Psalms 18
1 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, I love you, LORD, my strength.
To the chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David, the servant of Jehovah, who spoke to Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Saul. And he said, I will love thee, O Jehovah, 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.
Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I will trust; 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.
I will call upon Jehovah, who is to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The bands of death encompassed me, and torrents of Belial made me afraid.
The bands of Sheol surrounded me, the cords of death encountered me. (Sheol h7585)
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.
In my distress I called upon Jehovah, and I cried out to my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled and shook, because he was wroth.
8 Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals burned forth from it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
And he bowed the heavens, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
And he rode upon a cherub and did fly; yea, he flew fast upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
He made darkness his secret place, his tent 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.
From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed forth: hail and coals of fire.
13 The LORD also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire.
And Jehovah thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice: hail and coals of fire.
14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts.
And he sent his arrows, and scattered [mine enemies]; and he shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
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.
And the beds of the waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered at thy rebuke, 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.
He reached forth from above, he took me, he drew me out of great waters:
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me; for they were mightier than I.
18 They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
They encountered me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my stay.
19 He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
And he brought me forth 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.
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 the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, 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.
For all his ordinances were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me;
23 I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
And I was upright with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
And Jehovah hath recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.
With the gracious thou dost shew thyself gracious; with the upright man thou dost shew thyself upright;
26 With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
With the pure thou dost shew thyself pure; and with the perverse thou dost shew thyself contrary.
27 For you will save the afflicted people, but the arrogant eyes you will bring down.
For it is thou that savest the afflicted people; but the haughty eyes wilt thou bring down.
28 For you will light my lamp, LORD. My God will light up my darkness.
For it is thou that makest my lamp to shine: Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
29 For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.
For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped 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.
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of Jehovah is tried: he is a shield to all that trust in him.
31 For who is God, except the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God,
For who is God save Jehovah? and who is a rock if not our God?
32 the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
The God who girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect,
33 He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places.
Who maketh my feet like hinds' [feet], and setteth me upon my high places;
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
Who teacheth my hands to war, and mine arms bend a bow of brass;
35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.
And thou didst give me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand held me up; and thy condescending gentleness hath made me great.
36 You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
Thou didst enlarge my steps under me, and mine ankles have not wavered.
37 I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed.
I pursued mine enemies, and overtook them; and I turned not again till they were consumed.
38 I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet.
I crushed them, and they were not able to rise: they fell 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.
And thou girdedst me with strength to battle; thou didst subdue under me those that 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.
And mine enemies didst thou make to turn their backs unto me, and those that hated me I destroyed.
41 They cried, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them.
They cried, and there was none to save; — unto Jehovah, and he answered them not.
42 Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets.
And I did beat them small as dust before the wind; I did 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.
Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; thou hast made me the head of the nations: a people I knew not doth serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
At the hearing of the ear, they obey me: strangers come cringing unto me.
45 The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
Strangers have faded away, and they come trembling forth from their close places.
46 The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation,
47 even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
The God who hath avenged me, and hath subjected the peoples to 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.
Who hath delivered me from mine enemies: yea, thou hast lifted me up above them that rose up against me; from the man of violence hast thou delivered me.
49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, amongst the nations, and will sing praises to your name.
Therefore will I give thanks to thee, Jehovah, among the nations, and will sing psalms to thy name.
50 He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.
[It is he] who giveth great deliverances to his king, and sheweth loving-kindness to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
