Psalms 18:1

¹David spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul, ²and he said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine; ³God is my rock in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge. My savior, you save me from violence. ⁴I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. ⁵For the waves of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. ⁶The cords of Sheol^[+] were around me. The snares of death caught me. ⁷In my distress, I called on the LORD. Yes, I called to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry came into his ears. ⁸Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry. ⁹Smoke went up out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it. ¹⁰He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet. ¹¹He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind. ¹²He made darkness a shelter around himself, gathering of waters, and thick clouds of the skies. ¹³At the brightness before him, coals of fire were kindled. ¹⁴The LORD thundered from heaven. The Most High uttered his voice. ¹⁵He sent out arrows and scattered them, lightning and confused them. ¹⁶Then the channels of the sea appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare by the LORD’s rebuke, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. ¹⁷He sent from on high and he took me. He drew me out of many waters. ¹⁸He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. ¹⁹They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. ²⁰He also brought me out into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me. ²¹The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness. He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands. ²²For I have kept the LORD’s ways, and have not wickedly departed from my God. ²³For all his ordinances were before me. As for his statutes, I didn’t depart from them. ²⁴I was also perfect toward him. I kept myself from my iniquity. ²⁵Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight. ²⁶With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect. ²⁷With the pure you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd. ²⁸You will save the afflicted people, but your eyes are on the arrogant, that you may bring them down. ²⁹For you are my lamp, LORD. The LORD will light up my darkness. ³⁰For by you, I run against a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall. ³¹As for God, his way is perfect. The LORD’s word is tested. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. ³²For who is God, besides the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God? ³³God is my strong fortress. He makes my way perfect. ³⁴He makes his feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places. ³⁵He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze. ³⁶You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your gentleness has made me great. ³⁷You have enlarged my steps under me. My feet have not slipped. ³⁸I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them. I didn’t turn again until they were consumed. ³⁹I have consumed them, and struck them through, so that they can’t arise. Yes, they have fallen under my feet. ⁴⁰For you have armed me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. ⁴¹You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. ⁴²They looked, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them. ⁴³Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth. I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad. ⁴⁴You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people. You have kept me to be the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known will serve me. ⁴⁵The foreigners will submit themselves to me. As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me. ⁴⁶The foreigners will fade away, and will come trembling out of their close places. ⁴⁷The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation, ⁴⁸even the God who executes vengeance for me, who brings down peoples under me, ⁴⁹who brings me away from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man. ⁵⁰Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name. ⁵¹He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.”

¹¹strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy,

¹⁹We love him,^[+] because he first loved us.

¹In that day you will say, “I will give thanks to you, the LORD;^[+] for though you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you comfort me. ²Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD,^[+] the LORD,^[+] is my strength and song; and he has become my salvation.” ³Therefore with joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation. ⁴In that day you will say, “Give thanks to the LORD! Call on his name! Declare his doings among the peoples! Proclaim that his name is exalted! ⁵Sing to the LORD, for he has done excellent things! Let this be known in all the earth! ⁶Cry aloud and shout, you inhabitant of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is great among you!”

¹³I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

^1[+] I love the LORD,^[+] because he listens to my voice, and my cries for mercy. ²Because he has turned his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. ³The cords of death surrounded me, the pains of Sheol^[+] a hold of me. I found trouble and sorrow. ⁴Then I called on the LORD’s name: “LORD, I beg you, deliver my soul.” ⁵The LORD is gracious and righteous. Yes, our God is merciful. ⁶The LORD preserves the simple. I was brought low, and he saved me.

¹⁹Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

¹⁴The LORD^[+] is my strength and song. He has become my salvation.

¹Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands to war, and my fingers to battle— ²my loving kindness, my fortress, my high tower, my deliverer, my shield, and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.

¹Hannah prayed, and said, “My heart exults in the LORD! My horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. ²There is no one as holy as the LORD, for there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God. ³“Don’t keep talking so exceedingly proudly. Don’t let arrogance come out of your mouth, for the LORD is a God of knowledge. By him actions are weighed. ⁴“The bows of the mighty men are broken. Those who stumbled are armed with strength. ⁵Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Yes, the barren has borne seven. She who has many children languishes. ⁶“The LORD kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol^[+] and brings up. ⁷The LORD makes poor and makes rich. He brings low, he also lifts up. ⁸He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to make them sit with princes and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s. He has set the world on them. ⁹He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness; for no man will prevail by strength. ¹⁰Those who strive with the LORD shall be broken to pieces. He will thunder against them in the sky. “The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.”