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Psalm 18

New International Reader’s Version



1 I love you, LORD. You give me strength. 2 The LORD is my rock and my place of safety. He is the God who saves me. My God is my rock. I go to him for safety. He is like a shield to me. He’s the power that saves me. He’s my place of safety. 3 I called out to the LORD. He is worthy of praise. He saved me from my enemies. 4 The ropes of death were almost wrapped around me. A destroying flood swept over me. 5 The ropes of the grave were tight around me. Death set its trap in front of me. 6 When I was in trouble, I called out to the LORD. I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice. My cry for help reached his ears. 7 The earth trembled and shook. The base of the mountains rocked to and fro. It trembled because the LORD was angry. 8 Smoke came out of his nose. Flames of fire came out of his mouth. Burning coals blazed out of it. 9 He opened the heavens and came down. Dark clouds were under his feet. 10 He stood on the cherubim and flew. The wings of the wind lifted him up. 11 He covered himself with darkness. The dark rain clouds of the sky were like a tent around him. 12 Clouds came out of the brightness that was all around him. They came with hailstones and flashes of lightning. 13 The LORD thundered from heaven. The voice of the Most High God was heard. 14 He shot his arrows and scattered our enemies. He sent great flashes of lightning and chased the enemies away. 15 The bottom of the sea could be seen. The foundations of the earth were uncovered. LORD, it happened when your anger blazed out. It came like a blast of breath from your nose. 16 He reached down from heaven. He took hold of me. He lifted me out of deep waters. 17 He saved me from my powerful enemies. He set me free from those who were too strong for me. 18 They opposed me when I was in trouble. But the LORD helped me. 19 He brought me out into a wide and safe place. He saved me because he was pleased with me. 20 The LORD has been good to me because I do what is right. He has rewarded me because I lead a pure life. 21 I have lived the way the LORD wanted me to. I am not guilty of turning away from my God. 22 I keep all his laws in mind. I haven’t turned away from his commands. 23 He knows that I am without blame. He knows I’ve kept myself from sinning. 24 The LORD has rewarded me for doing what is right. He has rewarded me because I haven’t done anything wrong. 25 LORD, to those who are faithful you show that you are faithful. To those who are without blame you show that you are without blame. 26 To those who are pure you show that you are pure. But to those whose paths are crooked you show that you are clever. 27 You save those who aren’t proud. But you bring down those whose eyes are proud. 28 LORD, you keep the lamp of my life burning brightly. You are my God. You bring light into my darkness. 29 With your help I can attack a troop of soldiers. With the help of my God I can climb over a wall. 30 God’s way is perfect. The LORD’s word doesn’t have any flaws. He is like a shield to all who go to him for safety. 31 Who is God except the LORD? Who is the Rock except our God? 32 God gives me strength for the battle. He keeps my way secure. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He causes me to stand on the highest places. 34 He trains my hands to fight every battle. My arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 LORD, you are like a shield that keeps me safe. Your strong right hand keeps me going. Your help has made me great. 36 You give me a wide path to walk on so that I don’t twist my ankles. 37 I chased my enemies and caught them. I didn’t turn back until they were destroyed. 38 I crushed them so that they couldn’t get up. They fell under my feet. 39 LORD, you gave me strength to fight the battle. You made my enemies humble in front of me. 40 You made them turn their backs and run away. So I destroyed my enemies. 41 They cried out for help. But there was no one to save them. They called out to the LORD. But he didn’t answer them. 42 I beat them as fine as dust blown by the wind. I trampled on them like mud in the streets. 43 You saved me when my own people attacked me. You made me the ruler over nations. People I didn’t know serve me now. 44 People from other lands bow down to me in fear. As soon as they hear me, they obey me. 45 All of them give up hope. They come trembling out of their hiding places. 46 The LORD lives! Give praise to my Rock! Give honour to God my Saviour! 47 He is the God who pays back my enemies. He brings the nations under my control. 48 He saves me from my enemies. You have honoured me more than them. You have saved me from a man who wanted to hurt me. 49 LORD, I will praise you among the nations. I will sing the praises of your name. 50 The LORD helps his king win great battles. He shows his faithful love to his anointed king. He shows it to David and to his family for ever. 

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Psalm 18

English Standard Version



1 To 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) 2 The 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) 3 I 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) 4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me;[1] (Ps 32:6; Ps 116:3; Ps 119:61) 5 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. (Ps 18:4) 6 In 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) 7 Then 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) 8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,[2] and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. (Ps 21:9) 9 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. (Ex 20:21; Ps 144:5; Isa 64:1) 10 He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. (Ps 104:3) 11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. (Job 36:29; Ps 29:3; Ps 97:2) 12 Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. (Jos 10:11; Ps 148:8) 13 The 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) 14 And 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) 15 Then 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) 16 He 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) 17 He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. (Ps 142:6) 18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. 19 He 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) 20 The 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) 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. (Ge 18:19; Pr 8:32) 22 For all his rules[3] were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. (Ps 119:30; Ps 119:102) 23 I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt. (Ge 17:1; 1Ki 14:8) 24 So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. 25 With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; (Mt 5:7) 26 with 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) 27 For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. (Ex 3:7; Ps 101:5) 28 For 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) 29 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. (2Sa 5:6; Isa 35:6) 30 This 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) 31 For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?— (Ps 18:2; Ps 86:8) 32 the 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) 33 He 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) 34 He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. (Ps 144:1) 35 You 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) 36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. (Ps 18:19; Ps 31:8; Pr 4:12) 37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. 38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet. 39 For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. 40 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,[5] and those who hated me I destroyed. (Ex 23:27; Ps 21:12) 41 They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them. (Job 27:9) 42 I 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) 43 You 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) 44 As 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) 45 Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their fortresses. (Ps 18:44; Mic 7:17) 46 The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation— 47 the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me, (Ps 47:3; Ps 144:2; Isa 45:1) 48 who 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) 49 For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing to your name. (Ps 66:4; Ro 15:9) 50 Great 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) 

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