Psalm 18

1-2 I love you, God— you make me strong. God is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. My God—the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout.
3 I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty, and find myself safe and saved.
4-5 The hangman's noose was tight at my throat; devil waters rushed over me. Hell's ropes cinched me tight; death traps barred every exit.
6 A hostile world! I call to God, I cry to God to help me. From his palace he hears my call; my cry brings me right into his presence— a private audience!
7-15 Earth wobbles and lurches; huge mountains shake like leaves, Quake like aspen leaves because of his rage. His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke; his mouth spits fire. Tongues of fire dart in and out; he lowers the sky. He steps down; under his feet an abyss opens up. He's riding a winged creature, swift on wind-wings. Now he's wrapped himself in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness. But his cloud-brightness bursts through, spraying hailstones and fireballs. Then God thundered out of heaven; the High God gave a great shout, spraying hailstones and fireballs. God shoots his arrows—pandemonium! He hurls his lightnings—a rout! The secret sources of ocean are exposed, the hidden depths of earth lie uncovered The moment you roar in protest, let loose your hurricane anger.
16-19 But me he caught—reached all the way from sky to sea; he pulled me out Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning. They hit me when I was down, but God stuck by me. He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!
20-24 God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start. Now I'm alert to God's ways; I don't take God for granted. Every day I review the ways he works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.
25-27 The good people taste your goodness, The whole people taste your health, The true people taste your truth, The bad ones can't figure you out. You take the side of the down-and-out, But the stuck-up you take down a peg.
28-29 Suddenly, God, you floodlight my life; I'm blazing with glory, God's glory! I smash the bands of marauders, I vault the highest fences.
30 What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every God-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward him Makes it.
31-42 Is there any god like God? Are we not at bedrock? Is not this the God who armed me, then aimed me in the right direction? Now I run like a deer; I'm king of the mountain. He shows me how to fight; I can bend a bronze bow! You protect me with salvation-armor; you hold me up with a firm hand, caress me with your gentle ways. You cleared the ground under me so my footing was firm. When I chased my enemies I caught them; I didn't let go till they were dead men. I nailed them; they were down for good; then I walked all over them. You armed me well for this fight, you smashed the upstarts. You made my enemies turn tail, and I wiped out the haters. They cried "uncle" but Uncle didn't come; They yelled for God and got no for an answer. I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind. I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter.
43-45 You rescued me from a squabbling people; you made me a leader of nations. People I'd never heard of served me; the moment they got wind of me they listened. The foreign devils gave up; they came on their bellies, crawling from their hideouts.
46-48 Live, God! Blessings from my Rock, my free and freeing God, towering! This God set things right for me and shut up the people who talked back. He rescued me from enemy anger, he pulled me from the grip of upstarts, He saved me from the bullies.
49-50 That's why I'm thanking you, God, all over the world. That's why I'm singing songs that rhyme your name. God's king takes the trophy; God's chosen is beloved. I mean David and all his children— always.

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.