Psalms 18:2-50

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

4The 9ropes of death encompassed me, And the 10torrents of 11destruction 12terrified me.5The 13ropes of 14Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.6In my 15distress I called upon the Lord, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice 16from His temple, And my 17cry for help before Him came into His ears.

7Then the 18earth shook and quaked; And the 19foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry.8Smoke went up 20out of His nostrils, And 21fire from His mouth was devouring; Coals burned from it.9He also 22bowed the heavens down low, and came down With thick 23darkness under His feet.10He rode on a 24cherub and flew; And He sped on the 25wings of the wind.11He made 26darkness His hiding place, 27His 28canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds.12From the 29brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and 30coals of fire.13The Lord also 31thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.14He 32sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and 33routed them.15Then the 34channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were exposed By Your 35rebuke, Lord, At the blast of the 36breath of Your nostrils.

16He 37sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of 38many waters.17He 39saved me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were 40too mighty for me.18They confronted me in 41the day of my disaster, But 42the Lord was my support.19He also brought me out into an 43open place; He rescued me, because 44He delighted in me.

20The Lord has 45rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the 46cleanness of my hands He has repaid me.21For I have 47kept the ways of the Lord, And have 48not acted wickedly against my God.22For all 49His judgments were before me, And I did not put away His 50statutes from me.23I was also 5152blameless with Him, And I 53kept myself from my wrongdoing.24Therefore the Lord has 54repaid me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

25With 55the faithful You show Yourself faithful; With the 56blameless 57You prove Yourself blameless;26With the pure You show Yourself 58pure, And with the crooked 59You show Yourself 60astute.27For You 61save an afflicted people, But You humiliate 62haughty eyes.28For You 63light my lamp; The Lord my God 64illumines my darkness.29For by You I can 65run at a 66troop of warriors; And by my God I can 67leap over a wall.

30As for God, His way is 6869blameless; The 70word of the Lord is refined; He is a 71shield to all who take refuge in Him.31For 72who is God, but the Lord? And who is a 73rock, except our God,32The God who 74encircles me with strength, And 75makes my way 7677blameless?33He 78makes my feet like deer’s feet, And 79sets me up on my high places.34He 80trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can 81bend a bow of bronze.35You have also given me 82the shield of Your salvation, And Your 83right hand upholds me; And 84Your 85gentleness makes me great.36You 86enlarge my steps under me, And my 8788feet have not slipped.

37I 89pursued my enemies and overtook them, And I did not turn back 90until they were consumed.38I shattered them, so that they were 91not able to rise; They fell 92under my feet.39For You have 93encircled me with strength for battle; You have forced those who rose up against me 94to bow down under me.40You have also made my enemies 95turn their backs to me, And I 9697destroyed those who hated me.41They cried for help, but there was 98no one to save, They cried to the Lord, but 99He did not answer them.42Then I beat them fine like the 100dust before the wind; I emptied them out like the mud of the streets.

43You have rescued me from the 101contentions of the people; You have placed me as 102head of the nations; A 103people whom I have not known serve me.44As soon as they hear, they obey me; Foreigners 104pretend to obey me.45Foreigners 105lose heart, And 106come trembling out of their 107fortresses.

46The Lord 108lives, and blessed be 109my rock; And exalted be 110the God of my salvation,47The God who 111executes vengeance for me, And 112subdues peoples under me.48He 113rescues me from my enemies; You indeed 114lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from a 115violent man.49Therefore I will 116give thanks to You among the nations, Lord, And I will 117sing praises to Your name.50He gives great 118119salvation to His king, And shows faithfulness to 120His anointed, To David and 121his 122descendants forever.