< Psalms 18 >

1 To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid the seruant of the Lord, which spake unto the Lord the wordes of this song (in the day that the Lord delivered him for the hande of all this enemies, and form the and of saul) and sayd, I will loue thee dearely, O Lord my strength.
For the end, [a Psalm] of David, the servant of the Lord; [the words] which he spoke to the Lord, [even] the words of this Song, in the day in which the Lord delivered him out the hand of all his enemies, and out the hand of Saul: and he said: I will love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rocke, and my fortresse, and he that deliuereth me, my God and my strength: in him will I trust, my shield, the horne also of my saluation, and my refuge.
The Lord is my firm support, and my refuge, and my deliverer; my God is my helper, I will hope in him; [he is] my defender, and the horn of my salvation, and my helper.
3 I will call vpon the Lord, which is worthie to be praysed: so shall I be safe from mine enemies.
I will call upon the Lord with praises, and I shall be saved from mine enemies.
4 The sorowes of death compassed me, and the floods of wickednes made me afraide.
The pangs of death compassed me, and the torrents of ungodliness troubled me exceedingly.
5 The sorowes of the graue haue compassed me about: the snares of death ouertooke me. (Sheol h7585)
The pangs of hell came round about me: the snares of death prevented me. (Sheol h7585)
6 But in my trouble did I call vpon the Lord, and cryed vnto my God: he heard my voyce out of his Temple, and my crye did come before him, euen into his eares.
And when I was afflicted I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: he heard my voice out of this holy temple, and my cry shall enter before him, [even] into his ears.
7 Then the earth trembled, and quaked: the foundations also of the mountaines mooued and shooke, because he was angrie.
Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains were disturbed, and were shaken, because God was angry with them.
8 Smoke went out at his nostrels, and a consuming fire out of his mouth: coales were kindled thereat.
There went up a smoke in his wrath, and fire burst into a flame at his presence: coals were kindled at it.
9 He bowed the heauens also and came downe, and darkenes was vnder his feete.
And he bowed the heaven, and came down: and thick darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode vpon Cherub and did flie, and he came flying vpon the wings of the winde.
And he mounted on cherubs and flew: he flew on the wings of winds.
11 He made darkenes his secrete place, and his pauilion round about him, euen darkenesse of waters, and cloudes of the ayre.
And he made darkness his secret place: round about him was his tabernacle, [even] dark water in the clouds of the air.
12 At the brightnes of his presence his clouds passed, haylestones and coles of fire.
At the brightness before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire.
13 The Lord also thundred in the heauen, and the Highest gaue his voyce, haylestones and coales of fire.
The Lord also thundered from heaven, and the Highest uttered his voice.
14 Then hee sent out his arrowes and scattred them, and he increased lightnings and destroyed them.
And he sent forth [his] weapons, and scattered them; and multiplied lightnings, and routed them.
15 And the chanels of waters were seene, and the foundations of the worlde were discouered at thy rebuking, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath of thy nostrels.
And the springs of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath of your wrath.
16 He hath sent downe from aboue and taken mee: hee hath drawen mee out of many waters.
He sent from on high and took me, he drew me to himself out of many waters.
17 He hath deliuered mee from my strong enemie, and from them which hate me: for they were too strong for me.
He will deliver me from my mighty enemies, and from them that hate me; for they are stronger than I.
18 They preuented me in the day of my calamitie: but the Lord was my stay.
They prevented me in the day of mine affliction: but the Lord was my stay against [them].
19 Hee brought mee foorth also into a large place: hee deliuered mee because hee fauoured me.
And he brought me out into a wide place: he will deliver me, because he has pleasure in me.
20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnes: according to the purenes of mine hands he recompensed me:
And the Lord will recompense me according to my righteousness; even according to the purity of my hands will he recompense me.
21 Because I kept the wayes of the Lord, and did not wickedly against my God.
For I have kept the way of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his Lawes were before mee, and I did not cast away his commandements from mee.
For all his judgments were before me, and his ordinances departed not from me.
23 I was vpright also with him, and haue kept me from my wickednes.
And I shall be blameless with hem, and shall keep myself from mine iniquity.
