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:

I love you, Lord, my strength.(B)

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.

I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(I)
    and I have been saved from my enemies.(J)
The cords of death(K) entangled me;
    the torrents(L) of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death(M) confronted me.

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.
The earth trembled(R) and quaked,(S)
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;(T)
    they trembled because he was angry.(U)
Smoke rose from his nostrils;(V)
    consuming fire(W) came from his mouth,
    burning coals(X) blazed out of it.
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)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
  2. Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
  3. Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  4. Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning
  5. Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade
  6. Psalm 18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out

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.
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.
Because he is praiseworthy,[b]
    I cried out to the Lord,
    and I was saved from my enemies.
Death’s cords were wrapped around me;
    rivers of wickedness terrified me.
The cords of the grave[c] surrounded me;
    death’s traps held me tight.
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.

The earth rocked and shook;
    the bases of the mountains trembled and reeled
    because of God’s anger.
Smoke went up from God’s nostrils;
    out of his mouth came a devouring fire;
    flaming coals blazed out in front of him!
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

  1. Psalm 18:1 This poem also occurs in 2 Sam 22 with some variations.
  2. Psalm 18:3 Heb uncertain
  3. Psalm 18:5 Heb Sheol
  4. Psalm 18:45 Or prisons

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. He said:

“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[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.

“I called to the Lord, who is worthy(J) of praise,
    and have been saved from my enemies.
The waves(K) of death swirled about me;
    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave(L) coiled around me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

“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.
The earth(O) trembled and quaked,(P)
    the foundations(Q) of the heavens[c] shook;
    they trembled because he was angry.
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)

51 “He gives his king great victories;(CG)
    he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,(CH)
    to David(CI) and his descendants forever.”(CJ)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 22:3 Or sovereign
  2. 2 Samuel 22:3 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  3. 2 Samuel 22:8 Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains
  4. 2 Samuel 22:11 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts appeared
  5. 2 Samuel 22:12 Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrew massed
  6. 2 Samuel 22:25 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) to the cleanness of my hands
  7. 2 Samuel 22:30 Or can run through a barricade
  8. 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
  9. 2 Samuel 22:36 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text shield; / you stoop down to make
  10. 2 Samuel 22:46 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text they arm themselves

David’s thanksgiving psalm

22 [a] David spoke the words of this song to the Lord after the Lord delivered him from the power of all his enemies and from Saul.

He said:
    The Lord is my solid rock, my fortress, my rescuer.
    My God is my rock—I take refuge in him!—
    he’s my shield and my salvation’s strength,
    my place of safety and my shelter.
    My savior! Save me from violence!
Because he is praiseworthy,[b]
    I cried out to the Lord,
    and I was saved from my enemies.
Death’s waves were all around me;
    rivers of wickedness terrified me.
The cords of the grave[c] surrounded me;
    death’s traps held me tight.
In my distress I cried out to the Lord;
    I cried out to my God.
God heard my voice from his temple;
    my cry for help reached his ears.

The earth rocked and shook;
    the sky’s foundations trembled
    and reeled because of God’s anger.
Smoke went up from God’s nostrils;
    out of his mouth came a devouring fire;
    flaming coals blazed out in front of him!
10 God parted the skies and came down;
    thick darkness was beneath his feet.
11 God mounted the heavenly creatures and flew;
    he was seen on the wind’s wings.
12 God made darkness his covering;
    water gathered in dense clouds!
13 Coals of fire blazed out of the brightness before him.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the Most High made his voice heard.
15 God shot arrows, scattering the enemy;
    he sent the lightning and whipped them into confusion.
16 The seabeds were exposed;
    the earth’s foundations were laid bare at the Lord’s rebuke,
        at the angry blast of air coming from his nostrils.

17 From on high God reached down and grabbed me;
    he took me out of deep waters.
18 God saved me from my powerful enemy,
    saved me from my foes, who were too much for me.
19 They came at me on the very day of my distress,
    but the Lord was my support.
20 He brought me out to wide-open spaces;
    he pulled me out, because he is pleased with me.
21 The Lord rewarded me for my righteousness;
    he restored me because my hands are clean,
22     because I have kept the Lord’s ways.
    I haven’t acted wickedly against my God.
23 All his rules are right in front of me;
    I haven’t turned away from any of his laws.
24 I have lived with integrity before him;
    I’ve kept myself from wrongdoing.
25 And so the Lord restored me for my righteousness,
    because I am clean in his eyes.

26 You deal faithfully with the faithful;
    you show integrity toward the one who has integrity.
27 You are pure toward the pure,
    but toward the crooked, you are tricky.
28 You are the one who saves people who suffer,
    but your eyes are against the proud.
    You bring them down!
29 You are my lamp, Lord;
    the Lord illumines my darkness.
30 With you I can charge into battle;
    with my God I can leap over a wall.
31 God! His way is perfect;
    the Lord’s word is tried and true.
    He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

32 Now really, who is divine except the Lord?
    And who is a rock except our God?
33 Only God! My mighty fortress,
    who makes my way[d] perfect,
34 who makes my step[e] as sure as the deer’s,
    who lets me stand securely on the heights,
35 who trains my hands for war
    so my arms can bend a bronze bow.
36 You’ve given me the shield of your salvation;
        your help has made me great.
37 You’ve let me walk fast and safe,
    without even twisting an ankle.
38 I chased my enemies and destroyed them!
    I didn’t come home until I finished them off.
39 I ate them up! I struck them down!
    They couldn’t get up;
        they fell under my feet.
40 You equipped me with strength for war;
    you brought my adversaries down underneath me.
41 You made my enemies turn tail from me;
    I destroyed my foes.
42 They looked around, but there was no one to save them.
    They looked to the Lord, but he wouldn’t answer them.
43 I crushed them like dust on the ground;
    I stomped on them, trampled them like mud dumped in the streets.
44 You delivered me from struggles with many people;
    you appointed me the leader of many nations.
    Strangers come to serve me.
45 Foreigners grovel before me;
    after hearing about me, they obey me.
46     Foreigners lose their nerve;
    they come trembling out of their fortresses.[f]

47 The Lord lives! Bless God, my rock!
    Let my God, the rock of my salvation, be lifted high!
48 This is the God who avenges on my behalf,
    who subdues peoples before me,
49     who rescues me from my enemies.
You lifted me high above my adversaries;
    you delivered me from violent people.
50 That’s why I thank you, Lord, in the presence of the nations.
    That’s why I sing praises to your name.
51 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

  1. 2 Samuel 22:1 This poem also occurs in Psalm 18 with some variations.
  2. 2 Samuel 22:4 Heb uncertain
  3. 2 Samuel 22:6 Heb Sheol
  4. 2 Samuel 22:33 Qere; Kethib his way
  5. 2 Samuel 22:34 Qere; Kethib his step
  6. 2 Samuel 22:46 Or prisons