Psalm 18
18
The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, #Ps. 36, title; 89:3, 20; [2 Sam. 3:18; 7:5] the servant of the Lord, #See 2 Sam. 22 who addressed the words of this #Ex. 15:1; Deut. 31:30song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2The Lord is my #ver. 31, 46; Ps. 19:14; 31:3 rock and my #Ps. 91:2; 144:2 fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my #ver. 31, 46; Ps. 19:14; 31:3 rock, in #[Heb. 2:13] whom I take refuge,
my #ver. 30; Gen. 15:1 shield, and #Ps. 112:9; Luke 1:69 the horn of my salvation, my #See Ps. 9:9stronghold.
3I call upon the Lord, who is #Ps. 48:1; 96:4; 113:3; 145:3worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
4 #
Ps. 116:3; [Ps. 119:61] The cords of death encompassed me;
# See Ps. 32:6 the torrents of destruction assailed me;#18:4 Or terrified me
5 # [See ver. 4 above] the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 #
Ps. 66:14; 102:2; 120:1; [Jonah 2:2] In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his #See Ps. 11:4temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
7Then the earth #[Judg. 5:4; Acts 4:31; 16:26]reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
8Smoke went up from his nostrils,#18:8 Or in his wrath
and devouring #See Ps. 21:9fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9He #Ps. 144:5 bowed the heavens and #Isa. 64:1 came down;
# See Ex. 20:21 thick darkness was under his feet.
10He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on #Ps. 104:3the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness his covering, his #Job 36:29; [Ps. 97:2] canopy around him,
thick clouds #[Ps. 29:3]dark with water.
12Out of the brightness before him
# [Ps. 148:8; Josh. 10:11] hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13The Lord also #1 Sam. 2:10; 7:10; See Job 37:4 thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his #Isa. 30:30; See Ps. 29:3-9voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
14And he sent out his #Ps. 7:13; 64:7; 77:17; 144:6; Deut. 32:23, 42; Hab. 3:11 arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and #Ex. 14:24; Josh. 10:10routed them.
15Then #Ps. 42:1; Joel 1:20 (Heb.); [Job 36:30] the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your #Ps. 106:9; Nah. 1:4 rebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of #[Ex. 15:8]the breath of your nostrils.
16He #[Ps. 144:7] sent from on high, he took me;
he #[Ex. 2:10] drew me out of #See Ps. 32:6; Job 22:11many waters.
17He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were #Ps. 142:6too mighty for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
19He brought me out into #Ps. 31:8; 118:5; [ver. 36] a broad place;
he rescued me, because he #Ps. 22:8; 2 Sam. 15:26delighted in me.
20The Lord dealt with me #Ps. 7:8; 1 Sam. 24:19; 26:23; 1 Kgs. 8:32 according to my righteousness;
according to #See Job 22:30the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21For I have #[Gen. 18:19; Prov. 8:32]kept the ways of the Lord,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22For #Ps. 119:30, 102all his rules#18:22 Or just decrees were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23I was #Gen. 17:1; [1 Kgs. 14:8]blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.
24So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25With #Matt. 5:7the merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26with the purified you show yourself pure;
and with #Ps. 81:12; Lev. 26:23, 24; Prov. 3:34; Acts 7:42; Rom. 1:28the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27For you save #[Ex. 3:7] a humble people,
but #See Ps. 101:5the haughty eyes you bring down.
28For it is you who light my #Ps. 132:17; 1 Kgs. 11:36; 15:4; 2 Kgs. 8:19; [2 Sam. 21:17]; See Job 18:5, 6lamp;
the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
29For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can #[Isa. 35:6] leap over #See 2 Sam. 5:6-9a wall.
30This God—his way is #Deut. 32:4; Dan. 4:37; Matt. 5:48; [Rev. 15:3] perfect;#18:30 Or blameless
the word of the Lord #See Ps. 12:6 proves true;
he is #ver. 2 a shield for all those who #Ps. 17:7take refuge in him.
31For #[Ps. 86:8] who is God, but the Lord?
And who is #See ver. 2a rock, except our God?—
32the God who #1 Sam. 2:4; Isa. 45:5 equipped me with strength
and made my way #Ps. 101:2, 6; 119:1; Job 22:3blameless.
33He made my feet like the feet of a #Hab. 3:19 deer
and set me secure on #Deut. 32:13; Isa. 58:14the heights.
34He #Ps. 144:1trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand #Ps. 20:2 supported me,
and your #[Isa. 63:9]gentleness made me great.
36You #Ps. 31:8; Prov. 4:12; [ver. 19]gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
37I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
39For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40You made my enemies #Ex. 23:27; [Ps. 21:12]turn their backs to me,#18:40 Or You gave me my enemies’ necks
and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 # See Job 27:9 They cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42I beat them fine as #2 Kgs. 13:7 dust before the wind;
I cast them out like #Isa. 10:6; Mic. 7:10; Zech. 10:5the mire of the streets.
