Psalms 18

Psalm 18 ESV

David's psalm of thanksgiving for God's mighty deliverances and manifold blessings.
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, 1the servant of the Lord, 2who addressed the words of this 3song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my 1rock and my 2fortress and my deliverer, my God, my 3rock, in 4whom I take refuge, my 5shield, and 6the horn of my salvation, my 7stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is 1worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
4 1The cords of death encompassed me; 2the torrents of destruction assailed me;a
5 1the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
6 1In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his 2temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
7 Then the earth 1reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,a and devouring 1fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9 He 1bowed the heavens and 2came down; 3thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on 1the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his 1canopy around him, thick clouds 2dark with water.
12 Out of the brightness before him 1hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13 The Lord also 1thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his 2voice, hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his 1arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and 2routed them.
15 Then 1the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your 2rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of 3the breath of your nostrils.
16 He 1sent from on high, he took me; he 2drew me out of 3many waters.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were 1too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out into 1a broad place; he rescued me, because he 2delighted in me.
20 The Lord dealt with me 1according to my righteousness; according to 2the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21 For I have 1kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For 1all his rulesa were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23 I was 1blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt.
24 So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 With 1the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26 with the purified you show yourself pure; and with 1the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27 For you save 1a humble people, but 2the haughty eyes you bring down.
28 For it is you who light my 1lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
29 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can 1leap over 2a wall.
30 This God—his way is 1perfect;a the word of the Lord 2proves true; he is 3a shield for all those who 4take refuge in him.
31 For 1who is God, but the Lord? And who is 2a rock, except our God?—
32 the God who 1equipped me with strength and made my way 2blameless.
33 He made my feet like the feet of a 1deer and set me secure on 2the heights.
34 He 1trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand 1supported me, and your 2gentleness made me great.
36 You 1gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet.
39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40 You made my enemies 1turn their backs to me,a and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 1They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them fine as 1dust before the wind; I cast them out like 2the mire of the streets.
43 You delivered me from 1strife with the people; you made me 2the head of the nations; 3people whom I had not known served me.
44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; 1foreigners 2came cringing to me.
45 1Foreigners lost heart and 2came trembling out of their fortresses.
46 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47 the God who gave me vengeance and 1subdued peoples under me,
48 who rescued me from my enemies; yes, you 1exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from 2the man of violence.
49 1For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and 2sing to your name.
50 Great 1salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his 2anointed, to 3David and his offspring forever.
Psalms 18

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