Psalms, 18

1. <To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto 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,> I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

1.

2. The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, [and] my high tower.

2. I love you, O Lord, my strength.

3. I will call upon the LORD, [who is worthy] to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

3. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer and my God. He is the rock in whom I take refuge. He is my shield, my powerful savior, my stronghold.

4. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

4. I call on the Lord, who is worthy of praise: he saves me from my enemies!

5. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.

5. A deadly flood surrounded me, devilish torrents rushed at me;

6. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, [even] into his ears.

6. caught by the cords of the grave, I was brought to the snares of death.

7. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

7. But I called upon the Lord in my distress, I cried to my God for help; and from his temple he heard my voice, my cry of grief reached his ears.

8. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

8. Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled at his fury.

9. He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness [was] under his feet.

9. Smoke rose from his nostrils, from his mouth a devouring fire throwing off live embers.

10. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

10. He bent the heavens and came down with dark clouds under his feet.

11. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him [were] dark waters [and] thick clouds of the skies.

11. He rode on a cherub and flew, borne on the swift wings of the wind.

12. At the brightness [that was] before him his thick clouds passed, hail [stones] and coals of fire.

12. Veiled with darkness surrounding him, he made misty rain clouds his tent.

13. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail [stones] and coals of fire.

13. Then from the brightness of his presence hail and fiery embers broke forth.

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

14. From heaven the Lord thundered; the voice of the Most High resounded.

15. Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

15. Sending out a hail of arrows, he scattered them; flashing forth bolts of lightning, he routed them.

16. He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

16. The beds of the seas appeared, the foundations of the world were laid bare at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of his breath.

17. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

17. Reaching down from above, he drew me out of the deep waters.

18. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

18. Too strong for me were my enemies, but he rescued me from my adversaries.

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

19. They launched their attack on an opportune day, but the Lord was my support.

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

20. He has set me out in the open, he saved me because he cares for me!

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

21. The Lord rewarded me for my justice, according to my righteousness.

22. For all his judgments [were] before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.

22. For I have been faithful to the Lord's way and have not departed from my God.

23. I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

23. All his ordinances are before me, I have always followed his statutes.

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

24. Before him I have done uprightly and kept myself from iniquity.

25. With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

25. The Lord treats me according to my merits, according to the cleanness of my hands.

26. With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

26. With the faithful you are faithful; with the blameless you are blameless;

27. For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.

27. with the pure you are pure but with the crooked you are astute.

28. For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

28. For you raise up the humble and bring down the arrogant.

29. For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

29. Lord, you give light to my lamp. O my God, you brighten my darkness.

30. [As for] God, his way [is] perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he [is] a buckler to all those that trust in him.

30. Yes, with you I charge the armed bands, and by my God I leap over the wall.

31. For who [is] God save the LORD? or who [is] a rock save our God?

31. This God - his way is perfect; the word of the Lord can stand fire. He is a shield for those who seek refuge in him.

32. [It is] God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

32. There is no other God but Yahweh. There is no other rock but our God.

33. He maketh my feet like hinds' [feet], and setteth me upon my high places.

33. He is the God who girds me with strength and prepares my ways.

34. He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

34. He makes my feet as swift as the deer's; he sets me securely on the heights.

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.

35. He trains my hands for war and my arms to bend the bronze-bow.

36. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

36. You give me your shield for protection, your right hand upholds me, and your help makes me great.

37. I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.

37. You enlarge the space before me, my step will not falter.

38. I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.

38. I pursue my enemies and overtake them, I do not turn back till I have destroyed them.

39. For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

39. Thrusting them through, I do not give them time to rise; they fall under my feet.

40. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.

40. You give me strength for the battle; you subdue my adversaries beneath me;

41. They cried, but [there was] none to save [them: even] unto the LORD, but he answered them not.

41. you put my enemies to flight and destroy those who hate me.

42. Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.

42. They cry for help, but no one comes. They cry to the Lord; he does not answer them.

43. Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; [and] thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people [whom] I have not known shall serve me.

43. I pulverize them as dust before the wind; like mud in the streets I trample them.

44. As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.

44. You delivered me from my people's quarrels and made me head over the nations. They came to serve me - people I have not known.

45. The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.

45. At the sound of my voice, they rose to obey, foreigners fawned before me.

46. The LORD liveth; and blessed [be] my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

46. Staggering out of their fortresses, they came to me cringing and trembling.

47. [It is] God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.

47. The Lord lives! Praised be my rock! Exalted be my savior God -

48. He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

48. the God who grants me vengeance and subdues the peoples for me.

49. Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.

49. He delivers me from my foes; he exalts me above my adversaries; he rescues me from violent people.

50. Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

50. For this I extol you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praise to your name, saying:

51.

51. "He has given victories to his king; he has shown his love to his anointed ones, to David, and to his descendants forever."