Psalm 18  Legacy Standard Bible

⁴ The ^(J)cords of death encompassed me,
And the ^(K)torrents of vileness ^[c]terrified me.
⁵ The ^(L)cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
⁶ In my ^(M)distress I called upon Yahweh,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice ^(N)out of His temple,
And my ^(O)cry for help before Him came into His ears.

⁷ Then the ^(P)earth shook and quaked;
And the ^(Q)foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
⁸ Smoke went up ^[d]out of His nostrils,
And ^(R)fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.
⁹ He ^(S)bowed the heavens and came down
With thick ^(T)darkness under His feet.
¹⁰ He rode upon a ^(U)cherub and flew;
And He sped upon the ^(V)wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made ^(W)darkness His hiding place, ^(X)His ^[e]canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
¹² From the ^(Y)brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and ^(Z)coals of fire.
¹³ Yahweh also ^(AA)thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High gave forth His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
¹⁴ He ^(AB)sent out His arrows, and scattered them,
And lightning flashes in abundance, and ^[f]threw them into confusion.
¹⁵ Then the ^(AC)channels of water appeared,
And the foundations of the world were ^[g]laid bare
At Your ^(AD)rebuke, O Yahweh,
At the blast of the ^(AE)breath of Your nostrils.

¹⁶ He ^(AF)sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of ^(AG)many waters.
¹⁷ He ^(AH)delivered me from my strong enemy,
And from those who hated me, for they were ^(AI)too mighty for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in ^(AJ)the day of my disaster,
But ^(AK)Yahweh was my support.
¹⁹ He brought me forth also into a ^(AL)broad place;
He rescued me, because ^(AM)He delighted in me.

²⁰ Yahweh has ^(AN)rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the ^(AO)cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
²¹ For I have ^(AP)kept the ways of Yahweh,
And have ^(AQ)not wickedly departed from my God.
²² For all ^(AR)His judgments were before me,
And I did not put away His ^(AS)statutes from me.
²³ I was also ^[h](AT)blameless with Him,
And I ^(AU)kept myself from my iniquity.
²⁴ Therefore Yahweh has ^(AV)recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands before His eyes.

²⁵ With ^(AW)the ^[i]kind You show Yourself kind;
With the blameless ^(AX)You show Yourself blameless;
²⁶ With the pure You show Yourself ^(AY)pure,
And with the crooked ^(AZ)You show Yourself ^[j]astute.
²⁷ For You ^(BA)save an afflicted people,
But ^(BB)eyes which are lifted up, You bring down.
²⁸ For You ^(BC)light my lamp;
Yahweh my God ^(BD)illumines my darkness.
²⁹ For by You I can ^[k](BE)run upon a troop;
And by my God I can ^(BF)leap over a wall.

³⁰ As for God, His way is ^[l](BG)blameless;
The ^(BH)word of Yahweh is ^[m]tried;
He is a ^(BI)shield to all who take refuge in Him.
³¹ For ^(BJ)who is God, but Yahweh?
And who is a ^(BK)rock, except our God,
³² The God who ^(BL)girds me with strength
And ^[n]makes my way ^[o](BM)blameless?
³³ He ^(BN)makes my feet like hinds’ feet,
And ^(BO)sets me upon my high places.
³⁴ He ^(BP)trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can ^(BQ)bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵ You have also given me ^(BR)the shield of Your salvation,
And Your ^(BS)right hand upholds me;
And ^(BT)Your ^[p]gentleness makes me great.
³⁶ You ^(BU)enlarge my steps under me,
And my ^(BV)ankles have not given way.

³⁷ I ^(BW)pursued my enemies and overtook them,
And I did not turn back ^(BX)until they were consumed.
³⁸ I crushed them, so that they were ^(BY)not able to rise;
They fell ^(BZ)under my feet.
³⁹ For You have ^(CA)girded me with strength for battle;
You have ^[q](CB)subdued under me those who rose up against me.
^40 [r]You have also made my enemies ^(CC)turn their backs to me,
And I ^[s](CD)destroyed those who hated me.
⁴¹ They cried for help, but there was ^(CE)none to save,
Even to Yahweh, but ^(CF)He did not answer them.
⁴² Then I beat them fine as the ^(CG)dust before the wind;
I emptied them out as the mire of the streets.

⁴³ You have delivered me from the ^(CH)contentions of the people;
You have placed me as ^(CI)head of the nations;
A ^(CJ)people whom I have not known serve me.
⁴⁴ As soon as they hear, they obey me;
Foreigners ^[t](CK)cower before me.
⁴⁵ Foreigners ^(CL)fade away,
And ^(CM)come trembling out of their ^[u]fortresses.

⁴⁶ Yahweh ^(CN)lives, and blessed be ^(CO)my rock;
And let ^(CP)the God of my salvation be lifted high,
⁴⁷ The God who ^(CQ)executes vengeance for me,
And ^(CR)subdues peoples under me.
⁴⁸ Who ^(CS)delivers me from my enemies;
Surely You ^(CT)lift me above those who rise up against me;
You rescue me from the ^(CU)violent man.
⁴⁹ Therefore I will ^(CV)give thanks to You among the nations, O Yahweh,
And I will ^(CW)sing praises to Your name.
⁵⁰ He gives great ^[v](CX)salvation to His king,
And shows lovingkindness to ^(CY)His anointed,
To David and ^(CZ)his seed forever.