Psalm 18

For the choir director. Of David, the servant of Yahweh, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song on the day Yahweh rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

1He said: “I love you, Yahweh, my strength.

2Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3I call on Yahweh, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

4The cords of death wrapped around me; the torrents of destruction terrified me.

5The cords of Sheol coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

6In my distress I called on Yahweh; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry before him reached his ears.

7Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the mountains trembled and shook, because he was angry.

8Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire came from his mouth; burning coals blazed out from it.

9He bent the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet.

10He rode on a cherub and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.

11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him: dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

12Out of the brightness before him his clouds swept past, with hail and coals of fire.

13Yahweh thundered in the heavens; the Most High raised his voice, with hail and coals of fire.

14He shot his arrows and scattered them; he flashed lightning in abundance and routed them.

15Then the channels of the waters were exposed, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

16He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

17He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.

18They confronted me on the day of my disaster, but Yahweh was my support.

19He brought me out into a wide-open place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

20Yahweh has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

21For I have kept the ways of Yahweh and have not wickedly turned away from my God.

22For all his rulings are before me, and I have not put away his statutes from me.

23I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.

24So Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25With the faithful you show yourself faithful; with the blameless you show yourself blameless.

26With the pure you show yourself pure, but with the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

27For you save a humble people, but you bring down those whose eyes are proud.

28For you light my lamp; Yahweh my God lights up my darkness.

29With you I can charge against a troop; with my God I can leap over a wall.

30As for God, his way is blameless; the word of Yahweh is proven true; he is a shield to all who take refuge in him.

31For who is God besides Yahweh? And who is a rock except our God?

32It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way blameless.

33He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and sets me secure on the heights.

34He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35You have given me the shield of your salvation; your right hand supports me, and your gentleness makes me great.

36You make a wide path for my steps beneath me, and my ankles have not given way.

37I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were destroyed.

38I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.

39You armed me with strength for battle; you made those who rose against me bow down beneath me.

40You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and I destroyed those who hated me.

41They cried for help, but there was no one to save them; they cried to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.

42I ground them as fine as dust before the wind; I emptied them out like mud in the streets.

43You rescued me from the attacks of the people; you made me head of the nations; a people I did not know now serve me.

44As soon as they hear of me, they obey me; foreigners come cringing to me.

45Foreigners lose heart; they come trembling out of their strongholds.

46Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be the God of my salvation,

47the God who gives me vengeance and subdues peoples under me,

48who rescues me from my enemies. You lift me high above those who rise against me; you deliver me from the violent.

49Therefore I will praise you among the nations, Yahweh, and sing praises to your name.

50He gives great victories to his king; he shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”