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Psalm 18
Common English Bible
Psalm 18
Common English Bible
Psalm 18[a]
For the music leader. Of David the Lord’s servant, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord after the Lord delivered him from the power of all his enemies and from Saul.
18 He said: I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my solid rock,
my fortress, my rescuer.
My God is my rock—
I take refuge in him!—
he’s my shield,
my salvation’s strength,
my place of safety.
3 Because he is praiseworthy,[b]
I cried out to the Lord,
and I was saved from my enemies.
4 Death’s cords were wrapped around me;
rivers of wickedness terrified me.
5 The cords of the grave[c] surrounded me;
death’s traps held me tight.
6 In my distress I cried out to the Lord;
I called to my God for help.
God heard my voice from his temple;
I called to him for help,
and my call reached his ears.
7 The earth rocked and shook;
the bases of the mountains trembled and reeled
because of God’s anger.
8 Smoke went up from God’s nostrils;
out of his mouth came a devouring fire;
flaming coals blazed out in front of him!
9 God parted the skies and came down;
thick darkness was beneath his feet.
10 God mounted the heavenly creatures and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 God made darkness cloak him;
his covering was dark water and dense cloud.
12 God’s clouds went ahead
of the brightness before him;
hail and coals of fire went too.
13 The Lord thundered in heaven;
the Most High made his voice heard
with hail and coals of fire.
14 God shot his arrows, scattering the enemy;
he sent the lightning and threw them into confusion.
15 The seabeds were exposed;
the earth’s foundations were laid bare
at your rebuke, Lord,
at the angry blast of air coming from your nostrils.
16 From on high God reached down and grabbed me;
he took me out of all that water.
17 God saved me from my powerful enemy,
saved me from my foes,
who were too much for me.
18 They came at me on the very day of my distress,
but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out to wide-open spaces;
he pulled me out safe
because he is pleased with me.
20 The Lord rewarded me for my righteousness;
he restored me because my hands are clean,
21 because I have kept the Lord’s ways.
I haven’t acted wickedly against my God.
22 All his rules are right in front of me;
I haven’t turned away from any of his laws.
23 I have lived with integrity before him;
I’ve kept myself from wrongdoing.
24 And so the Lord restored me for my righteousness
because my hands are clean in his eyes.
25 You deal faithfully with the faithful;
you show integrity
toward the one who has integrity.
26 You are pure toward the pure,
but toward the crooked, you are tricky.
27 You are the one who saves people who suffer
and brings down those with proud eyes.
28 You are the one who lights my lamp—
the Lord my God illumines my darkness.
29 With you I can charge into battle;
with my God I can leap over a wall.
30 God! His way is perfect;
the Lord’s word is tried and true.
He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
31 Now really, who is divine except the Lord?
And who is a rock but our God?
32 Only God! The God who equips me with strength
and makes my way perfect,
33 who makes my step as sure as the deer’s,
who lets me stand securely on the heights,
34 who trains my hands for war
so my arms can bend a bronze bow.
35 You’ve given me the shield of your salvation;
your strong hand has supported me;
your help has made me great.
36 You’ve let me walk fast and safe,
without even twisting an ankle.
37 I chased my enemies and caught them!
I didn’t come home until I finished them off.
38 I struck them down;
they couldn’t get up again;
they fell under my feet.
39 You equipped me with strength for war;
you brought my adversaries down underneath me.
40 You made my enemies turn tail from me;
I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help,
but there was no one to save them.
They cried for help to the Lord,
but he wouldn’t answer them.
42 I crushed them
like dust blown away by the wind;
I threw them out
like mud dumped in the streets.
43 You delivered me from struggles with many people;
you appointed me the leader of many nations.
Strangers come to serve me.
44 After hearing about me, they obey me;
foreigners grovel before me.
45 Foreigners lose their nerve;
they come trembling out of their fortresses.[d]
46 The Lord lives! Bless God, my rock!
Let the God of my salvation be lifted high!
47 This is the God who avenges on my behalf,
who subdues people before me,
48 who delivers me from my enemies.
Yes, you lifted me high above my adversaries;
you delivered me from violent people.
49 That’s why I thank you, Lord,
in the presence of the nations.
That’s why I sing praises to your name.
50 You are the one who gives great victories to your king,
who shows faithful love to your anointed one—
to David and to his descendants forever.
Footnotes
- Psalm 18:1 This poem also occurs in 2 Sam 22 with some variations.
