Psalms 18:2-50

2The Lord is 1my 2rock and 3my fortress and my 4deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My 5shield and the 6horn of my salvation, my 7stronghold.3I call upon the Lord, who is 8worthy to be praised, And I am 9saved from my enemies.

4The 10cords of death encompassed me, And the 11torrents of 12ungodliness 13terrified me.5The 14cords of 15Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.6In my 16distress I called upon the Lord, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice 17out of His temple, And my 18cry for help before Him came into His ears.

7Then the 19earth shook and quaked; And the 20foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry.8Smoke went up 21out of His nostrils, And 22fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.9He 23bowed the heavens also, and came down With thick 24darkness under His feet.10He rode upon a 25cherub and flew; And He sped upon the 26wings of the wind.11He made 27darkness His hiding place, 28His 29canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.12From the 30brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and 31coals of fire.13The Lord also 32thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.14He 33sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and 34routed them.15Then the 35channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were 36laid bare At Your 37rebuke, O Lord, At the blast of the 38breath of Your nostrils.

16He 39sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of 40many waters.17He 41delivered me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were 42too mighty for me.18They confronted me in 43the day of my calamity, But 44the Lord was my stay.19He brought me forth also into a 45broad place; He rescued me, because 46He delighted in me.

20The Lord has 47rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the 48cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.21For I have 49kept the ways of the Lord, And have 50not wickedly departed from my God.22For all 51His ordinances were before me, And I did not put away His 52statutes from me.23I was also 5354blameless with Him, And I 55kept myself from my iniquity.24Therefore the Lord has 56recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

25With 57the kind You show Yourself kind; With the 58blameless 59You show Yourself blameless;26With the pure You show Yourself 60pure, And with the crooked 61You show Yourself 62astute.27For You 63save an afflicted people, But 64haughty eyes You abase.28For You 65light my lamp; The Lord my God 66illumines my darkness.29For by You I can 6768run upon a troop; And by my God I can 69leap over a wall.

30As for God, His way is 7071blameless; The 72word of the Lord is tried; He is a 73shield to all who take refuge in Him.31For 74who is God, but the Lord? And who is a 75rock, except our God,32The God who 76girds me with strength And 77makes my way 7879blameless?33He 80makes my feet like hinds’ feet, And 81sets me upon my high places.34He 82trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can 83bend a bow of bronze.35You have also given me 84the shield of Your salvation, And Your 85right hand upholds me; And 86Your 87gentleness makes me great.36You 88enlarge my steps under me, And my 8990feet have not slipped.

37I 91pursued my enemies and overtook them, And I did not turn back 92until they were consumed.38I shattered them, so that they were 93not able to rise; They fell 94under my feet.39For You have 95girded me with strength for battle; You have 9697subdued under me those who rose up against me.40You have also made my enemies 98turn their backs to me, And I 99100destroyed those who hated me.41They cried for help, but there was 101none to save, Even to the Lord, but 102He did not answer them.42Then I beat them fine as the 103dust before the wind; I emptied them out as the mire of the streets.

43You have delivered me from the 104contentions of the people; You have placed me as 105head of the nations; A 106people whom I have not known serve me.44As soon as they hear, they obey me; Foreigners 107108submit to me.45Foreigners 109fade away, And 110come trembling out of their 111fortresses.

46The Lord 112lives, and blessed be 113my rock; And exalted be 114the God of my salvation,47The God who 115executes vengeance for me, And 116subdues peoples under me.48He 117delivers me from my enemies; Surely You 118lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the 119violent man.49Therefore I will 120give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord, And I will 121sing praises to Your name.50He gives great 122123deliverance to His king, And shows lovingkindness to 124His anointed, To David and 125his 126descendants forever.