Psalms 18

1I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.● 2Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.● 3I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies.● 4The cords of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.● 5The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me.● 6In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry before him came into his ears.● 7Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations also of the mountains quaked And were shaken, because he was wroth.● 8There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it.● 9He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet.● 10And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind.● 11He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion round about him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.● 12At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire.● 13Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.● 14And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.● 15Then the channels of waters appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare, At thy rebuke, O Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.● 16He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters.● 17He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from them that hated me; for they were too mighty for me.● 18They came upon me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay.● 19He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.● 20Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.● 21For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God.● 22For all his ordinances were before me, And I put not away his statutes from me.● 23I was also perfect with him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity.● 24Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.● 25With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect;● 26With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward.● 27For thou wilt save the afflicted people; But the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down.● 28For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.● 29For by thee I run upon a troop; And by my God do I leap over a wall.● 30As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him.● 31For who is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, besides our God,● 32The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect?● 33He maketh my feet like hinds' `feet': And setteth me upon my high places.● 34He teacheth my hands to war; So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.● 35Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; And thy right hand hath holden me up, And thy gentleness hath made me great.● 36Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.● 37I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them; Neither will I turn again till they are consumed.● 38I will smite them through, so that they shall not be able to rise: They shall fall under my feet.● 39For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.● 40Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me.● 41They cried, but there was none to save; Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not.● 42Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.● 43Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; Thou hast made me the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me.● 44As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me; The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me.● 45The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places.● 46Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation,● 47Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, And subdueth peoples under me.● 48He rescueth me from mine enemies; Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man.● 49Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name.● 50Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore. Psalm 19 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.●