Psalms
Chapter 18
1 I will love you, God, my strength.
2 God is my rock, my fortress, and my rescuer; my God gives me strength and I trust in Him; He protects me, saves me, and is like a high tower to me.
3 I will call on God, who deserves praise: so I will be saved from my enemies.
4 Death’s pains surrounded me, and the rush of wicked people scared me.
5 Hell’s pains surrounded me; death’s traps stopped me.
6 In my trouble, I called to God and shouted for help. He heard my voice from his home, and my call reached his ears.
7 The earth shook and quaked; the hill bases moved and shook because God was angry.
8 Smoke went up from his nose, and fire from his mouth burned everything; it lit up coals.
9 He bent the sky down and came down; darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew; he soared on the wind’s wings.
11 He made darkness his hiding place; around him were dark waters and heavy clouds in the sky.
12 As the light shone in front of him, his dark clouds moved away, with hailstones and burning coals.
13 God thundered in the sky, and the Most High shouted; there were hailstones and coals of fire.
14 Yes, God shot his arrows and spread them out; he sent lightning and confused them.
15 The water paths were shown, and the world’s bases were uncovered when you, God, scolded, at the puff of your breath.
16 From above, God sent for me; he rescued me from deep waters.
17 God saved me from my powerful enemy and from those who hated me, because they were too strong for me.
18 They stopped me on the day of my trouble, but God was my support.
19 God led me out into a wide open space; he saved me because he was pleased with me.
20 God rewarded me for doing right; he paid me back because my hands were clean.
21 I have followed God’s paths and not turned away from my God to do wrong.
22 I kept all his rules in mind, and I did not ignore his teachings.
23 I was also honest before God, and I kept myself from doing wrong.
24 So God rewarded me because of my good behavior and because I kept my hands clean in his view.
25 You are kind to those who are kind, and you are honest to those who are honest.
26 You are pure with the pure, and you act tricky with the tricky.
27 You will save the suffering people but will humble the proud.
28 You will light my lamp; God will brighten my darkness.
29 With your help, I have charged through an army; and with my God, I have jumped over a wall.
30 God’s way is perfect. His words are tested and true. He protects all who trust in Him.
31 Who is God besides the Lord? Or who is a stronghold besides our God?
32 God gives me strength and makes my path perfect.
33 God makes my feet as steady as a deer’s, and places me on high ground.
34 God teaches my hands to fight, so that I can break a steel bow with my arms.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation; your right hand has supported me, and your kindness has made me strong.
36 You have made my path wide so I didn’t fall.
37 I chased my enemies and caught them. I did not stop until they were defeated.
38 I have hurt them so they can’t get up; they have fallen beneath my feet.
39 You have given me strength for the fight; you have made those who attacked me surrender to me.
40 You have also let me defeat my enemies; so I can destroy those who hate me.
41 They called for help, but no one saved them; even when they called to God, he did not answer.
42 I crushed them into dust blown away by the wind; I threw them out like mud in the streets.
43 You have rescued me from fighting among the people; you have made me the leader of nations; people I did not know will now serve me.
44 When they hear about me, they will obey me: foreigners will yield to me.
45 Foreigners will grow weak and be scared from their hidden spots.
46 God lives; my protector is blessed; let the God who saves me be honored.
47 God avenges me and makes people submit to me.
48 God saves me from my enemies; you raise me above my attackers; you save me from violent people.
49 So I will thank you, God, among the nations, and sing praises to your name.
50 He gives great rescue to his king and shows kindness to his chosen one, to David and his descendants forever.