Psalm 18:16-30

English Standard Version

¹⁶ He ^(A)sent from on high, he took me;
    he ^(B)drew me out of ^(C)many waters.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were ^(D)too mighty for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the Lord was my support.
¹⁹ He brought me out into ^(E)a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he ^(F)delighted in me.

²⁰ The Lord dealt with me ^(G)according to my righteousness;
    according to ^(H)the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
²¹ For I have ^(I)kept the ways of the Lord,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
²² For ^(J)all his rules^[a] were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
²³ I was ^(K)blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from my guilt.
²⁴ So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵ With ^(L)the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
²⁶ with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with ^(M)the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
²⁷ For you save ^(N)a humble people,
    but ^(O)the haughty eyes you bring down.
²⁸ For it is you who light my ^(P)lamp;
    the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
²⁹ For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can ^(Q)leap over ^(R)a wall.
³⁰ This God—his way is ^(S)perfect;^[b]
    the word of the Lord ^(T)proves true;
    he is ^(U)a shield for all those who ^(V)take refuge in him.