Psalm 18
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,
1 I love
you, LORD, 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.
3 I call
on the LORD,
who is worthy to
be praised;
and I am saved
from my enemies.
4 The cords
of death surrounded me.
The floods of ungodliness
made me afraid.
5 The
cords of Sheol
were around me.
The snares of
death came on me.
6 In
my distress I called
on the LORD,
and cried to
my God.
He heard my voice
out of his temple.
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 angry.
8 Smoke went
out of
his nostrils.
Consuming fire came out of
his mouth.
Coals were kindled
by it.
9 He bowed
the heavens also, and
came down.
Thick darkness was under
his feet.
10 He rode
on a cherub,
and flew.
Yes, he soared on
the wings of
the wind.
11 He
made darkness his hiding place,
his pavilion around
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 The
LORD also thundered
in the sky.
The Most High uttered his voice:
hailstones and
coals of fire.
14 He
sent out
his arrows, and scattered
them.
He routed them
with great lightning bolts.
15 Then
the channels of waters appeared.
The foundations of
the world were laid bare
at your rebuke,
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,
from those who hated
me; for they
were too mighty
for me.
18 They
came on me
in the day of
my calamity,
but the LORD was
my support.
19 He
brought me out
also into a large
place.
He delivered 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.
I didn’t put away
his statutes from
me.
23 I
was also blameless
with him.
I kept myself from
my iniquity.
24 Therefore
the LORD
has rewarded me according
to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness
of my hands in
his eyesight.
25 With
the merciful you
will show yourself merciful.
With the perfect man,
you will show yourself perfect.
26 With
the pure, you will
show yourself pure.
With the crooked
you will show
yourself shrewd.
27 For
you will save the afflicted people,
but the arrogant eyes
you will bring down.
28 For
you will light
my lamp, LORD.
My God will light
up my darkness.
29 For
by you, I advance
through a troop.
By my God,
I leap over a wall.
30 As
for God, his way
is perfect.
The LORD’s word
is tried.
He is a shield
to all those
who take refuge in
him.
31 For
who is God, except
the LORD?
Who is a rock,
besides our God,
32 the
God who arms me
with strength, and
makes my way perfect?
33 He
makes my feet
like deer’s feet,
and sets me on
my high places.
34 He teaches
my hands to war,
so that my arms
bend a bow of bronze.
35 You
have also given
me the shield of
your salvation.
Your right hand sustains
me.
Your gentleness has made
me great.
36 You
have enlarged my steps
under me,
My feet have
not slipped.
37 I
will pursue my enemies,
and overtake them.
I won’t turn away until they
are consumed.
38 I
will strike them through,
so that they
will not be
able to rise.
They shall fall under
my feet.
39 For
you have armed me
with strength to
the battle.
You have subdued
under me those who
rose up against
me.
40 You
have also made my
enemies turn their backs
to me,
that I might cut
off those who hate me.
41 They
cried, but there was
no one to save;
even to the LORD,
but he didn’t answer them.
42 Then
I beat them small
as the dust before
the wind.
I cast them
out as the mire
of the streets.
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.
44 As soon
as they hear of
me they shall
obey me.
The foreigners
shall submit themselves
to me.
45 The
foreigners shall fade away,
and shall come trembling out
of their strongholds.
46 The
LORD lives! Blessed be my rock.
Exalted be the God
of my salvation,
47 even
the God
who executes vengeance for
me,
and 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.
49 Therefore I
will give thanks
to you, LORD,
among the nations,
and will sing praises
to your name.
50 He gives
great deliverance to his
king,
and shows loving kindness to
his anointed,
to David and to
his offspring,
forever more.