For the music director; by the Lord’s servant David, who sang 2 to the Lord the words of this song when 3 the Lord rescued him from the power 4 of all his enemies, including Saul. 5
18:1 He said: 6
“I love 7 you, Lord, my source of strength! 8
18:2 The Lord is my high ridge, 9 my stronghold, 10 my deliverer.
My God is my rocky summit where 11 I take shelter, 12
my shield, the horn that saves me, 13 and my refuge. 14
18:3 I called 15 to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, 16
and I was delivered from my enemies.
18:4 The waves 17 of death engulfed me,
the currents 18 of chaos 19 overwhelmed me. 20
18:5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me, 21
the snares of death trapped me. 22
18:6 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I cried out to my God. 23
From his heavenly temple 24 he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help. 25
18:7 The earth heaved and shook; 26
the roots of the mountains 27 trembled; 28
they heaved because he was angry.
18:8 Smoke ascended from 29 his nose; 30
fire devoured as it came from his mouth; 31
he hurled down fiery coals. 32
18:9 He made the sky sink 33 as he descended;
a thick cloud was under his feet.
18:10 He mounted 34 a winged angel 35 and flew;
he glided 36 on the wings of the wind. 37
18:11 He shrouded himself in darkness, 38
in thick rain clouds. 39
18:12 From the brightness in front of him came
hail and fiery coals. 40
18:13 The Lord thundered 41 in 42 the sky;
the sovereign One 43 shouted. 44
18:14 He shot his 45 arrows and scattered them, 46
many lightning bolts 47 and routed them. 48
18:15 The depths 49 of the sea 50 were exposed;
the inner regions 51 of the world were uncovered
by 52 your battle cry, 53 Lord,
by the powerful breath from your nose. 54
18:16 He reached down 55 from above and took hold of me;
he pulled me from the surging water. 56
18:17 He rescued me from my strong enemy, 57
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
18:18 They confronted 58 me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me. 59
18:19 He brought me out into a wide open place;
he delivered me because he was pleased with me. 60
18:20 The Lord repaid 61 me for my godly deeds; 62
he rewarded 63 my blameless behavior. 64
18:21 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands; 65
I have not rebelled against my God. 66
18:22 For I am aware of all his regulations, 67
and I do not reject his rules. 68
18:23 I was innocent before him,
and kept myself from sinning. 69
18:24 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds; 70
he took notice of my blameless behavior. 71
18:25 You prove to be loyal 72 to one who is faithful; 73
you prove to be trustworthy 74 to one who is innocent. 75
18:26 You prove to be reliable 76 to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptive 77 to one who is perverse. 78
18:27 For you deliver oppressed 79 people,
but you bring down those who have a proud look. 80
18:28 Indeed, 81 you are my lamp, Lord. 82
My God 83 illuminates the darkness around me. 84
18:29 Indeed, 85 with your help 86 I can charge against 87 an army; 88
by my God’s power 89 I can jump over a wall. 90
18:30 The one true God acts in a faithful manner; 91
the Lord’s promise 92 is reliable; 93
he is a shield to all who take shelter 94 in him.
18:31 Indeed, 95 who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector 96 besides our God? 97
18:32 The one true God 98 gives 99 me strength; 100
he removes 101 the obstacles in my way. 102
18:33 He gives me the agility of a deer; 103
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. 104
18:34 He trains my hands for battle; 105
my arms can bend even the strongest bow. 106
18:35 You give me your protective shield; 107
your right hand supports me; 108
your willingness to help 109 enables me to prevail. 110
18:36 You widen my path; 111
my feet 112 do not slip.
18:37 I chase my enemies and catch 113 them;
I do not turn back until I wipe them out.
18:38 I beat them 114 to death; 115
they fall at my feet. 116
18:39 You give me strength 117 for battle;
you make my foes kneel before me. 118
18:40 You make my enemies retreat; 119
I destroy those who hate me. 120
18:41 They cry out, but there is no one to help them; 121
they cry out to the Lord, 122 but he does not answer them.
18:42 I grind them as fine windblown dust; 123
I beat them underfoot 124 like clay 125 in the streets.
18:43 You rescue me from a hostile army; 126
you make me 127 a leader of nations;
people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects. 128
18:44 When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me. 129
Foreigners are powerless 130 before me;
18:45 foreigners lose their courage; 131
they shake with fear 132 as they leave 133 their strongholds. 134