Psalms 18
1I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. 1
2The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; 1 My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; 1 My buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 1
3I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: 1 So shall I be saved from mine enemies. 1
4The sorrows of death compassed me, 1 And the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 1
5The sorrows of hell compassed me about: 1 The snares of death prevented me. 1
6In my distress I called upon the Lord, 1 And cried unto my God: 1 He heard my voice out of his temple, 1 And my cry came before him, even into his ears. 1
7Then the earth shook and trembled; 1 The foundations also of the hills moved 1 And were shaken, because he was wroth. 1
8There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, 1 And fire out of his mouth devoured: 1 Coals were kindled by it. 1
9He bowed the heavens also, and came down: 1 And darkness was under his feet. 1
10And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: 1 Yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. 1
11He made darkness his secret place; 1 His pavilion round about him 1 Were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. 1
12At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, 1 Hail- stones and coals of fire. 1
13The Lord also thundered in the heavens, 1 And the Highest gave his voice; 1 Hail- stones and coals of fire. 1
14Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; 1 And he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. 1
15Then the channels of waters were seen, 1 And the foundations of the world were discovered 1 At thy rebuke, O Lord, 1 At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. 1
16He sent from above, he took me, 1 He drew me out of many waters. 1
17He delivered me from my strong enemy, 1 And from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. 1
18They prevented me in the day of my calamity: 1 But the Lord was my stay. 1
19He brought me forth also into a large place; 1 He delivered me, because he delighted in me. 1
20The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; 1 According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 1
21For I have kept the ways of the Lord, 1 And have not wickedly departed from my God. 1
22For all his judgments were before me, 1 And I did not put away his statutes from me. 1
23I was also upright before him, 1 And I kept myself from mine iniquity. 1
24Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, 1 According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. 1
25With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; 1 With an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; 1
26With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; 1 And with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. 1
27For thou wilt save the afflicted people; 1 But wilt bring down high looks. 1
28For thou wilt light my candle: 1 The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. 1
29For by thee I have run through a troop; 1 And by my God have I leaped over a wall. 1
30As for God, his way is perfect: 1 The word of the Lord is tried: 1 He is a buckler to all those that trust in him. 1
31For who is God save the Lord? 1 Or who is a rock save our God? 1
32It is God that girdeth me with strength, 1 And maketh my way perfect. 1
33He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, 1 And setteth me upon my high places. 1
34He teacheth my hands to war, 1 So that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. 1
35Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: 1 And thy right hand hath holden me up, 1 And thy gentleness hath made me great. 1
36Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, 1 That my feet did not slip. 1
37I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: 1 Neither did I turn again till they were consumed. 1
38I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: 1 They are fallen under my feet. 1
39For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: 1 Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. 1
40Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; 1 That I might destroy them that hate me. 1
41They cried, but there was none to save them: 1 Even unto the Lord, but he answered them not. 1
42Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: 1 I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets. 1
43Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; 1 And thou hast made me the head of the heathen: 1 A people whom I have not known shall serve me. 1
44As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: 1 The strangers shall submit themselves unto me. 1
45The strangers shall fade away, 1 And be afraid out of their close places. 1
46The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; 1 And let the God of my salvation be exalted. 1
47It is God that avengeth me, 1 And subdueth the people under me. 1
48He delivereth me from mine enemies: 1 Yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: 1 Thou hast delivered me from the violent man. 1
49Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, 1 And sing praises unto thy name. 1
50Great deliverance giveth he to his king; 1 And sheweth mercy to his anointed, 1 To David, and to his seed for evermore.