Psalms 18
1 Ref > I love you, Yahweh, my strength.
2 Ref Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
3 Ref I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised; And I am saved from my enemies.
4 Ref The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
5 Ref The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came on me.
6 Ref In my distress I called on Yahweh, And cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple, My cry before him came into his ears.
7 Ref Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, Because he was angry.
8 Ref Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
9 Ref He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
10 Ref He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 Ref He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion around him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 Ref At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire.
13 Ref Yahweh also thundered in the sky, The Most High uttered his voice: Hailstones and coals of fire.
14 Ref He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, great lightning bolts, and routed them.
15 Ref Then the channels of waters appeared, The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh, At the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 Ref He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.
17 Ref He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
18 Ref They came on me in the day of my calamity, But Yahweh was my support.
19 Ref He brought me forth also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 Ref Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me.
21 Ref For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 Ref For all his ordinances were before me. I didn't put away his statutes from me.
23 Ref I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
24 Ref Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 Ref With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.
26 Ref With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
27 Ref For you will save the afflicted people, But the haughty eyes you will bring down.
28 Ref For you will light my lamp, Yahweh. My God will light up my darkness.
29 Ref For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.
30 Ref As for God, his way is perfect. The word of Yahweh is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
31 Ref For who is God, except Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God,
32 Ref The God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
33 Ref He makes my feet like deer's feet, And sets me on my high places.
34 Ref He teaches my hands to war; So that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
35 Ref You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.
36 Ref You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
37 Ref I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. Neither will I turn again until they are consumed.
38 Ref I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet.
39 Ref For you have girded me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40 Ref You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, That I might cut off those who hate me.
41 Ref They cried, but there was none to save; Even to Yahweh, but he didn't answer them.
42 Ref Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets.
43 Ref You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
44 Ref As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
45 Ref The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places.
46 Ref Yahweh lives; and blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
47 Ref Even the God who executes vengeance for me, And subdues peoples under me.
48 Ref He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.
49 Ref Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations, And will sing praises to your name.
50 Ref He gives great deliverance to his king, And shows loving kindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, forevermore.