Psalm 18-22

New International Version

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)

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)

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!

² You have granted him his heart’s desire^(FO)
    and have not withheld the request of his lips.^[l]
3 You came to greet him with rich blessings
    and placed a crown of pure gold^(FP) on his head.^(FQ)
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
    length of days, for ever and ever.^(FR)
5 Through the victories^(FS) you gave, his glory is great;
    you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.^(FT)
6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings
    and made him glad with the joy^(FU) of your presence.^(FV)
7 For the king trusts in the Lord;^(FW)
    through the unfailing love^(FX) of the Most High^(FY)
    he will not be shaken.^(FZ)

⁸ Your hand will lay hold^(GA) on all your enemies;
    your right hand will seize your foes.
⁹ When you appear for battle,
    you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and his fire will consume them.^(GB)
10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    their posterity from mankind.^(GC)
11 Though they plot evil^(GD) against you
    and devise wicked schemes,^(GE) they cannot succeed.
¹² You will make them turn their backs^(GF)
    when you aim at them with drawn bow.

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

³ Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;^(GN)
    you are the one Israel praises.^[o](GO)
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.^(GP)
5 To you they cried out^(GQ) and were saved;
    in you they trusted^(GR) and were not put to shame.^(GS)

⁶ But I am a worm^(GT) and not a man,
    scorned by everyone,^(GU) despised^(GV) by the people.
⁷ All who see me mock me;^(GW)
    they hurl insults,^(GX) shaking their heads.^(GY)
8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.^(GZ)
Let him deliver him,^(HA)
    since he delights^(HB) in him.”

⁹ Yet you brought me out of the womb;^(HC)
    you made me trust^(HD) in you, even at my mother’s breast.
¹⁰ From birth^(HE) I was cast on you;
    from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

¹¹ Do not be far from me,^(HF)
    for trouble is near^(HG)
    and there is no one to help.^(HH)

¹² Many bulls^(HI) surround me;^(HJ)
    strong bulls of Bashan^(HK) encircle me.
¹³ Roaring lions^(HL) that tear their prey^(HM)
    open their mouths wide^(HN) against me.
¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.^(HO)
My heart has turned to wax;^(HP)
    it has melted^(HQ) within me.
¹⁵ My mouth^[p] is dried up like a potsherd,^(HR)
    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;^(HS)
    you lay me in the dust^(HT) of death.

¹⁶ Dogs^(HU) surround me,
    a pack of villains encircles me;
    they pierce^[q](HV) my hands and my feet.
¹⁷ All my bones are on display;
    people stare^(HW) and gloat over me.^(HX)
18 They divide my clothes among them
    and cast lots^(HY) for my garment.^(HZ)

¹⁹ But you, Lord, do not be far from me.^(IA)
    You are my strength;^(IB) come quickly^(IC) to help me.^(ID)
20 Deliver me from the sword,^(IE)
    my precious life^(IF) from the power of the dogs.^(IG)
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;^(IH)
    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.^(II)

²² I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly^(IJ) I will praise you.^(IK)
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!^(IL)
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!^(IM)
    Revere him,^(IN) all you descendants of Israel!
²⁴ For he has not despised^(IO) or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;^(IP)
he has not hidden his face^(IQ) from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.^(IR)

²⁵ From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;^(IS)
    before those who fear you^[r] I will fulfill my vows.^(IT)
26 The poor will eat^(IU) and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—^(IV)
    may your hearts live forever!

²⁷ All the ends of the earth^(IW)
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,^(IX)
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord^(IY)
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹ All the rich^(IZ) of the earth will feast and worship;^(JA)
    all who go down to the dust^(JB) will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.^(JC)
30 Posterity^(JD) will serve him;
    future generations^(JE) will be told about the Lord.
³¹ They will proclaim his righteousness,^(JF)
    declaring to a people yet unborn:^(JG)
    He has done it!^(JH)