1To 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, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.2The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.3I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.4The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.5The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.6In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.7Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.8There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.9He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.10And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.11He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.12At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.13The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.14Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.15Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.16He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.17He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.18They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.19He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.20The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.21For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.22For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.23I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.24Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.25With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;26With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.27For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.28For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.29For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.30As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.31For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?32It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.33He maketh my feet like hinds'feet , and setteth me upon my high places.34He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.35Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.36Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.37I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.38I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.39For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.40Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.41They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.42Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.43Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.44As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.45The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.46The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.47It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.48He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.49Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.50Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
Psalm 18
English Standard Version
The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress
1To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who addressed the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love you, O Lord, my strength. (Ex 15:1; De 31:30; 2Sa 3:18; 2Sa 7:5; Ps 36:1; Ps 89:3; Ps 89:20)2The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Ge 15:1; Ps 9:9; Ps 18:30; Ps 18:31; Ps 18:46; Ps 19:14; Ps 31:3; Ps 91:2; Ps 112:9; Ps 144:2; Lu 1:69; Heb 2:13)3I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. (Ps 48:1; Ps 96:4; Ps 113:3; Ps 145:3)4The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me;[1] (Ps 32:6; Ps 116:3; Ps 119:61)5the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. (Ps 18:4)6In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. (Ps 11:4; Ps 66:14; Ps 102:2; Ps 120:1; Jon 2:2)7Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. (Jud 5:4; Ac 4:31; Ac 16:26)8Smoke went up from his nostrils,[2] and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. (Ps 21:9)9He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. (Ex 20:21; Ps 144:5; Isa 64:1)10He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. (Ps 104:3)11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. (Job 36:29; Ps 29:3; Ps 97:2)12Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. (Jos 10:11; Ps 148:8)13The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. (1Sa 2:10; 1Sa 7:10; Job 37:4; Ps 29:3; Isa 30:30)14And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. (Ex 14:24; De 32:23; De 32:42; Jos 10:10; Ps 7:13; Ps 64:7; Ps 77:17; Ps 144:6; Hab 3:11)15Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. (Ex 15:8; Job 36:30; Ps 42:1; Ps 106:9; Joe 1:20; Na 1:4)16He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. (Ex 2:10; Job 22:11; Ps 32:6; Ps 144:7)17He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. (Ps 142:6)18They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.19He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. (2Sa 15:26; Ps 18:36; Ps 22:8; Ps 31:8; Ps 118:5)20The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. (1Sa 24:19; 1Sa 26:23; 1Ki 8:32; Job 22:30; Ps 7:8)21For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. (Ge 18:19; Pr 8:32)22For all his rules[3] were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. (Ps 119:30; Ps 119:102)23I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt. (Ge 17:1; 1Ki 14:8)24So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.25With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; (Mt 5:7)26with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. (Le 26:23; Ps 81:12; Pr 3:34; Ac 7:42; Ro 1:28)27For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. (Ex 3:7; Ps 101:5)28For it is you who light my lamp; the Lord my God lightens my darkness. (2Sa 21:17; 1Ki 11:36; 1Ki 15:4; 2Ki 8:19; Job 18:5; Ps 132:17)29For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. (2Sa 5:6; Isa 35:6)30This God—his way is perfect;[4] the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. (De 32:4; Ps 12:6; Ps 17:7; Ps 18:2; Da 4:37; Mt 5:48; Re 15:3)31For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?— (Ps 18:2; Ps 86:8)32the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. (1Sa 2:4; Job 22:3; Ps 101:2; Ps 101:6; Ps 119:1; Isa 45:5)33He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. (De 32:13; Isa 58:14; Hab 3:19)34He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. (Ps 144:1)35You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. (Ps 20:2; Isa 63:9)36You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. (Ps 18:19; Ps 31:8; Pr 4:12)37I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed.38I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet.39For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.40You made my enemies turn their backs to me,[5] and those who hated me I destroyed. (Ex 23:27; Ps 21:12)41They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them. (Job 27:9)42I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets. (2Ki 13:7; Isa 10:6; Mic 7:10; Zec 10:5)43You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. (2Sa 3:1; 2Sa 8:1; 2Sa 19:9; 2Sa 19:43; 2Sa 20:1; Ps 2:8; Ps 22:27; Isa 55:5)44As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me. (De 33:29; Ps 66:3; Ps 81:15; Ps 144:7)45Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses. (Ps 18:44; Mic 7:17)46The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation—47the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me, (Ps 47:3; Ps 144:2; Isa 45:1)48who rescued me from my enemies; yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from the man of violence. (Ps 59:1; Ps 140:1)49For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing to your name. (Ps 66:4; Ro 15:9)50Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever. (2Sa 7:12; 2Sa 7:29; Ps 2:2; Ps 89:29; Ps 144:10)