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Psalm 18-20
New American Standard Bible
Psalm 18-20
New American Standard Bible
The Lord Praised for Rescuing David.
For the music director. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, [a]who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said,
18 “I love You, Lord, (A)my strength.”
2 The Lord is (B)my rock and (C)my fortress and my (D)savior,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My (E)shield and the (F)horn of my salvation, my (G)stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is (H)worthy to be praised,
And I am (I)saved from my enemies.
4 The (J)ropes of death encompassed me,
And the (K)torrents of [b]destruction [c]terrified me.
5 The (L)ropes of [d]Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
6 In my (M)distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice (N)from His temple,
And my (O)cry for help before Him came into His ears.
7 Then the (P)earth shook and quaked;
And the (Q)foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
8 Smoke went up [e]out of His nostrils,
And (R)fire from His mouth was devouring;
Coals burned from it.
9 He also (S)bowed the heavens down low, and came down
With thick (T)darkness under His feet.
10 He rode on a (U)cherub and flew;
And He sped on the (V)wings of the wind.
11 He made (W)darkness His hiding place, (X)His [f]canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds.
12 From the (Y)brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and (Z)coals of fire.
13 The Lord also (AA)thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
14 He (AB)sent out His arrows, and scattered them,
And lightning flashes in abundance, and [g]routed them.
15 Then the (AC)channels of water appeared,
And the foundations of the world were exposed
By Your (AD)rebuke, Lord,
At the blast of the (AE)breath of Your nostrils.
16 He (AF)sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of (AG)many waters.
17 He (AH)saved me from my strong enemy,
And from those who hated me, for they were (AI)too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in (AJ)the day of my disaster,
But (AK)the Lord was my support.
19 He also brought me out into an (AL)open place;
He rescued me, because (AM)He delighted in me.
20 The Lord has (AN)rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the (AO)cleanness of my hands He has repaid me.
21 For I have (AP)kept the ways of the Lord,
And have (AQ)not acted wickedly against my God.
22 For all (AR)His judgments were before me,
And I did not put away His (AS)statutes from me.
23 I was also [h](AT)blameless with Him,
And I (AU)kept myself from my wrongdoing.
24 Therefore the Lord has (AV)repaid me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.
25 With (AW)the faithful You show Yourself faithful;
With the [i]blameless (AX)You prove Yourself blameless;
26 With the pure You show Yourself (AY)pure,
And with the crooked (AZ)You show Yourself [j]astute.
27 For You (BA)save an afflicted people,
But You humiliate (BB)haughty eyes.
28 For You (BC)light my lamp;
The Lord my God (BD)illumines my darkness.
29 For by You I can (BE)run at a [k]troop of warriors;
And by my God I can (BF)leap over a wall.
30 As for God, His way is [l](BG)blameless;
The (BH)word of the Lord is refined;
He is a (BI)shield to all who take refuge in Him.
31 For (BJ)who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a (BK)rock, except our God,
32 The God who (BL)encircles me with strength,
And [m]makes my way [n](BM)blameless?
33 He (BN)makes my feet like deer’s feet,
And (BO)sets me up on my high places.
34 He (BP)trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can (BQ)bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have also given me (BR)the shield of Your salvation,
And Your (BS)right hand upholds me;
And (BT)Your [o]gentleness makes me great.
36 You (BU)enlarge my steps under me,
And my [p](BV)feet have not slipped.
37 I (BW)pursued my enemies and overtook them,
And I did not turn back (BX)until they were consumed.
38 I shattered them, so that they were (BY)not able to rise;
They fell (BZ)under my feet.
39 For You have (CA)encircled me with strength for battle;
You have forced those who rose up against me (CB)to bow down under me.
40 You have also made my enemies (CC)turn their backs to me,
And I [q](CD)destroyed those who hated me.
41 They cried for help, but there was (CE)no one to save,
They cried to the Lord, but (CF)He did not answer them.
42 Then I beat them fine like the (CG)dust before the wind;
I emptied them out like the mud of the streets.
43 You have rescued me from the (CH)contentions of the people;
You have placed me as (CI)head of the nations;
A (CJ)people whom I have not known serve me.
44 As soon as they hear, they obey me;
Foreigners (CK)pretend to obey me.
45 Foreigners (CL)lose heart,
And (CM)come trembling out of their [r]fortresses.
46 The Lord (CN)lives, and blessed be (CO)my rock;
And exalted be (CP)the God of my salvation,
47 The God who (CQ)executes vengeance for me,
And (CR)subdues peoples under me.
