Psalm 18-21

Christian Standard Bible

⁴ The ropes of death were wrapped around me;
the torrents of destruction terrified me.^(G)
5 The ropes of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.^(H)
6 I called to the Lord in my distress,
and I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,^(I)
and my cry to him reached his ears.^(J)

⁷ Then the earth shook and quaked;
the foundations of the mountains trembled;^(K)
they shook because he burned with anger.
⁸ Smoke rose from his nostrils,
and consuming fire came from his mouth;
coals were set ablaze by it.^[a](L)
9 He bent the heavens and came down,^(M)
total darkness beneath his feet.
¹⁰ He rode on a cherub and flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.^(N)
11 He made darkness his hiding place,
dark storm clouds his canopy around him.^(O)
12 From the radiance of his presence,^(P)
his clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals.
¹³ The Lord thundered from^[b] heaven;
the Most High made his voice heard.^[c](Q)
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them;
he hurled^[d] lightning bolts and routed them.^(R)
15 The depths of the sea became visible,
the foundations of the world were exposed,
at your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.^(S)

¹⁶ He reached down from on high
and took hold of me;
he pulled me out of deep water.^(T)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too strong for me.^(U)
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.^(V)
19 He brought me out to a spacious place;^(W)
he rescued me because he delighted in me.^(X)

²⁰ The Lord rewarded me
according to my righteousness;^(Y)
he repaid me
according to the cleanness of my hands.^(Z)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord
and have not turned from my God to wickedness.^(AA)
22 Indeed, I let all his ordinances guide me^[e]
and have not disregarded his statutes.^(AB)
23 I was blameless toward him^(AC)
and kept myself from my iniquity.
²⁴ So the Lord repaid me
according to my righteousness,^(AD)
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.^(AE)

²⁵ With the faithful
you prove yourself faithful,
with the blameless
you prove yourself blameless,
²⁶ with the pure
you prove yourself pure,
but with the crooked
you prove yourself shrewd.^(AF)
27 For you rescue an oppressed people,^(AG)
but you humble those with haughty eyes.^(AH)
28 Lord, you light my lamp;
my God illuminates my darkness.^(AI)
29 With you I can attack a barricade,^[f]
and with my God I can leap over a wall.^(AJ)

³⁰ God—his way is perfect;^(AK)
the word of the Lord is pure.^(AL)
He is a shield to all who take refuge in him.^(AM)
31 For who is God besides the Lord?^(AN)
And who is a rock? Only our God.^(AO)
32 God—he clothes me with strength^(AP)
and makes my way perfect.
³³ He makes my feet like the feet of a deer^(AQ)
and sets me securely on the heights.^[g](AR)
34 He trains my hands for war;^(AS)
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.^(AT)
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation;
your right hand upholds me,^(AU)
and your humility exalts me.
³⁶ You make a spacious place beneath me for my steps,^(AV)
and my ankles do not give way.^(AW)

³⁷ I pursue my enemies and overtake them;
I do not turn back until they are wiped out.^(AX)
38 I crush them, and they cannot get up;
they fall beneath my feet.^(AY)
39 You have clothed me with strength for battle;^(AZ)
you subdue my adversaries beneath me.^(BA)
40 You have made my enemies retreat before me;^[h](BB)
I annihilate those who hate me.^(BC)
41 They cry for help, but there is no one to save them^(BD)—
they cry to the Lord, but he does not answer them.^(BE)
42 I pulverize them like dust before the wind;^(BF)
I trample them^[i] like mud in the streets.^(BG)

⁴³ You have freed me from the feuds among the people;
you have appointed me the head of nations;^(BH)
a people I had not known serve me.^(BI)
44 Foreigners submit to me cringing;
as soon as they hear they obey me.^(BJ)
45 Foreigners lose heart
and come trembling from their fortifications.^(BK)

⁴⁶ The Lord lives—blessed be my rock!
The God of my salvation is exalted.^(BL)
47 God—he grants me vengeance^(BM)
and subdues peoples under me.^(BN)
48 He frees me from my enemies.
You exalt me above my adversaries;
you rescue me from violent men.^(BO)
49 Therefore I will give thanks to you among the nations, Lord;
I will sing praises about your name.^(BP)
50 He gives great victories to his king;^(BQ)
he shows loyalty to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.^(BR)

⁷ The instruction of the Lord is perfect,
renewing one’s life;^(BX)
the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy,
making the inexperienced wise.^(BY)
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,
making the heart glad;^(BZ)
the command of the Lord is radiant,
making the eyes light up.^(CA)
9 The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;^(CB)
the ordinances of the Lord are reliable
and altogether righteous.^(CC)
10 They are more desirable than gold—
than an abundance of pure gold;^(CD)
and sweeter than honey
dripping from a honeycomb.^(CE)
11 In addition, your servant is warned by them,
and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.^(CF)

¹² Who perceives his unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from my hidden faults.^(CG)
13 Moreover, keep your servant from willful sins;^(CH)
do not let them rule me.^(CI)
Then I will be blameless
and cleansed from blatant rebellion.^(CJ)
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,^(CK)
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.^(CL)

⁴ May he give you what your heart desires^(CQ)
and fulfill your whole purpose.^(CR)
5 Let us shout for joy at your victory^(CS)
and lift the banner in the name of our God.^(CT)
May the Lord fulfill all your requests.^(CU)

⁶ Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his anointed;^(CV)
he will answer him from his holy heaven
with mighty victories from his right hand.^(CW)
7 Some take pride in chariots, and others in horses,
but we take pride in the name of the Lord our God.^(CX)
8 They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand firm.^(CY)
9 Lord, give victory to the king!^(CZ)
May he^[l] answer us on the day that we call.

⁸ Your hand will capture all your enemies;
your right hand will seize those who hate you.^(DJ)
9 You will make them burn
like a fiery furnace when you appear;
the Lord will engulf them in his wrath,
and fire will devour them.^(DK)
10 You will wipe their progeny from the earth
and their offspring from the human race.^[m](DL)
11 Though they intend to harm^[n] you
and devise a wicked plan, they will not prevail.^(DM)
12 Instead, you will put them to flight
when you ready your bowstrings to shoot at them.^(DN)

¹³ Be exalted, Lord, in your strength;
we will sing and praise your might.^(DO)