Psalm 18

¹I love thee, O LORD, my strength.

²The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strong rock, in him will I trust; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.

³I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

⁴The cords of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

⁵The cords of Sheol were round about me: the snares of death came on me.

⁶In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry before him came into his ears.

⁷Then the earth shook and trembled, me foundations also of the mountains moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

⁸There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

⁹He bowed the heavens also, and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.

¹⁰And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly, yea, he flew swiftly upon the wings of the wind.

¹¹He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion round about him; darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

¹²At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire.

¹³The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice; hailstones and coals of fire.

¹⁴And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.

¹⁵Then the channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare, at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

¹⁶He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.

¹⁷He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

¹⁸They came upon me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

¹⁹He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

²⁰The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

²¹For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

²²For all his judgments were before me, and I put not away his statutes from me.

²³I was also perfect with him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

²⁴Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

²⁵With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with the perfect man thou wilt shew thyself perfect;

²⁶With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt shew thyself froward.

²⁷For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down.

²⁸For thou wilt light my lamp: the LORD my God will lighten my darkness.

²⁹For by thee I run upon a troop; and by my God do I leap over a wall.

³⁰As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried; he is a shield unto all them that trust in him.

³¹For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, beside our God?

³²The God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

³³He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places,

³⁴He teacheth my hands to war; so that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.

³⁵Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

³⁶Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped.

³⁷I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them: neither will I turn again till they are consumed.

³⁸I will smite them through that they shall not be able to rise: they shall fall under my feet.

³⁹For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

⁴⁰Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, that I might cut off them that hate me.

⁴¹They cried, but there was none to save: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.

⁴²Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.

⁴³Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; thou hast made me the head of the nations: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.

⁴⁴As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.

⁴⁵The strangers shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their close places.

⁴⁶The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation:

⁴⁷Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, and subdueth peoples under me.

⁴⁸He rescueth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me: thou deliverest me from the violent man.

⁴⁹Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises unto thy name.

⁵⁰Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth lovingkindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore.