Psalm 18:1-50 (New International Version)

18:Title-50pp -- 2Sa 22:1-51

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.= He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.¹ 2 The LORD is my rock,² my fortress³ and my deliverer;⁴ my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.⁵ He is my shield⁶ and the horn^a of my salvation,⁷ my stronghold. 3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,⁸ and I am saved from my enemies.⁹ 4 The cords of death¹⁰ entangled me; the torrents¹¹ of destruction overwhelmed me. 5 The cords of the grave^b coiled around me; the snares of death¹² confronted me. 6 In my distress¹³ I called to the LORD;¹⁴ I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice;¹⁵ my cry came¹⁶ before him, into his ears. 7 The earth trembled¹⁷ and quaked,¹⁸ and the foundations of the mountains shook;¹⁹ they trembled because he was angry.²⁰ 8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;²¹ consuming fire²² came from his mouth, burning coals²³ blazed out of it. 9 He parted the heavens and came down;²⁴ dark clouds²⁵ were under his feet. 10 He mounted the cherubim²⁶ and flew; he soared²⁷ on the wings of the wind.²⁸ 11 He made darkness his covering,²⁹ his canopy³⁰ around him-- the dark rain clouds of the sky. 12 Out of the brightness of his presence³¹ clouds advanced, with hailstones³² and bolts of lightning.³³ 13 The LORD thundered³⁴ from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.^c 14 He shot his arrows³⁵ and scattered [the enemies], great bolts of lightning³⁶ and routed them.³⁷ 15 The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations³⁸ of the earth laid bare at your rebuke,³⁹ O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.⁴⁰ 16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.⁴¹ 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,⁴² from my foes, who were too strong for me.⁴³ 18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,⁴⁴ but the LORD was my support.⁴⁵ 19 He brought me out into a spacious place;⁴⁶ he rescued me because he delighted in me.⁴⁷ 20 The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;⁴⁸ according to the cleanness of my hands⁴⁹ he has rewarded me.⁵⁰ 21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD;⁵¹ I have not done evil by turning⁵² from my God. 22 All his laws are before me;⁵³ I have not turned away from his decrees. 23 I have been blameless⁵⁴ before him and have kept myself from sin. 24 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,⁵⁵ according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight. 25 To the faithful⁵⁶ you show yourself faithful,⁵⁷ to the blameless you show yourself blameless, 26 to the pure⁵⁸ you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.⁵⁹ 27 You save the humble⁶⁰ but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.⁶¹ 28 You, O LORD, keep my lamp⁶² burning; my God turns my darkness into light.⁶³ 29 With your help⁶⁴ I can advance against a troop^d; with my God I can scale a wall. 30 As for God, his way is perfect;⁶⁵ the word of the LORD is flawless.⁶⁶ He is a shield⁶⁷ for all who take refuge⁶⁸ in him. 31 For who is God besides the LORD?⁶⁹ And who is the Rock⁷⁰ except our God? 32 It is God who arms me with strength⁷¹ and makes my way perfect.⁷² 33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;⁷³ he enables me to stand on the heights.⁷⁴ 34 He trains my hands for battle;⁷⁵ my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains⁷⁶ me; you stoop down to make me great. 36 You broaden the path⁷⁷ beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.⁷⁸ 37 I pursued my enemies⁷⁹ and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed. 38 I crushed them⁸⁰ so that they could not rise;⁸¹ they fell beneath my feet.⁸² 39 You armed me with strength⁸³ for battle; you made my adversaries bow⁸⁴ at my feet. 40 You made my enemies turn their backs⁸⁵ in flight, and I destroyed⁸⁶ my foes. 41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them⁸⁷-- to the LORD, but he did not answer.⁸⁸ 42 I beat them as fine as dust⁸⁹ borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets. 43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations;⁹⁰ people I did not know⁹¹ are subject to me. 44 As soon as they hear me, they obey me; foreigners⁹² cringe before me. 45 They all lose heart;⁹³ they come trembling⁹⁴ from their strongholds.⁹⁵ 46 The LORD lives!⁹⁶ Praise be to my Rock!⁹⁷ Exalted be God⁹⁸ my Savior!⁹⁹ 47 He is the God who avenges¹⁰⁰ me, who subdues nations¹⁰¹ under me, 48 who saves¹⁰² me from my enemies.¹⁰³ You exalted me above my foes; from violent men¹⁰⁴ you rescued me. 49 Therefore I will praise you among the nations,¹⁰⁵ O LORD; I will sing¹⁰⁶ praises to your name.¹⁰⁷ 50 He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,¹⁰⁸ to David¹⁰⁹ and his descendants forever.¹¹⁰