Psalms 18:1-39 ▼

1 I WILL love thee, O LORD, my strength and my trust;

2 My refuge and my deliverer is the mighty God in whom I trust; he is my helper and the horn of my salvation and my glorious refuge.

3 I will call upon the LORD; so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

4 For the pains of death surrounded me, and the rush of ungodly men have confused me.

5 The travail of Sheol has taken hold of me: the snares of death preceded me.

6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken because he was angry.

8 There went up a smoke out of his wrath, and fire flamed from his face, and coals were kindled by it.

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

10 And he rode upon cherubim and flew; yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his covert; his pavilion round about him was darkness of waters and thick clouds of the skies.

12 Out of the brightness of his shadow his clouds rained hailstones and coals of fire.

13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice: hailstones and coals of fire.

14 Yea, he sent out his arrows and scattered them; and he multiplied his lightnings and confused them.

15 Then the brooks appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid open at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thine anger.

16 He sent from on high and quieted me; he received me out of great waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemies and from them which hated me; for they were too strong for me.

18 They confronted me in the day of my extremity, but the LORD was my deliverer.

19 He brought me forth into comfort; he delivered me because he delighted in me.

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

21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not revolted against my God.

22 For all his judgments were before me, and his laws I did not put away from me.

23 I was also blameless before him, and I carefully kept myself from my sins.

24 Therefore has the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyes.

25 With the pure thou shalt be pure; with an upright man thou shalt be upright.

26 With the clean thou shalt be clean; and from the crooked thou shalt turn aside.

27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt humble the proud.

28 For thou wilt light my lamp; the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

29 For through thee I have pursued a band of robbers; and through my God have I leaped over a fence.

30 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is pure: he is a help to all those that trust in him.

31 For there is no God save the LORD; and there is no one who is mighty like our God.

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

33 He makes my feet like hart's feet and sets me upon high places.

34 He trains my hands to war; and he strengthens my arms like a bow of brass.

35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; and thy right hand hath held me up; and thy discipline hath made me great.

36 Thou hast steadied my legs under me, that my ankles may not be weakened.

37 I will pursue my enemies and overtake them; and I will not turn again till they are consumed.

38 I will smite them so that they shall not be able to stand; they shall fall under my feet.

39 For thou hast girded me with strength to the battle; thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.