Psalms

The first book of Psalms, song 18, New English Translation and King James Version

Psalm 18

New English Translation

For the music director; by the LORD's servant David, who sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD rescued him from the power of all his enemies, including Saul.

   1 He said: I love you, LORD, my source of strength!
   2 The LORD is my high ridge, my stronghold, my deliverer. My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter, my shield, the horn that saves me, and my refuge.
   3 I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I was delivered from my enemies.
   4 The waves of death engulfed me, the currents of chaos overwhelmed me.
   5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me, the snares of death trapped me.
   6 In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried out to my God. From his heavenly temple he heard my voice; he listened to my cry for help.
   7 The earth heaved and shook; the roots of the mountains trembled; they heaved because he was angry.
   8 Smoke ascended from his nose; fire devoured as it came from his mouth; he hurled down fiery coals.
   9 He made the sky sink as he descended; a thick cloud was under his feet.
   10 He mounted a winged angel and flew; he glided on the wings of the wind.
   11 He shrouded himself in darkness, in thick rain clouds.
   12 From the brightness in front of him came hail and fiery coals.
   13 The LORD thundered in the sky; the sovereign One shouted.
   14 He shot his arrows and scattered them, many lightning bolts and routed them.
   15 The depths of the sea were exposed; the inner regions of the world were uncovered by your battle cry, LORD, by the powerful breath from your nose.
   16 He reached down from above and took hold of me; he pulled me from the surging water.
   17 He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hate me, for they were too strong for me.
   18 They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD helped me.
   19 He brought me out into a wide open place; he delivered me because he was pleased with me.
   20 The LORD repaid me for my godly deeds; he rewarded my blameless behavior.
   21 For I have obeyed the LORD's commands; I have not rebelled against my God.
   22 For I am aware of all his regulations, and I do not reject his rules.
   23 I was innocent before him, and kept myself from sinning.
   24 The LORD rewarded me for my godly deeds; he took notice of my blameless behavior.
   25 You prove to be loyal to one who is faithful; you prove to be trustworthy to one who is innocent.
   26 You prove to be reliable to one who is blameless, but you prove to be deceptive to one who is perverse.
   27 For you deliver oppressed people, but you bring down those who have a proud look.
   28 Indeed, you are my lamp, LORD. My God illuminates the darkness around me.
   29 Indeed, with your help I can charge against an army; by my God's power I can jump over a wall.
   30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; the LORD's promise is reliable; he is a shield to all who take shelter in him.
   31 Indeed, who is God besides the LORD? Who is a protector besides our God?
   32 The one true God gives me strength; he removes the obstacles in my way.
   33 He gives me the agility of a deer; he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.
   34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend even the strongest bow.
   35 You give me your protective shield; your right hand supports me; your willingness to help enables me to prevail.
   36 You widen my path; my feet do not slip.
   37 I chase my enemies and catch them; I do not turn back until I wipe them out.
   38 I beat them to death; they fall at my feet.
   39 You give me strength for battle; you make my foes kneel before me.
   40 You make my enemies retreat; I destroy those who hate me.
   41 They cry out, but there is no one to help them; they cry out to the LORD, but he does not answer them.
   42 I grind them as fine windblown dust; I beat them underfoot like clay in the streets.
   43 You rescue me from a hostile army; you make me a leader of nations; people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects.
   44 When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. Foreigners are powerless before me;
   45 foreigners lose their courage; they shake with fear as they leave their strongholds.
   46 The LORD is alive! My protector is praiseworthy! The God who delivers me is exalted as king! 47 The one true God completely vindicates me; he makes nations submit to me.
   48 He delivers me from my enemies; you snatch me away from those who attack me; you rescue me from violent men.
   49 So I will give you thanks before the nations, O LORD! I will sing praises to you!
   50 He gives his chosen king magnificent victories; he is faithful to his chosen ruler, to David and his descendants forever."

King James Version

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,

   1 I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
   2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
   3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
   4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
   5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
   6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
   7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
   8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
   9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
   10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
   11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
   12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
   13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
   14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
   15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
   16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
   17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
   18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
   19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
   20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
   21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
   22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
   23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
   24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
   25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
   26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
   27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
   28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
   29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
   30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
   31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
   32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
   33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
   34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
   35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
   36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
   37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
   38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
   39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
   40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
   41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
   42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
   43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
   44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
   45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
   46 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
   47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
   48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
   49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
   50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.