Psalm 18:1-50, NLT

Psalm 18

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:

1I love you, Lord;

you are my strength.

2The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;

my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.

He is my shield, the power that saves me,

and my place of safety.

3I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

and he saved me from my enemies.

4The ropes of death entangled me;

floods of destruction swept over me.

5The grave*18:5 Hebrew Sheol. wrapped its ropes around me;

death laid a trap in my path.

6But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;

yes, I prayed to my God for help.

He heard me from his sanctuary;

my cry to him reached his ears.

7Then the earth quaked and trembled.

The foundations of the mountains shook;

they quaked because of his anger.

8Smoke poured from his nostrils;

fierce flames leaped from his mouth.

Glowing coals blazed forth from him.

9He opened the heavens and came down;

dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.

10Mounted on a mighty angelic being,*18:10 Hebrew a cherub. he flew,

soaring on the wings of the wind.

11He shrouded himself in darkness,

veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.

12Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him

and rained down hail and burning coals.*18:12 Or and lightning bolts; also in 18:13.

13The Lord thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded

amid the hail and burning coals.

14He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;

great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.

15Then at your command, O Lord,

at the blast of your breath,

the bottom of the sea could be seen,

and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

16He reached down from heaven and rescued me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

17He rescued me from my powerful enemies,

from those who hated me and were too strong for me.

18They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,

but the Lord supported me.

19He led me to a place of safety;

he rescued me because he delights in me.

20The Lord rewarded me for doing right;

he restored me because of my innocence.

21For I have kept the ways of the Lord;

I have not turned from my God to follow evil.

22I have followed all his regulations;

I have never abandoned his decrees.

23I am blameless before God;

I have kept myself from sin.

24The Lord rewarded me for doing right.

He has seen my innocence.

25To the faithful you show yourself faithful;

to those with integrity you show integrity.

26To the pure you show yourself pure,

but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

27You rescue the humble,

but you humiliate the proud.

28You light a lamp for me.

The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.

29In your strength I can crush an army;

with my God I can scale any wall.

30God’s way is perfect.

All the Lord’s promises prove true.

He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

31For who is God except the Lord?

Who but our God is a solid rock?

32God arms me with strength,

and he makes my way perfect.

33He makes me as surefooted as a deer,

enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

34He trains my hands for battle;

he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.

35You have given me your shield of victory.

Your right hand supports me;

your help*18:35 Hebrew your humility; compare 2 Sam 22:36. has made me great.

36You have made a wide path for my feet

to keep them from slipping.

37I chased my enemies and caught them;

I did not stop until they were conquered.

38I struck them down so they could not get up;

they fell beneath my feet.

39You have armed me with strength for the battle;

you have subdued my enemies under my feet.

40You placed my foot on their necks.

I have destroyed all who hated me.

41They called for help, but no one came to their rescue.

They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.

42I ground them as fine as dust in the wind.

I swept them into the gutter like dirt.

43You gave me victory over my accusers.

You appointed me ruler over nations;

people I don’t even know now serve me.

44As soon as they hear of me, they submit;

foreign nations cringe before me.

45They all lose their courage

and come trembling from their strongholds.

46The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!

May the God of my salvation be exalted!

47He is the God who pays back those who harm me;

he subdues the nations under me

48and rescues me from my enemies.

You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;

you save me from violent opponents.

49For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations;

I will sing praises to your name.

50You give great victories to your king;

you show unfailing love to your anointed,

to David and all his descendants forever.

Psalms 18:1-50