Berean Standard Bible

Psalms 18

(2 Samuel 22:1–51)

1I love YouH7355, O LORDH3068, my strengthH2391.

2The LORDH3068 is my rockH5553, my fortressH4686, and my delivererH6403.My GodH410 is my rockH6697, in whom I take refugeH2620,my shieldH4043, and the hornH7161 of my salvationH3468,my strongholdH4869.3I will call uponH7121 the LORDH3068, who is worthy to be praisedH1984;so shall I be savedH3467 fromH4480 my enemiesH341.

4The cordsH2256 of deathH4194 encompassed meH661;the torrentsH5158 of chaosH1100 overwhelmed meH1204.5The cordsH2256 of SheolH7585 entangled meH5437;the snaresH4170 of deathH4194 confronted meH6923.6In my distressH6862 I calledH7121 upon the LORDH3068;I cried toH413 my GodH430 for helpH7768.From His templeH1964 He heardH8085 my voiceH6963,and my cry for His helpH7775 H6440 reachedH935 His earsH241.

7Then the earthH776 shookH1607 and quakedH7493,and the foundationsH4144 of the mountainsH2022 trembledH7264;they were shakenH1607 becauseH3588 He burned with angerH2734.8SmokeH6227 roseH5927 from His nostrilsH639,and consumingH398 fireH784 came fromH4480 His mouthH6310;glowing coalsH1513 blazed forthH1197.9He partedH5186 the heavensH8064 and came downH3381with dark cloudsH6205 beneathH8478 His feetH7272.10He mountedH7392 H5921 a cherubH3742 and flewH5774;He soaredH1675 onH5921 the wingsH3671 of the windH7307.11He madeH7896 darknessH2822 His hiding placeH5643,and stormH4325 cloudsH5645 a canopyH5521 H2824 around HimH5439.12From the brightnessH5051 of His presenceH5048His cloudsH5645 advancedH5674—hailstonesH1259 and coalsH1513 of fireH784.1

13The LORDH3068 thunderedH7481 from heavenH8064;the voiceH6963 of the Most HighH5945 resoundedH5414—hailstonesH1259 and coalsH1513 of fireH784.214He shotH7971 His arrowsH2671 and scatteredH6327 the foes;He hurledH7232 lightningH1300 and routed themH2000.15The channelsH650 of the seaH4325 appearedH7200,and the foundationsH4146 of the worldH8398 were exposedH1540,at Your rebukeH1606, O LORDH3068,at the blastH5397 of the breathH7307 of Your nostrilsH639.

16He reached downH7971 from on highH4791 and took hold of meH3947;He drew meH4871 out of deepH7227 watersH4325.17He rescued meH5337 from my powerfulH5794 enemyH341,from foesH8130 too mightyH553 for meH4480.18They confronted meH6923 in my dayH3117 of calamityH343,but the LORDH3068 wasH1961 my supportH4937.19He brought me outH3318 into the openH4800;He rescued meH2502 becauseH3588 He delightedH2654 in me.

20The LORDH3068 has rewarded meH1580 according to my righteousnessH6664;He has repaid meH7725 according to the cleannessH1252 of my handsH3027.21ForH3588 I have keptH8104 the waysH1870 of the LORDH3068and have notH3808 wickedly departedH7561 from my GodH430.22ForH3588 allH3605 His ordinancesH4941 are before meH5048;I have notH3808 disregardedH5493 H4480 His statutesH2708.23And IH1961 have been blamelessH8549 before HimH5973and kept myselfH8104 from iniquityH5771.24So the LORDH3068 has repaidH7725 me according to my righteousnessH6664,according to the cleannessH1252 of my handsH3027 inH5048 His sightH5869.

25ToH5973 the faithfulH2623 You show Yourself faithfulH2616,toH5973 H1397 the blamelessH8549 You show Yourself blamelessH8552;26toH5973 the pureH1305 You show Yourself pureH1305,but toH5973 the crookedH6141 You show Yourself shrewdH6617.27ForH3588 YouH859 saveH3467 an afflictedH6041 peopleH5971,but You humbleH8213 those with haughtyH7311 eyesH5869.

