Psalms 18
18
PSALM 18
Common Meter: 8,6,8,6
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,
1Thee will I love, O Lord, my strength.
2My fortress is the Lord,
My rock, and he that doth to me
deliverance afford:
My God, my strength, whom I will trust,
a buckler unto me,
The horn of my salvation,
and my high tow'r, is he.
3Upon the Lord, who worthy is
of praises, will I cry;
And then shall I preserved be
safe from mine enemy.
4Floods of ill men affrighted me,
death's pangs about me went;
5Hell's sorrows me environed;
death's snares did me prevent.
6In my distress I call'd on God,
cry to my God did I;
He from his temple heard my voice,
to his ears came my cry.
7Th' earth, as affrighted, then did shake,
trembling upon it seiz'd:
The hills' foundations moved were,
because he was displeas'd.
8Up from his nostrils came a smoke,
and from his mouth there came
Devouring fire, and coals by it
were turned into flame.
9He also bowed down the heav'ns,
and thence he did descend;
And thickest clouds of darkness did
under his feet attend.
10And he upon a cherub rode,
and thereon he did fly;
Yea, on the swift wings of the wind
his flight was from on high.
11He darkness made his secret place:
about him, for his tent,
Dark waters were, and thickest clouds
of th' airy firmament.
12And at the brightness of that light,
which was before his eye,
His thick clouds pass'd away, hailstones
and coals of fire did fly.
13The Lord God also in the heav'ns
did thunder in his ire;
And there the Highest gave his voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
14Yea, he his arrows sent abroad,
and them he scattered;
His lightnings also he shot out,
and them discomfited.
15The waters' channels then were seen,
the world's foundations vast
At thy rebuke discover'd were,
and at thy nostrils' blast.
16And from above the Lord sent down,
and took me from below;
From many waters he me drew,
which would me overflow.
17He me reliev'd from my strong foes,
and such as did me hate;
Because he saw that they for me
too strong were, and too great.
18They me prevented in the day
of my calamity;
But even then the Lord himself
a stay was unto me.
19He to a place where liberty
and room was hath me brought;
Because he took delight in me,
he my deliv'rance wrought.
20According to my righteousness
he did me recompense,
He me repaid according to
my hands' pure innocence.
21For I God's ways kept, from my God
did not turn wickedly.
22His judgments were before me, I
his laws put not from me.
23Sincere before him was my heart;
with him upright was I;
And watchfully I kept myself
from mine iniquity.
24After my righteousness the Lord
hath recompensed me,
After the cleanness of my hands
appearing in his eye.
25Thou gracious to the gracious art,
to upright men upright:
26Pure to the pure, froward thou kyth'st
unto the froward wight.
27For thou wilt the afflicted save
in grief that low do lie:
But wilt bring down the countenance
of them whose looks are high.
28The Lord will light my candle so,
that it shall shine full bright:
The Lord my God will also make
my darkness to be light.
29By thee through troops of men I break,
and them discomfit all;
And, by my God assisting me,
I overleap a wall.
30As for God, perfect is his way:
the Lord his word is try'd;
He is a buckler to all those
who do in him confide.
31Who but the Lord is God? but he
who is a rock and stay?
32'Tis God that girdeth me with strength,
and perfect makes my way.
33He made my feet swift as the hinds,
set me on my high places.
34Mine hands to war he taught, mine arms
brake bows of steel in pieces.
35The shield of thy salvation
thou didst on me bestow:
Thy right hand held me up, and great
thy kindness made me grow.
36And in my way my steps thou hast
enlarged under me,
That I go safely, and my feet
are kept from sliding free.
37Mine en'mies I pursued have,
and did them overtake;
Nor did I turn again till I
an end of them did make.
38I wounded them, they could not rise;
they at my feet did fall.
39Thou girdedst me with strength for war;
my foes thou brought'st down all:
40And thou hast giv'n to me the necks
of all mine enemies;
That I might them destroy and slay,
who did against me rise.
41They cried out, but there was none
that would or could them save;
Yea, they did cry unto the Lord,
but he no answer gave.
42Then did I beat them small as dust
before the wind that flies;
And I did cast them out like dirt
upon the street that lies.
43Thou mad'st me free from people's strife,
and heathen's head to be:
A people whom I have not known
shall service do to me.
44At hearing they shall me obey,
to me they shall submit.
45Strangers for fear shall fade away,
who in close places sit.
46God lives, bless'd be my Rock; the God
of my health praised be.
47God doth avenge me, and subdues
the people under me.
