Psalms 18:2-50

2 The  Lord is my a rock and my b fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my c rock, in d whom I take refuge,
my e shield, and f the horn of my salvation, my g stronghold.
 3 I call upon the  Lord, who is h worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
 4  i The cords of death encompassed me;
j the torrents of destruction assailed me; ▼
▼ Or terrified me

 5  l the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
 6  m In my distress I called upon the  Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his n temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
 7  Then the earth o reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
 8 Smoke went up from his nostrils ▼
▼ Or in his wrath

and devouring q fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
 9 He r bowed the heavens and s came down;
t thick darkness was under his feet.
 10 He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on u the wings of the wind.
 11 He made darkness his covering, his v canopy around him,
thick clouds w dark with water.
 12 Out of the brightness before him
x hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
 13  The  Lord also y thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his z voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
 14 And he sent out his aa arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and ab routed them.
 15 Then ac the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your ad rebuke, O  Lord,
at the blast of ae the breath of your nostrils.
 16  He af sent from on high, he took me;
he ag drew me out of ah many waters.
 17 He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were ai too mighty for me.
 18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the  Lord was my support.
 19 He brought me out into aj a broad place;
he rescued me, because he ak delighted in me.
 20  The  Lord dealt with me al according to my righteousness;
according to am the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
 21 For I have an kept the ways of the  Lord,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
 22 For ao all his rules ▼
▼ Or just decrees
 were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
 23 I was aq blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.
 24 So the  Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
 25  With ar the merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
 26 with the purified you show yourself pure;
and with as the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
 27 For you save at a humble people,
but au the haughty eyes you bring down.
 28 For it is you who light my av lamp;
the  Lord my God lightens my darkness.
 29 For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can aw leap over ax a wall.
 30 This God—his way is ay perfect; ▼
▼ Or blameless

the word of the  Lord ba proves true;
he is bb a shield for all those who bc take refuge in him.
 31  For bd who is God, but the  Lord?
And who is be a rock, except our God?—
 32 the God who bf equipped me with strength
and made my way bg blameless.
 33 He made my feet like the feet of a bh deer
and set me secure on bi the heights.
 34 He bj trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
 35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand bk supported me,
and your bl gentleness made me great.
 36 You bm gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
 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 bn turn their backs to me, ▼
▼ Or  You gave me my enemies’ necks

and those who hated me I destroyed.
 41  bp They cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the  Lord, but he did not answer them.
 42 I beat them fine as bq dust before the wind;
I cast them out like br the mire of the streets.
 43  You delivered me from bs strife with the people;
you made me bt the head of the nations;
bu people whom I had not known served me.
 44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
bv foreigners bw came cringing to me.
 45  bx Foreigners lost heart
and by came trembling out of their fortresses.
 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 bz subdued peoples under me,
 48 who delivered me from my enemies;
yes, you ca exalted me above those who rose against me;
you rescued me from cb the man of violence.
 49  cc For this I will praise you, O  Lord, among the nations,
and cd sing to your name.
 50 Great ce salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his cf anointed,
to cg David and his offspring forever.
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