28ForH3588 YouH859, O LORDH3068, lightH215 my lampH5216;my GodH430 lights upH5050 my darknessH2822.29ForH3588 in You I can chargeH7323 an armyH1416,and with my GodH430 I can scaleH1801 a wallH7791.30As for GodH410, His wayH1870 is perfectH8549;the wordH565 of the LORDH3068 is flawlessH6884.HeH1931 is a shieldH4043 to allH3605 who take refugeH2620 in Him.

31ForH3588 whoH4310 is GodH433 besidesH1107 the LORDH3068?And whoH4310 is the RockH6697 exceptH2108 our GodH430?32It is GodH410 who arms meH247 with strengthH2428and makesH5414 my wayH1870 clearH8549.33He makesH7737 my feetH7272 like those of a deerH355and stations meH5975 uponH5921 the heightsH1116.34He trainsH3925 my handsH3027 for battleH4421;my armsH2220 can bendH5181 a bowH7198 of bronzeH5154.

35You have givenH5414 me Your shieldH4043 of salvationH3468;Your right handH3225 upholds meH5582,and Your gentlenessH6037 exalts meH7235.336You broadenH7337 the pathH6806 beneath meH8478so that my anklesH7166 do notH3808 give wayH4571.37I pursuedH7291 my enemiesH341 and overtook themH5381;I did notH3808 turn backH7725 untilH5704 they were consumedH3615.38I crushed themH4272 so they could notH3808 H3201 riseH6965;they have fallenH5307 underH8478 my feetH7272.

39You have armed meH247 with strengthH2428 for battleH4421;You have subduedH3766 my foesH6965 beneath meH8478.40You have madeH5414 my enemiesH341 retreatH6203 before me;I destroyedH6789 those who hated meH8130.41They cried for helpH7768, but there was no oneH369 to save themH3467—toH5921 the LORDH3068, but He did notH3808 answerH6030.42I ground themH7833 as dustH6083 inH5921 the face ofH6440 the windH7307;I trampled themH7324 4 like mudH2916 in the streetsH2351.

43You have delivered meH6403 from the strifeH7379 of the peopleH5971;You have made meH7760 the headH7218 of nationsH1471;a peopleH5971 I had notH3808 knownH3045 shall serve meH5647.44When they hear meH8088 H241, they obeyH8085 me;foreignersH1121 H5236 cowerH3584 before me.45ForeignersH1121 H5236 lose heartH5034and come tremblingH2727 from their strongholdsH4526.

46The LORDH3068 livesH2416, and blessed beH1288 my RockH6697!And may the GodH430 of my salvationH3468 be exaltedH7311—47the GodH410 who avengesH5414 H5360 meand subduesH1696 nationsH5971 beneath meH8478,48who delivers meH6403 fromH4480 my enemiesH341 H637.You exalt meH7311 above my foesH6965;You rescue meH5337 from violentH2555 menH376.49ThereforeH5921 H3651 I will praise YouH3034, O LORDH3068, among the nationsH1471;I will sing praisesH2167 to Your nameH8034.5

50GreatH1431 salvationH3444 He brings to His kingH4428.He showsH6213 loving devotionH2617 to His anointedH4899,to DavidH1732 and his descendantsH2233 foreverH5704 H5769.

1. Psalms 18:12 Or bolts of lightning; also in verse 13 ↩
2. Psalms 18:13 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts and LXX do not include —hailstones and coals of fire; see 2 Samuel 22:14. ↩
3. Psalms 18:35 Or and Your help exalts me or and You stoop down to make me great ↩
4. Psalms 18:42 Some Hebrew manuscripts, LXX, and Syriac (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); MT I poured them out ↩
5. Psalms 18:49 Cited in Romans 15:9 ↩