48 He (CS)rescues me from my enemies;
You indeed (CT)lift me above those who rise up against me;
You rescue me from a (CU)violent man.
49 Therefore I will (CV)give thanks to You among the nations, Lord,
And I will (CW)sing praises to Your name.
50 He gives great [s](CX)salvation to His king,
And shows faithfulness to (CY)His anointed,
To David and (CZ)his [t]descendants forever.
The Works and the Word of God.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
19 The (DA)heavens tell of the glory of God;
And their (DB)expanse declares the work of His hands.
2 Day to (DC)day pours forth speech,
And (DD)night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
4 Their [u](DE)line has gone out into all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has (DF)placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.
6 Its (DG)rising is from [v]one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the [w]other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 (DH)The Law of the Lord is [x](DI)perfect, (DJ)restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is (DK)sure, making (DL)wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the Lord are (DM)right, (DN)rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is (DO)pure, (DP)enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are (DQ)true; they are (DR)righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than (DS)gold, yes, than much pure gold;
(DT)Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, (DU)Your servant is warned by them;
In keeping them there is great (DV)reward.
12 Who can (DW)discern his errors? (DX)Acquit me of (DY)hidden faults.
13 Also keep Your servant back (DZ)from presumptuous sins;
Let them not (EA)rule over me;
Then I will be (EB)innocent,
And I will be blameless of (EC)great wrongdoing.
14 May the words of my mouth and (ED)the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
Lord, (EE)my rock and my (EF)Redeemer.
Prayer for Victory over Enemies.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
20 May the Lord answer you (EG)on a day of trouble!
May the (EH)name of the (EI)God of Jacob [y]protect you!
2 May He send you help (EJ)from the sanctuary,
And (EK)support you from Zion!
3 May He (EL)remember all your meal offerings
And [z](EM)accept your burnt offering! Selah
4 May He grant you your (EN)heart’s desire
And (EO)fulfill your whole plan!
5 [aa]We will (EP)sing for joy over your [ab]victory,
And in the name of our God we will (EQ)set up our banners.
May the Lord (ER)fulfill all your desires.
6 Now (ES)I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will (ET)answer him from His holy heaven
With the [ac](EU)saving strength of His right hand.
7 Some praise their chariots and some their (EV)horses,
But (EW)we will praise the name of the Lord, our God.
8 They have (EX)bowed down and fallen,
But we have (EY)risen and stood upright.
9 [ad](EZ)Save, Lord;
May the (FA)King answer us on the day we call.
Footnotes
- Psalm 18 Title 2 Sam 22:1-51
- Psalm 18:4 Or ungodliness; Heb Belial
- Psalm 18:4 Or were assailing; or terrifying
- Psalm 18:5 I.e., the netherworld
- Psalm 18:8 Or in His wrath
- Psalm 18:11 Or pavilion
- Psalm 18:14 Lit confused
- Psalm 18:23 Lit complete; or having integrity; or perfect
- Psalm 18:25 See note v 23
- Psalm 18:26 Lit twisted
- Psalm 18:29 Or wall
- Psalm 18:30 Or perfect
- Psalm 18:32 Or has made
- Psalm 18:32 Lit complete; or having integrity
- Psalm 18:35 Or condescension
- Psalm 18:36 Lit ankles
- Psalm 18:40 Or silenced
- Psalm 18:45 Or prisons
- Psalm 18:50 I.e., victories; lit salvations
- Psalm 18:50 Lit seed
- Psalm 19:4 Another reading is sound
- Psalm 19:6 Lit the end
- Psalm 19:6 Lit the ends
- Psalm 19:7 I.e., blameless
- Psalm 20:1 Lit make you high and inaccessible
- Psalm 20:3 Lit consider your...as fat
- Psalm 20:5 Or Let’s sing
- Psalm 20:5 Or salvation
- Psalm 20:6 Or mighty deeds of the victory of His right hand
- Psalm 20:9 Or O Lord, save the king; answer us
Psalm 18-20
New International Version
Psalm 18-20
New International Version
Psalm 18[a](A)
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.(B)
2 The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(F)
my shield[b](G) and the horn[c] of my salvation,(H) my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(I)
and I have been saved from my enemies.(J)
4 The cords of death(K) entangled me;
the torrents(L) of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death(M) confronted me.
