Psalter

Psalm 18 Diligam te, Domine.

1 I love you, O LORD my strength, *
O LORD my stronghold, my crag, and my haven.
2 My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, *
my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge;
you are worthy of praise.
3 I will call upon the LORD, *
and so shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 The breakers of death rolled over me, *
and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.
5 The cords of hell entangled me, *
and the snares of death were set for me.
6 I called upon the LORD in my distress *
and cried out to my God for help.
7 He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling; *
my cry of anguish came to his ears.
8 The earth reeled and rocked; *
the roots of the mountains shook;
they reeled because of his anger.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils
and a consuming fire out of his mouth; *
hot burning coals blazed forth from him.
10 He parted the heavens and came down *
with a storm cloud under his feet.
11 He mounted on cherubim and flew; *
he swooped on the wings of the wind.
12 He wrapped darkness about him; *
he made dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.
13 From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds, *
burst hailstones and coals of fire.
14 The LORD thundered out of heaven; *
the Most High uttered his voice.
15 He loosed his arrows and scattered them; *
he hurled thunderbolts and routed them.
16 The beds of the seas were uncovered,
and the foundations of the world laid bare, *
at your battle cry, O LORD,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
17 He reached down from on high and grasped me; *
he drew me out of great waters.
18 He delivered me from my strong enemies
and from those who hated me; *
for they were too mighty for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster; *
but the LORD was my support.
20 He brought me out into an open place; *
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

21 The LORD rewarded me because of my righteous dealing; *
because my hands were clean he rewarded me;
22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD *
and have not offended against my God;
23 For all his judgments are before my eyes, *
and his decrees I have not put away from me;
24 For I have been blameless with him *
and have kept myself from iniquity;
25 Therefore the LORD rewarded me according to my righteous dealing, *
because of the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26 With the faithful you show yourself faithful, O God; *
with the forthright you show yourself forthright.
27 With the pure you show yourself pure, *
but with the crooked you are wily.
28 You will save a lowly people, *
but you will humble the haughty eyes.
29 You, O LORD, are my lamp; *
my God, you make my darkness bright.
30 With you I will break down an enclosure; *
with the help of my God I will scale any wall.
31 As for God, his ways are perfect;
the words of the LORD are tried in the fire; *
he is a shield to all who trust in him.
32 For who is God, but the LORD? *
who is the Rock, except our God?
33 It is God who girds me about with strength *
and makes my way secure.
34 He makes me sure-footed like a deer *
and lets me stand firm on the heights.
35 He trains my hands for battle *
and my arms for bending even a bow of bronze.
36 You have given me your shield of victory; *
your right hand also sustains me;
your loving care makes me great.
37 You lengthen my stride beneath me, *
and my ankles do not give way.
38 I pursue my enemies and overtake them; *
I will not turn back till I have destroyed them.
39 I strike them down, and they cannot rise; *
they fall defeated at my feet.
40 You have girded me with strength for the battle; *
you have cast down my adversaries beneath me;
you have put my enemies to flight.
41 I destroy those who hate me;
they cry out, but there is none to help them; *
they cry to the LORD, but he does not answer.
42 I beat them small like dust before the wind; *
I trample them like mud in the streets.
43 You deliver me from the strife of the peoples; *
you put me at the head of the nations.
44 A people I have not known shall serve me;
no sooner shall they hear than they shall obey me; *
strangers will cringe before me.
45 The foreign peoples will lose heart; *
they shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
46 The LORD lives! Blessed is my Rock! *
Exalted is the God of my salvation!
47 He is the God who gave me victory *
and cast down the peoples beneath me.
48 You rescued me from the fury of my enemies;
you exalted me above those who rose against me; *
you saved me from my deadly foe.
49 Therefore will I extol you among the nations, O LORD, *
and sing praises to your Name.
50 He multiplies the victories of his king; *
he shows loving-kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants for ever.

1	I love you, O LORD my strength, * O LORD my stronghold, my crag, and my haven.
2	My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, * my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge; you are worthy of praise.
3	I will call upon the LORD, * and so shall I be saved from my enemies.
4	The breakers of death rolled over me, * and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.
5	The cords of hell entangled me, * and the snares of death were set for me.
6	I called upon the LORD in my distress * and cried out to my God for help.
7	He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling; * my cry of anguish came to his ears.
8	The earth reeled and rocked; * the roots of the mountains shook; they reeled because of his anger.
9	Smoke rose from his nostrils and a consuming fire out of his mouth; * hot burning coals blazed forth from him.
10	He parted the heavens and came down * with a storm cloud under his feet.
11	He mounted on cherubim and flew; * he swooped on the wings of the wind.
12	He wrapped darkness about him; * he made dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.
13	From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds, * burst hailstones and coals of fire.
14	The LORD thundered out of heaven; * the Most High uttered his voice.
15	He loosed his arrows and scattered them; * he hurled thunderbolts and routed them.
16	The beds of the seas were uncovered, and the foundations of the world laid bare, * at your battle cry, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
17	He reached down from on high and grasped me; * he drew me out of great waters.
18	He delivered me from my strong enemies and from those who hated me; * for they were too mighty for me.
19	They confronted me in the day of my disaster; * but the LORD was my support.
20	He brought me out into an open place; * he rescued me because he delighted in me.
21	The LORD rewarded me because of my righteous dealing; * because my hands were clean he rewarded me;
22	For I have kept the ways of the LORD * and have not offended against my God;
23	For all his judgments are before my eyes, * and his decrees I have not put away from me;
24	For I have been blameless with him * and have kept myself from iniquity;
25	Therefore the LORD rewarded me according to my righteous dealing, * because of the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26	With the faithful you show yourself faithful, O God; * with the forthright you show yourself forthright.
27	With the pure you show yourself pure, * but with the crooked you are wily.
28	You will save a lowly people, * but you will humble the haughty eyes.
29	You, O LORD, are my lamp; * my God, you make my darkness bright.
30	With you I will break down an enclosure; * with the help of my God I will scale any wall.
31	As for God, his ways are perfect; the words of the LORD are tried in the fire; * he is a shield to all who trust in him.
32	For who is God, but the LORD? * who is the Rock, except our God?
33	It is God who girds me about with strength * and makes my way secure.
34	He makes me sure-footed like a deer * and lets me stand firm on the heights.
35	He trains my hands for battle * and my arms for bending even a bow of bronze.
36	You have given me your shield of victory; * your right hand also sustains me; your loving care makes me great.
37	You lengthen my stride beneath me, * and my ankles do not give way.
38	I pursue my enemies and overtake them; * I will not turn back till I have destroyed them.
39	I strike them down, and they cannot rise; * they fall defeated at my feet.
40	You have girded me with strength for the battle; * you have cast down my adversaries beneath me; you have put my enemies to flight.
41	I destroy those who hate me; they cry out, but there is none to help them; * they cry to the LORD, but he does not answer.
42	I beat them small like dust before the wind; * I trample them like mud in the streets.
43	You deliver me from the strife of the peoples; * you put me at the head of the nations.
44	A people I have not known shall serve me; no sooner shall they hear than they shall obey me; * strangers will cringe before me.
45	The foreign peoples will lose heart; * they shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
46	The LORD lives! Blessed is my Rock! * Exalted is the God of my salvation!
47	He is the God who gave me victory * and cast down the peoples beneath me.
48	You rescued me from the fury of my enemies; you exalted me above those who rose against me; * you saved me from my deadly foe.
49	Therefore will I extol you among the nations, O LORD, * and sing praises to your Name.
50	He multiplies the victories of his king; * he shows loving-kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants for ever.