PSALM 18
1For the lead player, for the LORD’s servant, for David, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day the LORD saved him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
2And he said:
I am impassioned of You, LORD, my strength!
3The LORD is my crag and my bastion,
and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I shelter,
my shield and the horn of my rescue, my fortress.
4Praised I called the LORD
and from my enemies I was rescued.
5The cords of death wrapped round me,
and the torrents of perdition dismayed me.
6The cords of Sheol encircled me,
the traps of death sprung upon me.
7In my strait I called to the LORD,
to my God I cried out.
8He heard from His palace my voice,
and my outcry before Him came to His ears.
9The earth heaved and shuddered,
the mountains’ foundations were shaken.
They heaved, for smoke rose from His nostrils,
and fire from His mouth consumed,
coals blazed up around Him.
10He tilted the heavens, came down, dense mist beneath His feet.
11He mounted a cherub and flew,
and He soared on the wings of the wind.
12He set darkness His hiding place round Him,
His abode water-massing, the clouds of the skies.
13From the brilliance before Him His clouds moved ahead—
14The LORD thundered from on high.
hail and fiery coals.
15He let loose His arrows, and scattered them,
lightning bolts shot, and He panicked them.
16The channels of water were exposed,
and the world’s foundations laid bare
from the LORD’s roaring,
from the blast of Your nostrils’ breath.
17He reached from on high and took me,
pulled me out of the many waters.
18He saved me from my daunting enemy
and from my foes who were stronger than I.
19They came at me on my day of disaster,
but the LORD became my support
20and brought me out to a wide-open space,
set me free, for His pleasure I was.
21The LORD dealt with me by my merit,
for my cleanness of hands He requited me.
22For I kept the ways of the LORD
and did no evil before my God.
23For all His laws were before me.
From His statutes I did not swerve.
24And I was blameless before Him,
and I kept myself from crime.
25And the LORD requited me for my merit,
by my cleanness of hands in His eyes.
26With the faithful You deal faithfully,
with a blameless man, act without blame.
27With the pure one, You deal purely,
with the perverse man, deal in twists.
28For it is You Who rescues the lowly folk
and haughty eyes You bring low.
29For You light up my lamp, O LORD,
my God illumines my darkness.
30For through You I rush at a barrier,
through my God I can vault a wall.
31The God, His way is blameless,
the LORD’s utterance unalloyed.
32For who is god except the LORD,
and who the Rock except our God?
33The God who girds me with might
and keeps my way blameless,
34makes my legs like a gazelle’s,
and stands me on the heights,
35trains my hands for combat,
makes my arms bend a bow of bronze.
36You gave me Your shield of rescue, Your right hand did sustain me,
and Your battle cry made me many.
37You lengthened my strides beneath me,
and my feet did not trip.
38I pursued my enemies, caught them,
turned not back till I wiped them out.
39I smashed them, they could not rise,
they fell beneath my feet.
40You girt me with might for combat.
You laid low my foes beneath me,
41and You made my enemies turn back before me,
my foes, I demolished them.
42They cried out—there was none to rescue,
to the LORD—He answered them not.
43I crushed them like dust in the wind,
like mud in the streets I ground them.
44You saved me from the strife of peoples,
You set me at nations’ head,
a people I knew not served me.
45At the mere ear’s report they obeyed me,
46Aliens did wither,
47The LORD lives and blessed is my Rock,
exalted the God of my rescue.
48The God who grants vengeance to me
and crushes peoples beneath me,
49frees me from my enemies,
yes, from those against me You raise me,
from a man of violence You save me.
50Therefore I acclaim You among nations, O LORD,
and to Your name I would hymn,
51making great the rescues of His king,
keeping faith with His anointed,
for David and his seed forever.