Psalm 18 - Modern English Version

For the Music Director. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord . He spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that 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.

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.

³ I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from my enemies.

⁴ The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me.

⁵ The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me.

⁶ In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried for help to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry to Him reached His ears.

⁷ Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the hills also quaked, because He was angry.

⁸ Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; coals were kindled by it.

⁹ He bowed the heavens and came down; darkness was under His feet.

¹⁰ He rode on a cherub and flew; He flew swiftly on the wings of the wind.

¹¹ He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion surrounding Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

¹² Out of the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.

¹³ The Lord thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice, hailstones and coals of fire.

¹⁴ He sent out His arrows and scattered the enemy; He shot out lightnings and vanquished them.

¹⁵ Then the channels of the sea were seen, the foundations of the world were uncovered at Your rebuke, O  Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

¹⁶ He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

¹⁷ He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.

¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.

¹⁹ He also brought me forth into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.

²⁰ The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.

²¹ For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

²² For all His decrees were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me.

²³ I was also upright before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.

²⁴ Therefore the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

²⁵ With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with the blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;

²⁶ with the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the crooked You will show Yourself shrewd.

²⁷ For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty eyes.

²⁸ For You will light my lamp; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

²⁹ For by You I can outrun a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.

³⁰ As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

³¹ For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?

³² It is God who girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect.

³³ He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places.

³⁴ He 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 has held me up, and Your gentleness has made me great.

³⁶ You widened my path for my steps under me, so my feet did not slip.

³⁷ I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not return until they were consumed.

³⁸ I wounded them, and they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet.

³⁹ For You girded me with strength for the battle; You subdued under me those who rose up against me.

⁴⁰ You gave me the necks of my enemies, that I might destroy those who hate me.

⁴¹ They cried for help, but there was no one to save them; they cried to the Lord, but He did not answer them.

⁴² Then I beat them fine, like dust before the wind; I cast them out like dirt in the streets.

⁴³ You have delivered me from strife with the people, and You have made me the head of the nations; a people whom I have not known serve me.

⁴⁴ As soon as they hear of me, they obey me; the foreigners submit to me.

⁴⁵ The foreigners lose heart, and come trembling from their strongholds.

⁴⁶ The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.

⁴⁷ It is God who avenges me and subdues the peoples under me;

⁴⁸ He delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above those who rise up against me; You have delivered me from the violent man.

⁴⁹ Therefore I will give thanks to You, O  Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to Your name.

⁵⁰ Great deliverance He gives to His king, and shows lovingkindness to His anointed, to David and to his descendants forevermore.