48He saves me from mine enemies;
yea, thou hast lifted me
Above my foes; and from the man
of vi'lence set me free.
49Therefore to thee will I give thanks
the heathen folk among;
And to thy name, O Lord, I will
sing praises in a song.
50He great deliv'rance gives his king:
he mercy doth extend
To David, his anointed one,
and his seed without end.
Currently Selected:
Psalms 18: MP1650
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
Tehillim (Psa) 18
18
1For the leader. By David the servant of Adonai, who addressed the words of this song to Adonai on the day when Adonai delivered him from the power of all his enemies, including from the power of Sha’ul. 2He said:
“I love you, Adonai, my strength!
3“Adonai is my Rock, my fortress and deliverer,
my God, my Rock, in whom I find shelter,
my shield, the power that saves me,
my stronghold.
4I call on Adonai, who is worthy of praise;
and I am saved from my enemies.
5“For the cords of death surrounded me,
the floods of B’liya‘al terrified me,
6the ropes of Sh’ol were wrapped around me,
the snares of death lay there before me.
7In my distress I called to Adonai;
I cried out to my God.
Out of his temple he heard my voice;
my cry reached his ears.
8“Then the earth quaked and shook,
the foundations of the mountains trembled.
They were shaken because he was angry.
9Smoke arose in his nostrils;
out of his mouth came devouring fire;
sparks blazed forth from him.
10He lowered heaven and came down
with thick darkness under his feet.
11He rode on a keruv; he flew,
swooping down on the wings of the wind.
12He made darkness his hiding-place,
his canopy thick clouds dark with water.
13From the brightness before him,
there broke through his thick clouds
hailstones and fiery coals.
14“Adonai also thundered in heaven,
Ha‘Elyon sounded his voice —
hailstones and fiery coals.
15He sent out arrows and scattered them,
shot out lightning and routed them.
16The channels of water appeared,
the foundations of the world were exposed
at your rebuke, Adonai,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
17“He sent from on high, he took me
and pulled me out of deep water;
18he rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from those who hated me,
for they were stronger than I.
19They came against me on my day of disaster,
but Adonai was my support.
20He brought me out to an open place;
he rescued me, because he took pleasure in me.
21Adonai rewarded me for my uprightness,
he repaid me because my hands were clean.
22“For I have kept the ways of Adonai,
I have not done evil by leaving my God;
23for all his rulings were before me,
I did not distance his regulations from me.
24I was pure-hearted with him
and kept myself from my sin.
25“Hence Adonai repaid me for my uprightness,
according to the purity of my hands in his view.
26With the merciful, you are merciful;
with a man who is sincere, you are sincere;
27with the pure, you are pure;
but with the crooked you are cunning.
28People afflicted, you save;
but haughty eyes, you humble.
29“For you, Adonai, light my lamp;
Adonai, my God, lights up my darkness.
30With you I can run through a whole troop of men,
with my God I can leap a wall.
31“As for God, his way is perfect,
the word of Adonai has been tested by fire;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
32“For who is God but Adonai?
Who is a Rock but our God?
33“It is God who girds me with strength;
he makes my way go straight.
34He makes me swift, sure-footed as a deer,
and enables me to stand on my high places.
35He trains my hands for war
until my arms can bend a bow of bronze;
36“You give me your shield, which is salvation,
your right hand holds me up,
your humility makes me great.
37You lengthen the steps I can take,
yet my ankles do not turn.
38“I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
without turning back until they were destroyed.
39I crushed them, so that they can’t get up;
they have fallen under my feet.
40“For you braced me with strength for the battle
and bent down my adversaries beneath me.
41You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed those who hated me.
42“They cried out, but there was no one to help,
even to Adonai, but he didn’t answer.
43I pulverized them like dust in the wind,
threw them out like mud in the streets.
44“You also freed me from the quarrels of my people.
You made me head of the nations;
a people I did not know now serve me —
45the moment they hear of me, they obey me,
foreigners come cringing to me.
46Foreigners lose heart
as they come trembling from their fortresses.
47“Adonai is alive! Blessed is my Rock!
Exalted be the God of my salvation,
48the God who avenges me
and subdues peoples under me.
49He delivers me from my enemies.
You lift me high above my enemies,
you rescue me from violent men.
50“So I give thanks to you, Adonai, among the nations;
I sing praises to your name.
51Great salvation he gives to his king;
he displays grace to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
For more information and to purchase a hard copy of the Complete Jewish Bible,
Learn More About Complete Jewish Bible