Psalm 18

Diligam te, Domine.

I WILL love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my stony rock, and my defence; My Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust; my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge. I will call upon the LORD, which is worthy to be praised; so shall I be safe from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid. The pains of hell came about me; the snares of death overtook me. In my trouble I called upon the LORD, and complained unto my God: So he heard my voice out of his holy temple, and my complaint came before him; it entered even into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, the very foundations also of the hills shook, and were removed, because he was wroth. There went a smoke out in his presence, and a consuming fire out of his mouth, so that coals were kindled at it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down, and it was dark under his feet. He rode upon the Cherubim, and did fly; he came flying upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place, his pavilion round about him with dark water, and thick clouds to cover him. At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed; hailstones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered out of heaven, and the Highest gave his thunder; hailstones and coals of fire. He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he cast forth lightnings, and destroyed them. The springs of waters were seen, and the foundations of the round world were discovered, at thy chiding, O LORD, at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure. He sent down from on high to fetch me, and took me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strongest enemy, and from them which hate me; for they were too mighty for me. They came upon me in the day of my trouble; but the LORD was my upholder. He brought me forth also into a place of liberty; he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me. The LORD rewarded me after my righteous dealing, according to the cleanness of my hands did he recompense me. Because I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not forsaken my God, as the wicked doth. For I have an eye unto all his laws, and will not cast out his commandments from me. I was also uncorrupt before him, and eschewed mine own wickedness. Therefore the LORD rewarded me after my righteous dealing, and according unto the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. With the holy thou shalt be holy, and with a perfect man thou shalt be perfect. With the clean thou shalt be clean, and with the froward thou shalt be froward. For thou shalt save the people that are in adversity, and shalt bring down the high looks of the proud. Thou also shalt light my candle; the LORD my God shall make my darkness to be light. For in thee I shall discomfit an host of men, and with the help of my God I shall leap over the wall. The way of God is an undefiled way: the word of the LORD also is tried in the fire; he is the defender of all them that put their trust in him. For who is God, but the LORD? or who hath any strength, except our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength of war, and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like harts' feet, and setteth me up on high. He teacheth mine hands to fight, and mine arms shall bend even a bow of steel. Thou hast given me the defence of thy salvation; thy right hand also shall hold me up, and thy loving correction shall make me great. Thou shalt make room enough under me for to go, that my footsteps shall not slide. I will follow upon mine enemies, and overtake them; neither will I turn again till I have destroyed them. I will smite them, that they shall not be able to stand, but fall under my feet. Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; thou shalt throw down mine enemies under me. Thou hast made mine enemies also to turn their backs upon me, and I shall destroy them that hate me. They shall cry, but there shall be none to help them; yea, even unto the LORD shall they cry, but he shall not hear them. I will beat them as small as the dust before the wind: I will cast them out as the clay in the streets. Thou shalt deliver me from the strivings of the people, and thou shalt make me the head of the nations; a people whom I have not known shall serve me. As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me; the strangers shall feign obedience unto me. The strangers shall fail, and come trembling out of their strongholds. The LORD liveth; and blessed be my strong helper, and praised be the God of my salvation; Even the God that seeth that I be avenged, and subdueth the people unto me. It is he that delivereth me from my cruel enemies, and setteth me up above mine adversaries: thou shalt rid me from the wicked man. For this cause will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the Gentiles, and sing praises unto thy Name. Great prosperity giveth he unto his King, and showeth loving-kindness unto David his anointed, and unto his seed for evermore.

[Coverdale]

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, 
who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD 
delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul

I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God,
my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my
salvation, and my high tower.

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall
I be saved from mine enemies.

The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men
made me afraid.

The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death
prevented me.

In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he
heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even
into his ears.

Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the
hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his
mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under
his feet.

And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the
wings of the wind.

He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him
were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed,
hail stones and coals of fire.

The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his
voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out
lightnings, and discomfited them.

Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of
the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the
breath of thy nostrils.

He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated
me: for they were too strong for me.

They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my
stay.

He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me,
because he delighted in me.

The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to
the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly
departed from my God.

For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his
statutes from me.

I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine
iniquity.

Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my
righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an
upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward
thou wilt shew thyself froward.

For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down
high looks.

For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my
darkness.

For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I
leaped over a wall.

As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried:
he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?

It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way
perfect.

He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high
places.

He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by
mine arms.

Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy
right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I
turn again till they were consumed.

I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are
fallen under my feet.

For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast
subdued under me those that rose up against me.

Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might
destroy them that hate me.

They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD,
but he answered them not.

Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did
cast them out as the dirt in the streets.

Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and
thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not
known shall serve me.

As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers
shall submit themselves unto me.

The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close
places.

The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my
salvation be exalted.

It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.

He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up
above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the
violent man.

Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the
heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.

Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to
his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

[KJV]

[AV]

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