6 In my distress(N) I called to the Lord;(O)
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;(P)
my cry came(Q) before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled(R) and quaked,(S)
and the foundations of the mountains shook;(T)
they trembled because he was angry.(U)
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;(V)
consuming fire(W) came from his mouth,
burning coals(X) blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;(Y)
dark clouds(Z) were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim(AA) and flew;
he soared(AB) on the wings of the wind.(AC)
11 He made darkness his covering,(AD) his canopy(AE) around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence(AF) clouds advanced,
with hailstones(AG) and bolts of lightning.(AH)
13 The Lord thundered(AI) from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.[d]
14 He shot his arrows(AJ) and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning(AK) he routed them.(AL)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations(AM) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,(AN) Lord,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.(AO)
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.(AP)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,(AQ)
from my foes, who were too strong for me.(AR)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,(AS)
but the Lord was my support.(AT)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;(AU)
he rescued me because he delighted in me.(AV)
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(AW)
according to the cleanness of my hands(AX) he has rewarded me.(AY)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;(AZ)
I am not guilty of turning(BA) from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;(BB)
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless(BC) before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(BD)
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful(BE) you show yourself faithful,(BF)
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure(BG) you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(BH)
27 You save the humble(BI)
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.(BJ)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp(BK) burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.(BL)
29 With your help(BM) I can advance against a troop[e];
with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:(BN)
The Lord’s word is flawless;(BO)
he shields(BP) all who take refuge(BQ) in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(BR)
And who is the Rock(BS) except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength(BT)
and keeps my way secure.(BU)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(BV)
he causes me to stand on the heights.(BW)
34 He trains my hands for battle;(BX)
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains(BY) me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path(BZ) for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.(CA)
37 I pursued my enemies(CB) and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them(CC) so that they could not rise;(CD)
they fell beneath my feet.(CE)
39 You armed me with strength(CF) for battle;
you humbled my adversaries(CG) before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs(CH) in flight,
and I destroyed(CI) my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them(CJ)—
to the Lord, but he did not answer.(CK)
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;(CL)
I trampled them[f] like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.(CM)
People I did not know(CN) now serve me,
44 foreigners(CO) cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;(CP)
they come trembling(CQ) from their strongholds.(CR)
46 The Lord lives!(CS) Praise be to my Rock!(CT)
Exalted be God(CU) my Savior!(CV)
47 He is the God who avenges(CW) me,
who subdues nations(CX) under me,
48 who saves(CY) me from my enemies.(CZ)
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man(DA) you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;(DB)
I will sing(DC) the praises of your name.(DD)
50 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,(DE)
to David(DF) and to his descendants forever.(DG)
Psalm 19[g]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens(DH) declare(DI) the glory of God;(DJ)
the skies(DK) proclaim the work of his hands.(DL)
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.(DM)
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice[h] goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.(DN)
In the heavens God has pitched a tent(DO) for the sun.(DP)
5 It is like a bridegroom(DQ) coming out of his chamber,(DR)
like a champion(DS) rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens(DT)
and makes its circuit to the other;(DU)
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord(DV) is perfect,(DW)
refreshing the soul.(DX)
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,(DY)
making wise the simple.(DZ)
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,(EA)
giving joy(EB) to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.(EC)
9 The fear of the Lord(ED) is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.(EE)
10 They are more precious than gold,(EF)
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,(EG)
than honey from the honeycomb.(EH)
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.(EI)
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;(EJ)
may they not rule over me.(EK)
Then I will be blameless,(EL)
innocent of great transgression.
14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing(EM) in your sight,
Lord, my Rock(EN) and my Redeemer.(EO)
Psalm 20[i]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;(EP)
may the name of the God of Jacob(EQ) protect you.(ER)
2 May he send you help(ES) from the sanctuary(ET)
and grant you support(EU) from Zion.(EV)
3 May he remember(EW) all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.[j](EX)
4 May he give you the desire of your heart(EY)
and make all your plans succeed.(EZ)
5 May we shout for joy(FA) over your victory
and lift up our banners(FB) in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.(FC)
6 Now this I know:
The Lord gives victory to his anointed.(FD)
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.(FE)
7 Some trust in chariots(FF) and some in horses,(FG)
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.(FH)
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,(FI)
but we rise up(FJ) and stand firm.(FK)
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
Answer us(FL) when we call!
Footnotes
- Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
- Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
- Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
- Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning
- Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade
- Psalm 18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out
- Psalm 19:1 In Hebrew texts 19:1-14 is numbered 19:2-15.
- Psalm 19:4 Septuagint, Jerome and Syriac; Hebrew measuring line
- Psalm 20:1 In Hebrew texts 20:1-9 is numbered 20:2-10.
- Psalm 20:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
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