Psalms 18

The Lord Praised for Giving Deliverance.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, 2 Sam 22:1-51who 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, 1my strength.”2The Lord is 2my 3rock and 4my fortress and my 5deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My 6shield and the 7horn of my salvation, my 8stronghold.3I call upon the Lord, who is 9worthy to be praised, And I am 10saved from my enemies.

4The 11cords of death encompassed me, And the 12torrents of 13ungodliness 14terrified me.5The 15cords of 16Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.6In my 17distress I called upon the Lord, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice 18out of His temple, And my 19cry for help before Him came into His ears.

7Then the 20earth shook and quaked; And the 21foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry.8Smoke went up 22out of His nostrils, And 23fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.9He 24bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick 25darkness under His feet.10He rode upon a 26cherub and flew; And He sped upon the 27wings of the wind.11He made 28darkness His hiding place, 29His 30canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.12From the 31brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and 32coals of fire.13The Lord also 33thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.14He 34sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and 35routed them.15Then the 36channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were 37laid bare At Your 38rebuke, O Lord, At the blast of the 39breath of Your nostrils.

16He 40sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of 41many waters.17He 42delivered me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were 43too mighty for me.18They confronted me in 44the day of my calamity, But 45the Lord was my stay.19He brought me forth also into a 46broad place; He rescued me, because 47He delighted in me.

20The Lord has 48rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the 49cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.21For I have 50kept the ways of the Lord, And have 51not wickedly departed from my God.22For all 52His ordinances were before me, And I did not put away His 53statutes from me.23I was also 5455blameless with Him, And I 56kept myself from my iniquity.24Therefore the Lord has 57recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

25With 58the kind You show Yourself kind; With the 59blameless 60You show Yourself blameless;26With the pure You show Yourself 61pure, And with the crooked 62You show Yourself 63astute.27For You 64save an afflicted people, But 65haughty eyes You abase.28For You 66light my lamp; The Lord my God 67illumines my darkness.29For by You I can 6869run upon a troop; And by my God I can 70leap over a wall.

30As for God, His way is 7172blameless; The 73word of the Lord is tried; He is a 74shield to all who take refuge in Him.31For 75who is God, but the Lord? And who is a 76rock, except our God,32The God who 77girds me with strength And 78makes my way 7980blameless?33He 81makes my feet like hinds’ feet, And 82sets me upon my high places.34He 83trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can 84bend a bow of bronze.35You have also given me 85the shield of Your salvation, And Your 86right hand upholds me; And 87Your 88gentleness makes me great.36You 89enlarge my steps under me, And my 9091feet have not slipped.

37I 92pursued my enemies and overtook them, And I did not turn back 93until they were consumed.38I shattered them, so that they were 94not able to rise; They fell 95under my feet.39For You have 96girded me with strength for battle; You have 9798subdued under me those who rose up against me.40You have also made my enemies 99turn their backs to me, And I 100101destroyed those who hated me.41They cried for help, but there was 102none to save, Even to the Lord, but 103He did not answer them.42Then I beat them fine as the 104dust before the wind; I emptied them out as the mire of the streets.

43You have delivered me from the 105contentions of the people; You have placed me as 106head of the nations; A 107people whom I have not known serve me.44As soon as they hear, they obey me; Foreigners 108109submit to me.45Foreigners 110fade away, And 111come trembling out of their 112fortresses.

46The Lord 113lives, and blessed be 114my rock; And exalted be 115the God of my salvation,47The God who 116executes vengeance for me, And 117subdues peoples under me.48He 118delivers me from my enemies; Surely You 119lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the 120violent man.49Therefore I will 121give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord, And I will 122sing praises to Your name.50He gives great 123124deliverance to His king, And shows lovingkindness to 125His anointed, To David and 126his 127descendants forever.