24 Therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse, and according to the purenes of mine hands in his sight.
And the Lord shall recompense me according to my righteousness, and according to the purity of my hands before his eyes.
25 With the godly thou wilt shewe thy selfe godly: with the vpright man thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright.
With the holy you will be holy; and with the innocent man you will be innocent.
26 With the pure thou wilt shewe thy selfe pure, and with the froward thou wilt shewe thy selfe froward.
And with the excellent [man] you will be excellent; and with the perverse you will show frowardness.
27 Thus thou wilt saue the poore people, and wilt cast downe the proude lookes.
For you will save the lowly people, and will humble the eyes of the proud.
28 Surely thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God wil lighten my darkenes.
For you, O Lord, will light my lamp: my God, you will lighten my darkness.
29 For by thee I haue broken through an hoste, and by my God I haue leaped ouer a wall.
For by you shall I be delivered from a troop; and by my God I will pass over a wall.
30 The way of God is vncorrupt: the worde of the Lord is tried in the fire: he is a shield to all that trust in him.
[As for] my God, his way is perfect: the oracles of the Lord are tried in the fire; he is a protector of all them that hope in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord? and who is mightie saue our God?
For who is God but the Lord? and who is a God except our God?
32 God girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way vpright.
[It is] God that girds me with strength, and has made my way blameless:
33 He maketh my feete like hindes feete, and setteth me vpon mine high places.
who strengthens my feet as hart's feet, and sets me upon high places.
34 He teacheth mine hands to fight: so that a bowe of brasse is broken with mine armes.
He instructs my hands for war: and you have made my arms [as] a brazen bow.
35 Thou hast also giuen me the shield of thy saluation, and thy right hand hath stayed me, and thy louing kindenes hath caused me to increase.
And you have made me secure in my salvation: and your right hand has helped me, and your correction has upheld me to the end; yes, your correction itself shall instruct me.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps vnder mee, and mine heeles haue not slid.
You has made room for my goings under me, and by footsteps did not fail.
37 I haue pursued mine enemies, and taken them, and haue not turned againe till I had consumed them.
I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them; and I will not turn back until they are consumed.
38 I haue wounded them, that they were not able to rise: they are fallen vnder my feete.
I will dash them to pieces and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet.
39 For thou hast girded me with strength to battell: them, that rose against me, thou hast subdued vnder me.
For you have girded me with strength for war: you have beaten down under me all that rose up against me.
40 And thou hast giuen me the neckes of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
And you has made mine enemies turn their backs before me; and you have destroyed them that hated me.
41 They cryed but there was none to saue them, euen vnto the Lord, but hee answered them not.
They cried, but there was no deliverer: [even] to the Lord, but he listened not to them.
42 Then I did beate them small as the dust before the winde: I did treade them flat as the clay in the streetes.
I will grind them as the mud of the streets: and I will beat them small as dust before the wind.
43 Thou hast deliuered me from the contentions of the people: thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people, whom I haue not knowen, shall serue me.
Deliver me from the gain sayings of the people: you shall make me head of the Gentiles: a people whom I knew not served me,
44 As soone as they heare, they shall obey me: the strangers shall be in subiection to me.
at the hearing of the ear they obeyed me: the strange children lied to me.
45 Strangers shall shrinke away, and feare in their priuie chambers.
The strange children waxed old, and fell away from their paths through lameness.
46 Let the Lord liue, and blessed be my strength, and the God of my saluation be exalted.
The Lord lives; and blessed [be] my God; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 It is God that giueth me power to auenge me, and subdueth the people vnder me.
[It is] God that avenges me, and has subdued the nations under me;
48 O my deliuerer from mine enemies, euen thou hast set mee vp from them, that rose against me: thou hast deliuered mee from the cruell man.
my deliverer from angry enemies: you shall set me on high above them that rise up against me: you shall deliver me from the unrighteous man.
49 Therefore I will prayse thee, O Lord, among the nations, and wil sing vnto thy Name.
Therefore will I confess to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.
50 Great deliuerances giueth hee vnto his King, and sheweth mercie to his anoynted, euen to Dauid, and to his seede for euer.
[God] magnifies the deliverances of his king; and deals mercifully with David his anointed, and his seed, for ever.

< Psalms 18 >