Psalm 18
C.M. D
1I love You, O my Lord, my strength, my Rock and Fortress strong;
2My trust for my deliverance does to the Lord belong.
My God, my Rock, in whom I trust, a refuge unto me;
The horn of my salvation and my stronghold, shield, is He.
3I’ll call upon the Lord my God, who’s worthy of all praise,
And then from enemies I shall be saved through all my days.
4The cords of death entangled me, destruction o’er me swept;
5The grave coiled all around me, and in death’s snares I was kept.
6In my distress, I called the Lord; to God my words did fly.
He from His temple heard my voice; to His ears came my cry.
7The earth was frightened, and did quake, with trembling it was seized;
The hills’ foundations shook with fear, because He was displeased.
8Up from His nostrils came hot smoke, and from His mouth there came
devouring fire, and coals by it burned hot with blazing flame.
9He split the heavens and came down, from thence He did descend,
And thickest clouds of darkness did around His feet attend.
10Upon the cherubim He rode, upon them He did fly.
Yes, on the swift wings of the wind, His flight was from on high.
11The darkness was His covering: about Him, for His tent,
Dark waters were, and thickest clouds of the sky’s firmament.
12Out of the brightness of that light which from His presence came,
The clouds advanced, the hailstones and the bolts of lighted flame.
13The Lord God thundered from the sky, from heaven with great ire;
The voice of the Most High did come with hail and coals of fire.
14He shot His arrows far abroad, and scattered all the foes;
With lightning bolts He routed those who had the Lord opposed.
15The valleys of the sea were seen, the world’s foundations vast;
At Your rebuke, Lord, all laid bare before Your nostrils’ blast.
16Then from above, the Lord reached down, and took me from below;
He drew me forth from waters deep, which would me overflow.
17He rescued me from enemies, from foes who hated me;
Because He saw they were too strong; their pow’r too great for me.
18They did confront me in the day of my calamity,
But even then the Lord was there—a strong support to me.
19He brought me to a spacious place, and rescue to me brought;
Because He took delight in me, He my deliv’rance wrought.
20According to my righteousness, the Lord gave recompense;
He did reward according to my hands’ pure innocence.
21For I have kept the Lord God’s ways, and not lived wickedly;
22His laws are set before me; I don’t turn from His decrees.
23Sincere before Him is my heart; I have walked blamelessly
and watchfully I’ve kept myself from all iniquity.
24According to my righteousness, the Lord rewards aright;
According to the cleanness of my hands within His sight.
25You’re faithful to the faithful ones, to upright ones upright;
26Pure to the pure, but shrewd to those whose path turns from the light.
27For You will save the humble ones, who low in grief do lie;
But You bring low the arrogant who have a haughty eye.
28For You, Lord, light my lamp so that it burns and shines so bright;
And You, my God, will also turn my darkness into light.
29With Your help, I run through a troop, advance against them all;
And by my God assisting me, I leap and scale a wall.
30As for my God, His way is right; His word is true and tried.
He is a refuge to all those who do in Him confide.
31For who is God besides the Lord? Who is a rock and stay?
32’Tis God who girds me with His strength, and perfect makes my way.
33He makes my feet swift as the deer; on heights helps me to stand.
34My arms can bend a bow of bronze; for war, He trains my hand.
35You’ve given me salvation’s shield, for vic-to-ry I wait;
Your right hand holds me up and You stoop down to make me great.
36You gave a broad place for my steps, a wide path under me,
So that my footsteps would not slip—my feet can walk safely.
37My enemies I did pursue and overtook them all,
Nor did I turn back till they were consumed and they did fall.
38I crushed them so they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
39You armed me with Your strength for war; my foes You did defeat.
40You made my enemy turn back—my foe before me flies;
So I destroyed all of my foes who did against me rise.
41They cried for help, but there was none that would or could them save.
Yes, they did cry unto the Lord, but He no answer gave.
42Then I did beat them fine as dust before the wind that flies,
And I did cast them out like dirt upon the street that lies.
43You saved me from attack, and You o’er nations have placed me;
A people whom I have not known are subject now to me.
44When they hear me, they will obey, and foreigners submit;
45They all lose heart, and trembling come from strongholds where they sit.
46The Lord God lives, bless’d be my Rock; exalted be my God!
47He does avenge me, and subdues the nations far abroad.
48He saves me from my enemies—yes, You have lifted me
above my foes; and from the men of vio-lence set me free.
49Therefore, to You I will give thanks ’mid nations great and small.
I will sing praises to Your name, O Lord, the King of all.
50He gives deliv’rance to His king; His mercy does extend
to David, His anointed, and descendants without end.