mighty angelic being,t he flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.11 He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.12 Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him
and rained down hail and burning coals.t13 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded
amid the hail and burning coals.14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
his lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused.15 Then at your command, O LORD,
at the blast of your breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the LORD supported me.19 He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.20 The LORD rewarded me for doing right;
he restored me because of my innocence.21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I have not turned from my God to follow evil.22 I have followed all his regulations;
I have never abandoned his decrees.23 I am blameless before God;
I have kept myself from sin.24 The LORD rewarded me for doing right.
He has seen my innocence.25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.26 To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.27 You rescue the humble,
but you humiliate the proud.28 You light a lamp for me.
The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness.29 In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any wall.30 God’s way is perfect.
All the LORD’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.31 For who is God except the LORD?
Who but our God is a solid rock?32 God arms me with strength,
and he makes my way perfect.33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
enabling me to stand on mountain heights.34 He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.35 You have given me your shield of victory.
Your right hand supports me;
your help has made me great.36 You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.37 I chased my enemies and caught them;
I did not stop until they were conquered.38 I struck them down so they could not get up;
they fell beneath my feet.39 You have armed me with strength for the battle;
you have subdued my enemies under my feet.40 You placed my foot on their necks.
I have destroyed all who hated me.41 They called for help, but no one came to their rescue.
They even cried to the LORD, but he refused to answer.42 I ground them as fine as dust in the wind.
I swept them into the gutter like dirt.43 You gave me victory over my accusers.
You appointed me ruler over nations;
people I don’t even know now serve me.44 As soon as they hear of me, they submit;
foreign nations cringe before me.45 They all lose their courage
and come trembling from their strongholds.46 The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock!
May the God of my salvation be exalted!47 He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
he subdues the nations under me48 and rescues me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
you save me from violent opponents.49 For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.50 You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever.

PSALMS 18

David's Song of Thanks

1 I love you, [Lord] God,
and you make me strong.

2 You are my mighty rock, t
my fortress, my protector,
the rock where I am safe,
my shield, my powerful weapon, t
and my place of shelter.

3 I praise you, [Lord]!
I prayed, and you rescued me
from my enemies.

4 Death had wrapped
its ropes around me,
and I was almost swallowed
by its flooding waters.

5 Ropes from the world
of the dead
had coiled around me,
and death had set a trap
in my path.

6 I was in terrible trouble
when I called out to you,
but from your temple
you heard me
and answered my prayer.

7 The earth shook and shivered,
and the mountains trembled
down to their roots.
You were angry

8 and breathed out smoke.
Scorching heat and fiery flames
spewed from your mouth.

9 You opened the heavens
like curtains,
and you came down
with storm clouds
under your feet.

10 You rode on the backs
of flying creatures
and swooped down
with the wind as wings.

11 Darkness was your robe;
thunderclouds filled the sky,
hiding you from sight.

12 Hailstones and fiery coals
lit up the sky
in front of you.

13 [Lord] Most High, your voice
thundered from the heavens,
as hailstones and fiery coals
poured down like rain.

14 You scattered your enemies
with arrows of lightning.

15 You roared at the sea,
and its deepest channels
could be seen.
You snorted,
and the earth shook
to its foundations.

16 You reached down from heaven,
and you lifted me
from deep in the ocean.

17 You rescued me from enemies,
who were hateful
and too powerful for me.

18 On the day disaster struck,
they came and attacked,
but you defended me.

19 When I was fenced in,
you freed and rescued me
because you love me.

20 You are good to me, [Lord],
because I do right,
and you reward me
because I am innocent.

21 I do what you want
and never turn to do evil.

22 I keep your laws in mind
and never look away
from your teachings.

23 I obey you completely
and guard against sin.

24 You have been good to me
because I do right;
you have rewarded me
for being innocent
by your standards.

25 You are always loyal
to your loyal people,
and you are faithful
to the faithful.

26 With all who are sincere,
you are sincere,
but you treat the unfaithful
as their deeds deserve.

27 You rescue the humble,
but you put down all
who are proud.

28 You, the [Lord] God,
keep my lamp burning
and turn darkness to light.

29 You help me defeat armies
and capture cities.

30 Your way is perfect, [Lord],
and your word is correct.
You are a shield for those
who run to you for help.

31 You alone are God!
Only you are a mighty rock.t

32 You give me strength
and guide me right.

33  t You make my feet run as fast
as those of a deer,
and you help me stand
on the mountains.

34 You teach my hands to fight
and my arms to use
a bow of bronze.

35 You alone are my shield.
Your right hand supports me,
and by coming to help me,
you have made me famous.

36 You clear the way for me,
and now I won't stumble.

37 I kept chasing my enemies,
until I caught them
and destroyed them.

38 I stuck my sword
through my enemies,
and they were crushed
under my feet.

39 You helped me win victories,
and you forced my attackers
to fall victim to me.

40 You made my enemies run,
and I killed them.

41 They cried out for help,
but no one saved them;
they called out to you,
but there was no answer.

42 I ground them to dust
blown by the wind,
and I poured them out
like mud in the streets.

43 You rescued me
from stubborn people,
and you made me the leader
of foreign nations,
who are now my slaves.

44 They obey and come crawling.

45 They have lost all courage,
and from their fortresses,
they come trembling.

46 You are the living [Lord]!
I will praise you.
You are a mighty rock.t
I will honor you
for keeping me safe.

47 You took revenge for me,
and you put nations
in my power.

48 You protected me
from violent enemies
and made me much greater
than all of them.

49  t I will praise you, [Lord],
and I will honor you
among the nations.

50 You give glorious victories
to your chosen king.
Your faithful love for David
and for his descendants
will never end.