Psalms 18 / 150
- 1I love you, O LORD , my strength.
- 2The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
- 3I call to the LORD , who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.
- 4The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
- 5The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
- 6In my distress I called to the LORD ; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.
- 7The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.
- 8Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.
- 9He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.
- 10He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
- 11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him- the dark rain clouds of the sky.
- 12Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
- 13The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
- 14He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies , great bolts of lightning and routed them.
- 15The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD , at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
- 16He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.
- 17He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.
- 18They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.
- 19He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
- 20The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
- 21For I have kept the ways of the LORD ; I have not done evil by turning from my God.
- 22All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.
- 23I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.
- 24The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
- 25To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
- 26to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
- 27You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
- 28You, O LORD , keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
- 29With your help I can advance against a troop ; with my God I can scale a wall.
- 30As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
- 31For who is God besides the LORD ? And who is the Rock except our God?
- 32It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
- 33He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.
- 34He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
- 35You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.
- 36You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.
- 37I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
- 38I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
- 39You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet.
- 40You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
- 41They cried for help, but there was no one to save them- to the LORD , but he did not answer.
- 42I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.
- 43You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations; people I did not know are subject to me.
- 44As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cringe before me.
- 45They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
- 46The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!
- 47He is the God who avenges me, who subdues nations under me,
- 48who saves me from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me.
- 49Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD ; I will sing praises to your name.
- 50He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.