Psalm 18

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of 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; and he said:

1. I love You, O LORD, my strength.

2. The LORD is my Rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my Rock in Whom I take refuge; He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.

3. I will call on the LORD, Who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from my enemies.

4. The cords of death hemmed me in, and the floods of ungodliness assailed me.

5. The cords of the grave surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me.

6. In my distress I called on the LORD, and I cried 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; and the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken because He was angry.

8. Smoke went up out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoured; coals flamed forth from Him.

9. And He bowed the heavens and came down, and thick darkness was under His feet.

10. And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; yea, He soared upon the wings of the wind.

11. He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion around Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

12. At the brightness before Him, His dark clouds passed through with hailstones and coals of fire.

13. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave forth His voice with hailstones and coals of fire.

14. Yea, He sent out His arrows and scattered them; and He shot out lightnings and routed them.

15. Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at Your rebuke, O 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, and from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.

18. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my stay.

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

20. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has repaid 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, and I did not put away His statutes from me.

23. I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.

24. Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

25. With the merciful, You will show Yourself merciful; with an upright man You will show Yourself upright;

26. With the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the crooked You will show Yourself cunning;

27. For You will save the afflicted people, but the haughty eyes You will bring low;

28. For You will light my lamp; the LORD my God will make my darkness light;

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

30. As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the LORD is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in Him,

31. For who is God besides the LORD? Or, who is a Rock except our God?

32. The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect,

33. Who makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places.

34. He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35. You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; and Your right hand has held me up, and Your gentleness has made me great.

36. You have broadened the path beneath me, so that my ankles have not turned.

37. I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them; nor did I turn back until they were destroyed.

38. I have shattered them, and they cannot rise again; they have fallen under my feet,

39. For You have girded me with strength for 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 and I destroyed them who hated me.

41. They cried, but there was none to save—even unto the LORD, but He did not answer them.
42. Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I cast them out like the dirt in 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 sons of strangers cringe before me.

45. The sons of strangers fade away and come trembling out of their strongholds.

46. The LORD lives; and blessed be my Rock, and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

47. The God who avenges me and subdues the people under me,

48. He delivers me from my enemies; yea, You lift me up above those who rise up against me; You have delivered me from the violent man.

49. Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the nations, and sing praises to Your name,

50. He gives great deliverance to His king, and shows mercy to His anointed, to David and to his seed forevermore.