Psalm 18 — David’s Song of Victory

1 I love You, Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my Deliverer, my God, my cliff in whom I take refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation and my high tower. 3 With a hymn I will call on the Lord, and I will be saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death surrounded me, and the floods of destruction terrified me. 5 The pains of the grave surrounded me. the snares of death met me. 6 In my distress I called on the Lord and cried out to my God. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry came before Him, to His ears. 7 Then the earth shook and trembled, the foundations of the mountains moved and were shaken, because He was angry. 8 Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came out of His mouth. lightning flashes blazed from Him. 9 He bowed the heavens and came down. thick darkness was under His feet. 10 He rode on a cherub and flew. He sped on the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness His covering. the dark waters and the clouds of the heavens became a canopy around Him. 12 From the brightness before Him the clouds passed by, becoming hail and flashes of fire. 13 The Lord thundered in heaven, and the Most High gave His voice with hail and fiery lightning bolts. 14 He sent out His arrows and scattered them, multiplied the lightnings and threw them into panic. 15 Then the beds of the waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the wind of Your anger. 16 He sent from above and took hold of me. He brought me out of abundant waters. 17 He delivered me from my mighty enemy and from those who hated me, who were stronger than I. 18 They confronted me in the day of my distress, but the Lord became my support. 19 He brought me out into a spacious place. He rescued me, because He delighted in me. 20 The Lord repaid me according to my righteousness. according to the cleanness of my hands He rewarded me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and I have not turned away from my God through wickedness. 22 All His judgments were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me. 23 I was blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my lawlessness. 24 Therefore the Lord repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands, which is before His eyes. 25 With the faithful You are faithful. with the blameless, blameless. 26 With the pure You are pure. with the crooked, You are crooked. 27 For You deliver the afflicted people, but You bring down proud eyes. 28 You light my lamp. The Lord God makes my darkness bright. 29 By You I run against a troop, and by my God I pass over a wall. 30 God’s way is blameless. the word of the Lord is refined by fire. He is a shield for all who trust in Him. 31 For who is God besides the Lord, and who is a rock besides our God? 32 God is the One who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and sets me standing on high places. 34 He trains my hand for war, so that my arms can bend a bronze bow. 35 You gave me the shield of Your salvation. Your right hand supports me, and Your gentleness made me great. 36 You made my path broad beneath my feet, and my feet did not slip. 37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them. I did not turn back until they were destroyed. 38 I struck them, and they could not rise. they fell under my feet. 39 You girded me with strength for battle and threw those who rose up against me under my feet. 40 You turned the backs of my enemies toward me, and I destroyed those who hate me. 41 They called for help, but there was no one to save. they cried out to the Lord, but He did not answer them. 42 I crushed them like dust before the wind. I poured them out like the mud of the street. 43 You delivered me from the strife of the people. You made me the head of nations. A people I did not know served me. 44 As soon as they heard about me, they obeyed me. the sons of foreigners submitted to me with flattery. 45 Foreigners grew weak and came out trembling from their fortresses. 46 The Lord is living, blessed is my Rock, and may the God of my salvation be exalted. 47 God is the One who takes vengeance for me and brings the peoples into submission under my hand. 48 He delivers me from my enemies. Yes, You lift me up above those who rise up against me. You rescue me from the violent man. 49 Therefore among the nations I will give thanks to You, O Lord, and I will sing a psalm to Your name. 50 He gives great salvation to His king and shows mercy to His anointed, to David and to his offspring forever.