43You delivered me from #[2 Sam. 3:1; 19:9, 43; 20:1] strife with the people;
you made me #[Ps. 2:8]; See 2 Sam. 8:1-14 the head of the nations;
#
Isa. 55:5; [Ps. 22:27] people whom I had not known served me.
44As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
#
Ps. 144:7 foreigners #Ps. 66:3; 81:15; Deut. 33:29came cringing to me.
45 # [See ver. 44 above] Foreigners lost heart
and #Mic. 7:17came trembling out of their fortresses.
46The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation—
47the God who gave me vengeance
and #Ps. 47:3; 144:2; [Isa. 45:1]subdued peoples under me,
48who rescued me from my enemies;
yes, you #Ps. 59:1 exalted me above those who rose against me;
you delivered me from #Ps. 140:1the man of violence.
49 # Cited Rom. 15:9 For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and #Ps. 66:4sing to your name.
50Great #Ps. 144:10 salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his #See Ps. 2:2 anointed,
to #[Ps. 89:29; 2 Sam. 7:12, 13, 29]David and his offspring forever.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Psalms 18
18
Praise to God for His Deliverance
For the music director. Of David, the servant of Yahweh,
who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song
when#Literally “on the day” Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies,
and from the hand of Saul.#The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
1And he said:
“I love you, O Yahweh, my strength.”
2Yahweh is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock in whom I have taken refuge,
my shield and the horn of my deliverance, my stronghold.
3I called upon Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised,
and I was saved from my enemies.
4The ropes of death encircled me,
and streams of ruin overwhelmed me.
5The ropes of Sheol surrounded me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6In my trouble I called on Yahweh,
and to my God I cried for help.
He heard my voice from his temple,
and my cry for help
came up before his presence into his ears.
7Then the earth shook and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains trembled,
and they staggered because he was angry.
8Smoke went forth from his nose,
and fire from his mouth consumed.
Burning coals blazed from him.
9So he bowed the heavens and came down
with a thick cloud under his feet.
10And he mounted a cherub and flew,
and he swooped down on wings of wind.
11He made darkness his hiding place;
all about him his covering
was a darkness of waters, thick clouds.#Literally “clouds of clouds”
12From the brightness before him
his clouds passed over
with hail and coals of fire.
13And Yahweh thundered from the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice
with hail and coals of fire.
14And he shot his arrows and scattered them,#That is, the enemy
and many lightning bolts and routed them.
15Then the channels of the sea became visible,
and the foundations of the world were uncovered
by your rebuke, O Yahweh,
by the blast#Or “breath” of the wind of your nose.
16He reached#Or “sent” from on high; he seized me.
He drew me from many waters.
17He delivered me from my strong enemy,
and from those who hated me
because they were stronger than I.
18They confronted me on the day of disaster,
but Yahweh was my support.
19So he brought me out to a spacious place.
He delivered me because he delighted in me.
20Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands
he has repaid me.
21Because I have kept the ways of Yahweh,
and have not acted wickedly against my God,
22because all his ordinances are before me,
and his statutes I have not removed from me,
23and I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.
24Therefore Yahweh has repaid me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25To the loyal you show yourself loyal.
To the blameless you show yourself blameless.
26To the pure you show yourself pure.
but to the wicked you show yourself shrewd.
27For you deliver humble people,
but haughty eyes you humiliate.
28For you light my lamp;
Yahweh, my God, lights up my darkness.
29For with you I can charge a troop,
and with my God I can scale a wall.
30This#Hebrew “The” God—his way is blameless.
The word of Yahweh is flawless.#Or “refined”
He is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
31For who is God apart from Yahweh,
and who is a rock except our God?
32The God who girded me with strength,
and made safe#Or “blameless” my way,
33he made my feet like the deer’s,
and on my high places he makes me stand.
34He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35You also gave me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand supported me,
and your humility made me great.
36You enlarged my step under me,
and my ankles did not slip.
37I chased my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back until they were finished off.
38I struck them and they were not able to stand up;
they fell under my feet.
39And you girded me with strength for the battle;
those rising against me you made to kneel under me.
40And you made my enemies turn their backs,#Literally “turned to me my enemies’ neck”
then I destroyed those who hated me.
41They cried out but there was no rescuer,
even to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
42And I ground them like dust in the wind,#Literally “on the face of the wind”
I emptied them#Many Hebrew manuscripts, the LXX, Syriac, and 2 Sam 22:43 read “I crushed them” out like mud of the streets.
43You rescued me from strife with people;
you set me as head (over) nations.
People I did not know served me;
44as soon as they heard,#Literally “hearing of ear” they obeyed me.
The children of a foreign land feigned obedience before me.
45The children of a foreign land lost heart,#Literally “sunk down”
and they came trembling from their strongholds.
46Yahweh lives, and blessed be my rock,
and may the God of my salvation be exalted—
47the God who executed vengeance for me,
and subdued peoples under me,
48who delivered me from my enemies.
Indeed, you exalted me higher than those who rose against me.
You delivered me from the man of violence.
49Therefore I will give thanks to you among the nations, O Yahweh,
and I will sing the praise of your name:
50the one who makes great victories for his king,
and who shows loyal love for his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever.
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