Psalm 18

 ¹I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

 ²The 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.

 ³I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

 ⁴The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

 ⁵The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.

 ⁶In 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.

 ⁷Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

 ⁸There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

 ⁹He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

 ¹⁰And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

 ¹¹He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

 ¹²At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.

 ¹³The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

 ¹⁴Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.

 ¹⁵Then 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.

 ¹⁶He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

 ¹⁷He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

 ¹⁸They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

 ¹⁹He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

 ²⁰The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

 ²¹For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

 ²²For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.

 ²³I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

 ²⁴Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

 ²⁵With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

 ²⁶With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

 ²⁷For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.

 ²⁸For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

 ²⁹For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

 ³⁰As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

 ³¹For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?

 ³²It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

 ³³He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

 ³⁴He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

 ³⁵Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

 ³⁶Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

 ³⁷I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.

 ³⁸I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.

 ³⁹For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

 ⁴⁰Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.

 ⁴¹They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.

 ⁴²Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.

 ⁴³Thou 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.

 ⁴⁴As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.

 ⁴⁵The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.

 ⁴⁶The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

 ⁴⁷It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.

 ⁴⁸He 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.

 ⁴⁹Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.

 ⁵⁰Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.