Psalm 18-22

English Standard Version

^4 (L)The cords of death encompassed me;
    ^(M)the torrents of destruction assailed me;^[a]
5 (N)the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

^6 (O)In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I cried for help.
From his ^(P)temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears.

⁷ Then the earth ^(Q)reeled and rocked;
    the foundations also of the mountains trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
⁸ Smoke went up from his nostrils,^[b]
    and devouring ^(R)fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
⁹ He ^(S)bowed the heavens and ^(T)came down;
    ^(U)thick darkness was under his feet.
¹⁰ He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he came swiftly on ^(V)the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made darkness his covering, his ^(W)canopy around him,
    thick clouds ^(X)dark with water.
¹² Out of the brightness before him
    ^(Y)hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

¹³ The Lord also ^(Z)thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High uttered his ^(AA)voice,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
¹⁴ And he sent out his ^(AB)arrows and scattered them;
    he flashed forth lightnings and ^(AC)routed them.
¹⁵ Then ^(AD)the channels of the sea were seen,
    and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your ^(AE)rebuke, O Lord,
    at the blast of ^(AF)the breath of your nostrils.

¹⁶ He ^(AG)sent from on high, he took me;
    he ^(AH)drew me out of ^(AI)many waters.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were ^(AJ)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 ^(AK)a broad place;
    he rescued me, because he ^(AL)delighted in me.

²⁰ The Lord dealt with me ^(AM)according to my righteousness;
    according to ^(AN)the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
²¹ For I have ^(AO)kept the ways of the Lord,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
²² For ^(AP)all his rules^[c] were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
²³ I was ^(AQ)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 ^(AR)the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
²⁶ with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with ^(AS)the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
²⁷ For you save ^(AT)a humble people,
    but ^(AU)the haughty eyes you bring down.
²⁸ For it is you who light my ^(AV)lamp;
    the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
²⁹ For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can ^(AW)leap over ^(AX)a wall.
³⁰ This God—his way is ^(AY)perfect;^[d]
    the word of the Lord ^(AZ)proves true;
    he is ^(BA)a shield for all those who ^(BB)take refuge in him.

³¹ For ^(BC)who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is ^(BD)a rock, except our God?—
³² the God who ^(BE)equipped me with strength
    and made my way ^(BF)blameless.
³³ He made my feet like the feet of a ^(BG)deer
    and set me secure on ^(BH)the heights.
³⁴ He ^(BI)trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵ You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand ^(BJ)supported me,
    and your ^(BK)gentleness made me great.
³⁶ You ^(BL)gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
³⁷ I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
³⁸ I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
³⁹ For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
⁴⁰ You made my enemies ^(BM)turn their backs to me,^[e]
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
^41 (BN)They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
⁴² I beat them fine as ^(BO)dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like ^(BP)the mire of the streets.

⁴³ You delivered me from ^(BQ)strife with the people;
    you made me ^(BR)the head of the nations;
    ^(BS)people whom I had not known served me.
⁴⁴ As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    ^(BT)foreigners ^(BU)came cringing to me.
^45 (BV)Foreigners lost heart
    and ^(BW)came trembling out of their fortresses.

⁴⁶ The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation—
⁴⁷ the God who gave me vengeance
    and ^(BX)subdued peoples under me,
⁴⁸ who rescued me from my enemies;
    yes, you ^(BY)exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from ^(BZ)the man of violence.

^49 (CA)For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
    and ^(CB)sing to your name.
⁵⁰ Great ^(CC)salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his ^(CD)anointed,
    to ^(CE)David and his offspring forever.

^7 (CL)The law of the Lord is perfect,^{[h]
    (CM)}reviving the soul;
^(CN)the testimony of the Lord is ^(CO)sure,
    ^(CP)making wise ^(CQ)the simple;
^8 (CR)the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is ^(CS)pure,
    ^(CT)enlightening the eyes;
⁹ the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules^[i] of the Lord are ^(CU)true,
    and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than ^(CV)gold,
    even much ^(CW)fine gold;
^(CX)sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of ^(CY)the honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    ^(CZ)in keeping them there is great reward.

^12 (DA)Who can discern his errors?
    ^(DB)Declare me innocent from ^(DC)hidden faults.
^13 (DD)Keep back your servant also from ^(DE)presumptuous sins;
    let them not have ^(DF)dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in your sight,
    O Lord, my ^(DG)rock and my ^(DH)redeemer.

⁴ May he ^(DO)grant you your heart's desire
    and fulfill all your plans!
⁵ May we shout for joy over ^(DP)your salvation,
    and in the name of our God set up our ^(DQ)banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!

⁶ Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with ^(DR)the saving might of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in ^(DS)chariots and some in ^(DT)horses,
    ^(DU)but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They collapse and fall,
    but we rise and stand upright.

⁹ O Lord, save ^(DV)the king!
    May he answer us when we call.

⁸ Your hand will ^(EI)find out all your enemies;
    your right hand will find out those who hate you.
⁹ You will make them as ^(EJ)a blazing oven
    when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his ^(EK)wrath,
    and ^(EL)fire will consume them.
¹⁰ You ^(EM)will destroy their ^(EN)descendants from the earth,
    and their offspring from among the children of man.
¹¹ Though they plan evil against you,
    though they ^(EO)devise mischief, they will not succeed.
¹² For you will put them ^(EP)to flight;
    you will ^(EQ)aim at their faces with your bows.

¹³ Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
    We will sing and praise your power.

³ Yet you are ^(EV)holy,
    ^(EW)enthroned on ^(EX)the praises^[k] of Israel.
⁴ In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
⁵ To you they ^(EY)cried and were rescued;
    in you they ^(EZ)trusted and were not put to shame.

⁶ But I am ^(FA)a worm and not a man,
    ^(FB)scorned by mankind and ^(FC)despised by the people.
⁷ All who see me ^(FD)mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they ^(FE)wag their heads;
^8 (FF)“He trusts in the Lord; let him ^(FG)deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he ^(FH)delights in him!”

⁹ Yet you are he who ^(FI)took me from the womb;
    you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
¹⁰ On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from ^(FJ)my mother's womb you have been my God.
¹¹ Be not ^(FK)far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is ^(FL)none to help.

¹² Many bulls encompass me;
    ^(FM)strong bulls of ^(FN)Bashan surround me;
¹³ they ^(FO)open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.

¹⁴ I am ^(FP)poured out like water,
    and all my bones are ^(FQ)out of joint;
my ^(FR)heart is like ^(FS)wax;
    it is melted within my breast;
¹⁵ my strength is ^(FT)dried up like a potsherd,
    and my ^(FU)tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.

¹⁶ For ^(FV)dogs encompass me;
    a company of evildoers ^(FW)encircles me;
they have ^(FX)pierced my hands and feet^[l]—
¹⁷ I can count all my bones—
they ^(FY)stare and gloat over me;
^18 (FZ)they divide my garments among them,
    and for my clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹ But you, O Lord, ^(GA)do not be far off!
    O you my help, ^(GB)come quickly to my aid!
²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword,
    my precious life from the power of ^(GC)the dog!
²¹     Save me from ^(GD)the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued^[m] me from the horns of ^(GE)the wild oxen!

^22 (GF)I will tell of your name to my ^(GG)brothers;
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
²³ You who ^(GH)fear the Lord, praise him!
    All you offspring of Jacob, ^(GI)glorify him,
    and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
²⁴ For he has not despised or abhorred
    the affliction of ^(GJ)the afflicted,
and he has not ^(GK)hidden his face from him,
    but has heard, when he ^(GL)cried to him.

²⁵ From you comes my praise in the great ^(GM)congregation;
    my ^(GN)vows I will ^(GO)perform before those who fear him.
^26 (GP)The afflicted^[n] shall ^(GQ)eat and be satisfied;
    those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
    May your hearts ^(GR)live forever!

²⁷ All ^(GS)the ends of the earth shall remember
    and turn to the Lord,
and all ^(GT)the families of the nations
    shall worship before you.
²⁸ For ^(GU)kingship belongs to the Lord,
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹ All ^(GV)the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
    before him shall ^(GW)bow all who go down to the dust,
    even the one who could not ^(GX)keep himself alive.
³⁰ Posterity shall serve him;
    it shall be told of the Lord to the coming ^(GY)generation;
³¹ they shall ^(GZ)come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet ^(HA)unborn,
    that he has done it.