- Psalm 18:3 Heb uncertain
- Psalm 18:5 Heb Sheol
- Psalm 18:45 Or prisons
Psalm 18
New King James Version
Psalm 18
New King James Version
God the Sovereign Savior(A)
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David (B)the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of (C)this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:
18 I (D)will love You, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my [a]strength, (E)in whom I will trust;
My shield and the [b]horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I will call upon the Lord, (F)who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 (G)The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of [c]ungodliness made me afraid.
5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
7 (H)Then the earth shook and trembled;
The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
8 Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
9 (I)He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
10 (J)And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
(K)He flew upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness His secret place;
(L)His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies.
12 (M)From the brightness before Him,
His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered (N)His voice,
[d]Hailstones and coals of fire.
14 (O)He sent out His arrows and scattered [e]the foe,
Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered
At Your rebuke, O Lord,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
16 (P)He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
19 (Q)He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me.
20 (R)The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all His judgments were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me.
23 I was also blameless [f]before Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
24 (S)Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
25 (T)With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
26 With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And (U)with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
27 For You will save the humble people,
But will bring down (V)haughty looks.
28 (W)For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by You I can [g]run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
30 As for God, (X)His way is perfect;
(Y)The word of the Lord is [h]proven;
He is a shield (Z)to all who trust in Him.
31 (AA)For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
32 It is God who (AB)arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
33 (AC)He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And (AD)sets me on my high places.
34 (AE)He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
36 You enlarged my path under me,
(AF)So my feet did not slip.
37 I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
38 I have wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen under my feet.
39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have [i]subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40 You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
41 They cried out, but there was none to save;
(AG)Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
42 Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind;
I (AH)cast them out like dirt in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people;
(AI)You have made me the head of the [j]nations;
(AJ)A people I have not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me they obey me;
The foreigners [k]submit to me.
45 (AK)The foreigners fade away,
And come frightened from their hideouts.
46 The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 It is God who avenges me,
(AL)And subdues the peoples under me;
48 He delivers me from my enemies.
(AM)You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.
49 (AN)Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the [l]Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your name.
50 (AO)Great deliverance He gives to His king,
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his [m]descendants forevermore.
Footnotes
- Psalm 18:2 Lit. rock
- Psalm 18:2 Strength
- Psalm 18:4 Lit. Belial
- Psalm 18:13 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; a few Heb. mss., LXX omit Hailstones and coals of fire
- Psalm 18:14 Lit. them
- Psalm 18:23 with
- Psalm 18:29 Or run through
- Psalm 18:30 Lit. refined
- Psalm 18:39 Lit. caused to bow
- Psalm 18:43 Gentiles
- Psalm 18:44 feign submission
- Psalm 18:49 nations
- Psalm 18:50 Lit. seed
Psaltaren 18
Svenska Folkbibeln 2015
Psaltaren 18
Svenska Folkbibeln 2015
Kungens tack för räddning och seger
18 (A) För körledaren. Av Herrens tjänare David, som sjöng denna sång till Herren när Herrenhade räddat honom från alla hans fiender[a] och ur Sauls våld. 2 (B) Han sade:
Hjärtligt kär har jag dig,
Herre min styrka,
3 (C) Herre mitt bergfäste,
min borg och min räddare,
min Gud, min klippa
och min tillflykt,
min sköld och min frälsnings horn[b],
mitt värn!
4 (D) Jag ropar till Herren,
den högt lovade,
och jag blir frälst från mina fiender.
5 (E) Dödens band omgav mig,
fördärvets strömmar
skrämde mig,
6 dödsrikets band omslöt mig,
dödens snaror mötte mig.
7 (F) I min nöd åkallade jag Herren,
jag ropade till min Gud.
Från sitt tempel
hörde han min röst,
mitt rop till honom
nådde hans öron.
8 (G) Då skakade jorden och bävade,
bergens grundvalar darrade,
de skakade av hans brinnande
vrede.
9 (H) Rök steg ur hans näsa
och förtärande eld ur hans mun,
det gnistrade av glöd från honom.
10 Han sänkte himlen och steg ner
med mörka moln under sina fötter,
11 (I) han red på keruben och flög,
han svävade fram
på vindens vingar.
12 (J) Han gjorde mörker till sitt skydd,
till sin hydda runt omkring honom:
mörka vatten, tjocka moln.
13 Ur glansen framför honom
bröt molnen fram
med hagel och glödande kol.
14 (K) Herren dundrade i himlen,
den Högste höjde sin röst
med hagel och glödande kol[c].
15 (L) Han sköt sina pilar
och skingrade dem,
blixtar i mängd och förvirrade dem.
16 Flodbäddar blev synliga,
jordens grundvalar blottades
för din tillrättavisning, Herre,
för din vredes stormvind.
17 (M) Han räckte sin hand från höjden
och grep tag i mig,
han drog mig upp
ur de väldiga vattnen.
18 (N) Han räddade mig
från min mäktige fiende,
från dem som hatade mig
och var starkare än jag.
19 (O) De anföll mig på min olyckas dag,
men Herren var mitt stöd.
20 Han förde mig ut på rymlig plats,
han räddade mig
eftersom han älskar mig.
21 (P) Herren var god mot mig
efter min rättfärdighet,
han lönade mig
efter mina händers renhet,
22 för jag har hållit mig
på Herrens vägar
och inte avfallit
från min Gud.
23 Jag har haft alla hans domar
för ögonen
och inte avvisat hans stadgar.
24 (Q) Jag har varit fullkomlig
inför honom
och aktat mig för synd.
25 (R) Därför har Herren lönat mig
efter min rättfärdighet,
efter mina händers renhet
inför hans ögon.
26 Mot den trogne är du trofast,
mot den fullkomlige
är du fullkomlig.
27 (S) Mot den rene är du ren,
men mot den falske är du vrång.
28 (T) Ja, du frälser ett förtryckt folk,
men stolta ögon ödmjukar du.
29 (U) Du låter min lampa brinna klart,
Herren min Gud
lyser upp mitt mörker.
30 (V) Med dig slår jag ner en armé[d],
med min Gud stormar jag murar.
31 (W) Guds väg är fullkomlig,
Herrens ord är rent.
Han är en sköld
för alla som flyr till honom.
32 (X) Vem är Gud förutom Herren,
vem är en klippa utom vår Gud?
33 (Y) Gud, du rustar mig med kraft
och gör min väg fullkomlig,
34 du gör mina fötter
som hindens
och ställer mig på mina höjder.
35 (Z) Du lär mina händer att strida,
mina armar att spänna
kopparbågen.
36 (AA) Du ger mig din frälsnings sköld,
din högra hand
stöder mig.
Din ödmjukhet gör mig stor.
37 (AB) Du gör plats för mina steg
där jag går,
mina fötter vacklar inte.
38 Jag förföljde mina fiender
och hann upp dem,
jag vände inte
förrän jag gjort slut på dem.
39 (AC) Jag krossade dem
så att de inte kunde resa sig,
de föll under mina fötter.
40 Du rustade mig med kraft
för striden,
du böjde mina motståndare
under mig.
41 Mina fiender drev du på flykten
för mig,
dem som hatade mig
förintade jag.
42 (AD) De ropade,
men ingen räddare fanns,
till Herren,
men han svarade dem inte.
43 Jag malde dem
till stoft för vinden,
jag slängde ut[e] dem
som smuts på gatan.
44 (AE) Du räddade mig
ur folkets strider,
du satte mig till huvud
över hednafolk,
folk som jag inte kände
blev mina tjänare.
45 (AF) Så snart de hörde om mig
lydde de mig,
främlingar kröp för mig.
46 Främlingarnas mod
vissnade bort,
bävande lämnade de sina fästen.
47 Herren lever!
Lovad är min klippa,
upphöjd är min frälsnings Gud!
48 (AG) Gud, du har gett mig hämnd
och lagt folken under mig.
49 Du har befriat mig
från mina fiender,
du har upphöjt mig
över mina motståndare
och räddat mig från våldsmän.
50 (AH) Därför vill jag tacka dig
bland hednafolken, Herre,
och lovsjunga ditt namn,[f]
51 (AI) för du ger stora segrar
till din kung
och visar nåd mot din smorde,
mot David och hans ätt[g]
till evig tid.
Footnotes
- 18:1 när Herren hade räddat honom från alla hans fiender Troligen vid slutet av Davids liv. En snarlik version av denna psalm återfinns i 2 Sam 22.
- 18:3 horn Symbol för styrka.
- 18:14 med hagel och glödande kol Orden saknas i vissa handskrifter och i 2 Sam 22:14.
- 18:30 slår jag ner en armé Annan översättning: "rusar jag fram mot vallar".
- 18:43 slängde ut Andra handskrifter (så Septuaginta och 2 Sam 22:43): "trampade ner".
- 18:50 Citeras av Paulus i Rom 15:9 som profetia om missionen bland hedningarna.
- 18:51 ätt Annan översättning: "ättling" (alltså Messias, Davids son).
Psalm 18
New International Version
Psalm 18
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)
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
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Svenska Folkbibeln 2015 (SFB15)
Svenska Folkbibeln 2015, Copyright © 2015 by Svenska Folkbibeln Foundation
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.