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Psalm 18[a]

For the choir director; by David, the servant of Yahweh. He sang this song to Yahweh when Yahweh rescued him from all his enemies, especially from Saul. He said,

I love you, O Yahweh, my strength.
Yahweh is my rock and my Metsuda and my Savior,
    my El, my rock in whom I take refuge,
        my Magen, and the strength of my salvation,
            my stronghold.
Yahweh should be praised.
    I called on him, and I was saved from my enemies.

The ropes of death had become tangled around me.
    The torrents of destruction had overwhelmed me.
        The ropes of the grave had surrounded me.
            The clutches of death had confronted me.

I called on Yahweh in my distress.
    I cried to my Elohim for help.
        He heard my voice from his temple,
            and my cry for help reached his ears.

Then the earth shook and quaked.
    Even the foundations of the mountains trembled.
        They shook violently because he was angry.
Smoke went up from his nostrils,
    and a raging fire came out of his mouth.
        Glowing coals flared up from it.
He spread apart the heavens
    and came down with a dark cloud under his feet.
10 He rode on one of the angels[b] as he flew,
    and he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made the darkness his hiding place,
    the dark rain clouds his covering.
12 Out of the brightness in front of him,
    those rain clouds passed by with hailstones and lightning.
13 Yahweh thundered in the heavens.
    Elyon made his voice heard with hailstones and lightning.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them.
    He flashed streaks of lightning and threw them into confusion.
15 Then the ocean floor could be seen.
    The foundations of the earth were laid bare
        at your stern warning, O Yahweh,
        at the blast of the breath from your nostrils.

16 He reached down from high above and took hold of me.
    He pulled me out of the raging water.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
        because they were too strong for me.
18 On the day when I faced disaster, they confronted me,
    but Yahweh came to my defense.
19 He brought me out to a wide-open place.
    He rescued me because he was pleased with me.

20 Yahweh rewarded me
    because of my righteousness,
    because my hands are clean.
    He paid me back
21 because I have kept the ways of Yahweh
    and I have not wickedly turned away from my Elohim,
22 because all his judgments are in front of me
    and I have not turned away from his laws.
23 I was innocent as far as he was concerned.
    I have kept myself from guilt.
24 Yahweh paid me back
    because of my righteousness,
    because he can see that my hands are clean.

25 In dealing with faithful people you are faithful,
    with innocent people you are innocent,
26 with pure people you are pure.
    In dealing with devious people you are clever.

27 You save humble people,
    but you bring down a conceited look.
28 O Yahweh, you light my lamp.
    My Elohim turns my darkness into light.
29 With you I can attack a line of soldiers.
    With my Elohim I can break through barricades.

30 El’s way is perfect!
    The promise of Yahweh has proven to be true.
        He is a Magen to all those who take refuge in him.
31 Who is Eloah but Yahweh?
    Who is a rock except our Elohim?
32 El arms me with strength
    and makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like those of a deer
    and gives me sure footing on high places.
34 He trains my hands for battle
    so that my arms can bend an archer’s bow of bronze.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation.
    Your right hand supports me.
    Your gentleness makes me great.
36 You make a wide path for me to walk on
    so that my feet do not slip.
37 I chased my enemies and caught up with them.
    I did not return until I had ended their lives.
38 I wounded them so badly that they were unable to get up.
    They fell under my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle.
    You made my opponents bow at my feet.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
    and I destroyed those who hated me.
41 They cried out for help, but there was no one to save them.
    They cried out to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
42 I beat them into a powder as fine as the dust blown by the wind.
    I threw them out as though they were dirt on the streets.
43 You rescued me from my conflicts with the people.
    You made me the leader of nations.
    A people I did not know will serve me:
44 As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.
    Foreigners will cringe in front of me.
45 Foreigners will lose heart,
    and they will tremble when they come out of their fortifications.

46 Yahweh lives!
    Thanks be to my rock!
        May Elohim my Savior be honored.
47 El gives me vengeance!
    He brings people under my authority.
48 He saves me from my enemies.
    You lift me up above my opponents.
        You rescue me from violent people.
49 That is why I will give thanks to you, O Yahweh, among the nations
    and make music to praise your name.
50 He gives great victories to his king.
    He shows mercy to his anointed,
    to David, and to his descendant[c] forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 18:1 Psalm 18 is virtually identical in wording to 2 Samuel 22.
  2. Psalm 18:10 Or “cherubim.”
  3. Psalm 18:50 Or “to his descendants.”

Psalm 18[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

I love you, Lord, my strength.(B)

The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(F)
    my shield[b](G) and the horn[c] of my salvation,(H) my stronghold.

I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(I)
    and I have been saved from my enemies.(J)
The cords of death(K) entangled me;
    the torrents(L) of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death(M) confronted me.

In my distress(N) I called to the Lord;(O)
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;(P)
    my cry came(Q) before him, into his ears.
The earth trembled(R) and quaked,(S)
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;(T)
    they trembled because he was angry.(U)
Smoke rose from his nostrils;(V)
    consuming fire(W) came from his mouth,
    burning coals(X) blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;(Y)
    dark clouds(Z) were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim(AA) and flew;
    he soared(AB) on the wings of the wind.(AC)
11 He made darkness his covering,(AD) his canopy(AE) around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence(AF) clouds advanced,
    with hailstones(AG) and bolts of lightning.(AH)
13 The Lord thundered(AI) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.[d]
14 He shot his arrows(AJ) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning(AK) he routed them.(AL)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations(AM) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,(AN) Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.(AO)

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.(AP)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,(AQ)
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.(AR)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,(AS)
    but the Lord was my support.(AT)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;(AU)
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.(AV)

20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(AW)
    according to the cleanness of my hands(AX) he has rewarded me.(AY)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;(AZ)
    I am not guilty of turning(BA) from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;(BB)
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless(BC) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(BD)
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25 To the faithful(BE) you show yourself faithful,(BF)
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure(BG) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(BH)
27 You save the humble(BI)
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.(BJ)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp(BK) burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.(BL)
29 With your help(BM) I can advance against a troop[e];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect:(BN)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;(BO)
    he shields(BP) all who take refuge(BQ) in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(BR)
    And who is the Rock(BS) except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength(BT)
    and keeps my way secure.(BU)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(BV)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.(BW)
34 He trains my hands for battle;(BX)
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains(BY) me;
    your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path(BZ) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.(CA)

37 I pursued my enemies(CB) and overtook them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them(CC) so that they could not rise;(CD)
    they fell beneath my feet.(CE)
39 You armed me with strength(CF) for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries(CG) before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs(CH) in flight,
    and I destroyed(CI) my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them(CJ)
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.(CK)
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;(CL)
    I trampled them[f] like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
    you have made me the head of nations.(CM)
People I did not know(CN) now serve me,
44     foreigners(CO) cower before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;(CP)
    they come trembling(CQ) from their strongholds.(CR)

46 The Lord lives!(CS) Praise be to my Rock!(CT)
    Exalted be God(CU) my Savior!(CV)
47 He is the God who avenges(CW) me,
    who subdues nations(CX) under me,
48     who saves(CY) me from my enemies.(CZ)
You exalted me above my foes;
    from a violent man(DA) you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;(DB)
    I will sing(DC) the praises of your name.(DD)

50 He gives his king great victories;
    he shows unfailing love to his anointed,(DE)
    to David(DF) and to his descendants forever.(DG)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
  2. Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
  3. Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  4. Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning
  5. Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade
  6. Psalm 18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out