Psalm 18

The LORD Praised for Giving Deliverance.

For the choir director. 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,

1 "I love You, O LORD, my strength."

2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.

4 The cords of death encompassed me,
And the torrents of tungodliness terrified me.

5 The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.

6 In my distress I called upon the LORD,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice out of His temple,
And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.

7 Then the earth shook and quaked;
And the foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.

8 Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
And fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.

10 He rode upon a cherub and flew;
And He sped upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

12 From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and coals of fire.

13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.

14 He sent out His arrows, and scattered them,
And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.

15 Then the channels of water appeared,
And the foundations of the world were laid bare
At Your rebuke, O LORD,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

16 He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the LORD was my stay.

19 He brought me forth also into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.

20 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.

21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.

22 For all His ordinances were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me.

23 I was also tblameless with Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.

24 Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

25 With the kind You show Yourself kind;
With the blameless You show Yourself blameless;

26 With the pure You show Yourself pure,
And with the crooked You show Yourself tastute.

27 For You save an afflicted people,
But haughty eyes You abase.

28 For You light my lamp;
The LORD my God illumines my darkness.

29 For by You I can trun upon a troop;
And by my God I can leap over a wall.

30 As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

31 For who is God, but the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God,

32 The God who girds me with strength
And makes my way blameless?

33 He makes my feet like hinds' feet,
And sets me upon my high places.

34 He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,
And Your right hand upholds me;
And Your gentleness makes me great.

36 You enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped.

37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
And I did not turn back until they were consumed.

38 I shattered them, so that they were not able to rise;
They fell under my feet.

39 For You have girded me with strength for battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
And I tdestroyed those who hated me.

41 They cried for help, but there was none to save,
Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.

42 Then I beat them fine as the dust before the wind;
I emptied them out as the mire of the streets.

43 You have delivered me from the contentions of the people;
You have placed me as head of the nations;
A people whom I have not known serve me.

44 As soon as they hear, they obey me;
Foreigners tsubmit to me.

45 Foreigners fade away,
And come trembling out of their fortresses.

46 The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be the God of my salvation,

47 The God who executes vengeance for me,
And subdues peoples under me.

48 He delivers me from my enemies;
Surely You lift me above those who rise up against me;
You rescue me from the violent man.

49 Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O LORD,
And I will sing praises to Your name.

50 He gives great tdeliverance to His king,
And shows lovingkindness to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forever.

Psalm 18

1 I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.

2 Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.

3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies.

4 The cords of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

5 The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me.

6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry before him came into his ears.

7 Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations also of the mountains quaked And 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.

9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet.

10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion round about him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire.

13 Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.

14 And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.

15 Then the channels of waters appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare, At thy rebuke, O Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

16 He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from them that hated me; for they were too mighty for me.

18 They came upon me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay.

19 He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.

20 Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God.

22 For all his ordinances were before me, And I put not away his statutes from me.

23 I was also perfect with him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity.

24 Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

25 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect;

26 With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward.

27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; But the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down.

28 For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.

29 For by thee I run upon a troop; And by my God do I leap over a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him.

31 For who is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, besides our God,

32 The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect?

33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: And setteth me upon my high places.

34 He teacheth my hands to war; So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.

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.

36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.

37 I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them; Neither will I turn again till they are consumed.

38 I will smite them through, so that they shall not be able to rise: They shall fall 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.

40 Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me.

41 They cried, but there was none to save; Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not.

42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.

43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; Thou hast made me the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me.

44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me; The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me.

45 The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places.

46 Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation,

47 Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, And subdueth peoples under me.

48 He rescueth me from mine enemies; Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man.

49 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name.

50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore.