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Psalm 18
International Standard Version
Psalm 18
International Standard Version
To the Director: By the servant of the Lord, David, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
Gratitude for Victory
18 He said:
“I love you, Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God,
my stronghold[a] in whom I take refuge, my shield, the glory[b]
of my salvation, and my high tower.”
3 I cried out to the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I was delivered from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the rivers of Belial[c] made me afraid.
5 The cords of Sheol[d] surrounded me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I cried to the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his Temple he heard my voice;
my cry reached his ears.
7 The world shook and trembled;
the foundations of the mountains quaked,
they shook because he was angry.
8 In his anger smoke poured out of his nostrils,
and consuming fire from his mouth;
coals were lit from it.
9 He bent the sky and descended,
and darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode upon a cherub and flew;
he soared upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his hiding place,
his canopy surrounding him was dark waters and thick clouds.
12 The brightness before him scattered the thick clouds,
with hail stones and flashes of fire.
13 Then the Lord thundered in[e] the heavens,
and the Most High sounded aloud,
calling for hail stones and flashes of fire.[f]
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them;
with many lightning bolts he frightened them.
15 Then the channels of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were uncovered
because of your rebuke, Lord,
because of the blast from the breath of your nostrils.
16 He reached down and took me;
he drew me from many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemies,
from those who hated me because
they were stronger than I.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out to a spacious place;
he delivered me, for in me he takes delight.
God’s Reward to the Righteous
20 The Lord will reward me because I am righteous;
because my hands are clean he will restore me;
21 because I have kept the ways of the Lord,
and I have not wickedly departed from my God;
22 because all his judgments were always before me,
and I did not cast off his statutes.
23 I was upright[g] before him,
and I kept myself from iniquity.
24 So the Lord restored me according to my righteousness,
because my hands were clean in his sight.
25 To the holy, you show your gracious love,
to the upright, you show yourself upright;
26 to the pure, you show yourself pure,
and to the morally corrupt, you appear to be perverse.
27 Indeed, you deliver the oppressed,[h]
but you bring down those who exalt themselves
in their own eyes.
28 For you, Lord, make my lamp shine;
my God enlightens my darkness.
29 With your help[i] I will run through an army,
with help from[j] my God I leap over walls.
30 As for God, his way is upright;[k]
the word of God is pure;
he is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
The Acts of God for the Righteous
31 For who is God but the Lord,
and who is a Rock other than our God?—
32 the God who clothes me with strength,
and who makes my way upright;[l]
33 who makes my feet swift as the deer;
who makes me stand on high places;
34 who teaches my hands to make war,
and my arms to bend a bronze bow.
35 You have given to me the shield of your deliverance,
and your right hand holds me up;
your gentleness made me great.
36 You make a broad place for my steps,
so my feet[m] won’t slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn around until they were utterly defeated.
38 I struck them down,
so they are not able to rise up;
they fell under my feet.
39 You clothed me with strength for war;
you will subdue under me those who rise up against me.
40 You have made my enemies turn their back to me,
and I will destroy those who hate me.
41 They cried out for deliverance,
but there was no one to deliver;
they cried out[n] to the Lord,
but he did not answer them.
42 I ground them like wind-swept dust;
I emptied them out[o] like dirt in the street.
43 You rescued me from conflict with the people;
you made me head of the nations.
People who did not know me will serve me.
44 When they hear of me,[p] they will obey me;
foreigners will submit to me.
45 Foreigners will wilt away;
they will come trembling out of their stronghold.
46 The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
May the God of my deliverance be exalted!
47 He is the God who executes vengeance on my behalf;
who destroys peoples under me;
48 who delivers me from my enemies.
Truly you will exalt me above those who oppose me;
you will deliver me from the violent person.
49 Therefore, I will give thanks to you among the nations, Lord;
I will sing praises to your name.
50 He is the one who gives victories to his king;
who shows gracious love to his anointed,
to David and his seed forever.
Footnotes
- Psalm 18:2 Lit. rock
- Psalm 18:2 Lit. horn
- Psalm 18:4 I.e. the forces of death and destruction
- Psalm 18:5 I.e. the realm of the dead
- Psalm 18:13 So MT DSS 4QPsc; LXX Targ Vg (cf. 2 Sam 22:14) reads from
- Psalm 18:13 So MT DSS 4QPsc; LXX lacks calling for hail stones and flashes of fire
- Psalm 18:23 Or blameless
- Psalm 18:27 Or poor
- Psalm 18:29 The Heb. lacks help
- Psalm 18:29 The Heb. lacks help from
- Psalm 18:30 Or blameless
- Psalm 18:32 Or blameless
- Psalm 18:36 Lit. ankle
- Psalm 18:41 The Heb. lacks they cried out
- Psalm 18:42 So MT DSS 5/6HevPs; LXX reads I will grind them down
- Psalm 18:44 Lit. At the hearing of the ear
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
2 Samuel 22
International Standard Version
2 Samuel 22
International Standard Version
David’s Psalm of Deliverance
22 David composed the words of this song to the Lord the very day the Lord delivered him from the domination[a] of all of his enemies, including from Saul’s hands. 2 This is what[b] he said:
Lord, you are[c] my stone stronghold
and my fortified place;
you are continuously delivering[d] me.
3 He is my God,
my strong stone—
in him I will find my refuge—
my shield,
the strength[e] of my salvation,
my high tower,
my way of escape,
and the one who is saving me.
You will save me from violence.
4 As I am praising him,[f]
I will call out to the Lord,
and I will be saved from my enemies.
5 Because deadly breakers[g] engulfed me,
while torrents of abuse[h] from the ungodly overwhelmed[i] me.
6 Binding ropes from Sheol entangled me
while lethal snares hindered me.
7 I cried out to the Lord in the middle of my troubles;
I cried out to my God.
He listened to my voice from his sanctuary,
and my call for help was heard.
8 Just then the earth shook and trembled!
The foundations of heaven reeled and quaked
because the Lord[j] was angry.
9 Smoke poured out of his nostrils,
and fire from his mouth
kindling coals to flame by it.
10 He deformed heaven itself as he descended.
Thick darkness enveloped his feet.
11 He rode on a cherub and flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind!
12 The darkness around him was his canopies—
amassed water was his overhanging clouds!
13 From the shining light[k] that was his presence[l]
coals of fire blazed into flame!
14 The Lord roared from heaven!
The Most High let his voice be heard!
15 He launched his arrows and scattered them—
his lightning routed them.
16 The currents of the sea were revealed
and the foundations of the world were exposed
at the rebuke of the Lord
and at the blazing breath from his nostrils!
17 He sent for me from on high!
He grabbed hold of me,
drawing me out of deep water.
18 He rescued me from my strong enemy—
from those who hate me continually,
since they were stronger than I.
19 They confronted me when I was in trouble,[m]
but the Lord remained my support!
20 He brought me to a wide open area,
rescuing me because he was pleased with me!
21 The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness,
rewarding me according to the degree of my innocence,[n]
22 because I have kept the Lord’s way—
I haven’t willfully abandoned my God—
23 and because all of his decrees remain in my thoughts,[o]
I have not turned aside from his statutes,
24 I have been innocent before him,
and I’ve kept myself from incurring[p] guilt.
25 The Lord has repaid me according to my righteousness,
that is, according to my clean standing as he[q] looks at me.[r]
26 In the company of the gracious
you demonstrate your gracious love.
In the company of the blamelessly valiant
you demonstrate your blamelessness.
27 In the company of the pure
you demonstrate your purity.
In the company of the perverted
you will appear to be perverse.
28 You save the nation who is humble
but your eyes watch the proud,
to bring them down.
29 For you are my lamp, Lord,
the Lord who illuminates my darkness.
30 By you I devastate armies,
by my God I scale walls.
31 This God! His way is perfect!
What the Lord declares proves true.
He shields[s] everyone who flees for protection to him!
32 For who is God apart from the Lord?
And who is a Rock, apart from our God?
33 This God is my strong place of valor!
He has made my life[t] blameless.
34 He has made my feet like those of a deer,
setting me secure on his high places!
35 He has trained my hands for battle readiness—
I can bend a bow made out of bronze.
36 He has equipped me with the shield that is your salvation,
Your gentleness[u] has made me great.
37 You’ve made room beneath me for my footsteps,
and my feet didn’t slip.
38 I pursued my enemies and conquered them;
I didn’t return until they were consumed.
39 I devoured them,
striking them down
until they could not get up again.
They fell beneath my feet.
40 You strengthened me with valor sufficient for the battle;
you made those who rebelled against me fall beneath me.
41 You made my enemies turn and run—[v]
that is, those who hate me—
and I destroyed them!
42 They looked around, but there was no one to save[w] them[x]—
they looked[y] to the Lord, but he paid no attention!
43 I pulverized them to powder,
like the dust of the earth;
I crushed them,
stomping on them like mud on a street.
44 You delivered me from civil war among my own people.
You preserved me as head of the nations.
People whom I had never known served me!
45 Foreigners[z] came cringing to me;
they obeyed as soon as they heard[aa] me.
46 Foreigners[ab] lost their courage,
coming trembling from their strongholds.
47 The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock,
and may my God be exalted,
the Rock who is my salvation!
48 The God who keeps on avenging me,
subjugating people beneath me,
49 delivering me from my enemies.
You exalted me above those who rebelled against me,
delivering me from violent men.
50 Because of all of this I will praise you among the nations, Lord,
and I will sing praises to your name!
51 Great is the salvation he brings to his king,
showing gracious love to his anointed,
to David and to his offspring[ac] forever.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 22:1 Lit. hand
- 2 Samuel 22:2 The Heb. lacks This is what
- 2 Samuel 22:2 So LXX. MT reads The Lord is
- 2 Samuel 22:2 So MT LXX reads rescuing
- 2 Samuel 22:3 Lit. horn
- 2 Samuel 22:4 The Heb. lacks him
- 2 Samuel 22:5 Or currents
- 2 Samuel 22:5 The Heb. lacks of abuse
- 2 Samuel 22:5 Or terrified
- 2 Samuel 22:8 Lit. because he
- 2 Samuel 22:13 Or the brightness
- 2 Samuel 22:13 Or counterpart; MT word is perhaps a word play on the noun shining light
- 2 Samuel 22:19 Lit. in the day of my calamity
- 2 Samuel 22:21 Lit. the cleanness of my hands
- 2 Samuel 22:23 Lit. presence
- 2 Samuel 22:24 The Heb. lacks incurring
- 2 Samuel 22:25 Lit. standing to the counterpart
- 2 Samuel 22:25 Or standing in his eyes
- 2 Samuel 22:31 Lit. He is a shield for
- 2 Samuel 22:33 Lit. way
- 2 Samuel 22:36 So MT; LXX reads Obedience to you
- 2 Samuel 22:41 Lit. away their backs to me
- 2 Samuel 22:42 MT verb looked around sounds like MT verb to save
- 2 Samuel 22:42 The Heb. lacks them
- 2 Samuel 22:42 The Heb. lacks they looked
- 2 Samuel 22:45 Lit. Children of foreigners
- 2 Samuel 22:45 MT verbs obeyed and heard are identical in spelling
- 2 Samuel 22:46 Lit. Children of foreigners
- 2 Samuel 22:51 Lit. seed; MT is sing.
2 Samuel 22
New International Version
2 Samuel 22
New International Version
David’s Song of Praise(A)
22 David sang(B) 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. 2 He said:
“The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(F)
my shield[a](G) and the horn[b](H) of my salvation.
He is my stronghold,(I) my refuge and my savior—
from violent people you save me.
4 “I called to the Lord, who is worthy(J) of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.
5 The waves(K) of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
6 The cords of the grave(L) coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
7 “In my distress(M) I called(N) to the Lord;
I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.
8 The earth(O) trembled and quaked,(P)
the foundations(Q) of the heavens[c] shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire(R) came from his mouth,
burning coals(S) blazed out of it.
10 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds(T) were under his feet.
11 He mounted the cherubim(U) and flew;
he soared[d] on the wings of the wind.(V)
12 He made darkness(W) his canopy around him—
the dark[e] rain clouds of the sky.
13 Out of the brightness of his presence
bolts of lightning(X) blazed forth.
14 The Lord thundered(Y) from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
15 He shot his arrows(Z) and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
16 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at the rebuke(AA) of the Lord,
at the blast(AB) of breath from his nostrils.
17 “He reached down from on high(AC) and took hold of me;
he drew(AD) me out of deep waters.
18 He rescued(AE) me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.(AF)
20 He brought me out into a spacious(AG) place;
he rescued(AH) me because he delighted(AI) in me.(AJ)
21 “The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(AK)
according to the cleanness(AL) of my hands(AM) he has rewarded me.
22 For I have kept(AN) the ways of the Lord;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
23 All his laws are before me;(AO)
I have not turned(AP) away from his decrees.
24 I have been blameless(AQ) before him
and have kept myself from sin.
25 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(AR)
according to my cleanness[f] in his sight.
26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
27 to the pure(AS) you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(AT)
28 You save the humble,(AU)
but your eyes are on the haughty(AV) to bring them low.(AW)
29 You, Lord, are my lamp;(AX)
the Lord turns my darkness into light.
30 With your help I can advance against a troop[g];
with my God I can scale a wall.
31 “As for God, his way is perfect:(AY)
The Lord’s word is flawless;(AZ)
he shields(BA) all who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock(BB) except our God?(BC)
33 It is God who arms me with strength[h]
and keeps my way secure.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(BD)
he causes me to stand on the heights.(BE)
35 He trains my hands(BF) for battle;
my arms can bend a bow(BG) of bronze.
36 You make your saving help my shield;(BH)
your help has made[i] me great.
37 You provide a broad path(BI) for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
38 “I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
39 I crushed(BJ) them completely, and they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
40 You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.(BK)
41 You made my enemies turn their backs(BL) in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
42 They cried for help,(BM) but there was no one to save them—(BN)
to the Lord, but he did not answer.(BO)
43 I beat them as fine as the dust(BP) of the earth;
I pounded and trampled(BQ) them like mud(BR) in the streets.
44 “You have delivered(BS) me from the attacks of the peoples;
you have preserved(BT) me as the head of nations.
People(BU) I did not know now serve me,
45 foreigners cower(BV) before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.(BW)
46 They all lose heart;
they come trembling[j](BX) from their strongholds.
47 “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted(BY) be my God, the Rock, my Savior!(BZ)
48 He is the God who avenges(CA) me,(CB)
who puts the nations under me,
49 who sets me free from my enemies.(CC)
You exalted me(CD) above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
50 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises(CE) of your name.(CF)
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 22:3 Or sovereign
- 2 Samuel 22:3 Horn here symbolizes strength.
- 2 Samuel 22:8 Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains
- 2 Samuel 22:11 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts appeared
- 2 Samuel 22:12 Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrew massed
- 2 Samuel 22:25 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) to the cleanness of my hands
- 2 Samuel 22:30 Or can run through a barricade
- 2 Samuel 22:33 Dead Sea Scrolls, some Septuagint manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:32); Masoretic Text who is my strong refuge
- 2 Samuel 22:36 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text shield; / you stoop down to make
- 2 Samuel 22:46 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text they arm themselves
International Standard Version (ISV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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