David Sings to the Lord
(Psalm 18.1-50)1 David sang a song to the Lord after the Lord had rescued him from his enemies, especially Saul. These are the words to David's song:
2 Our Lord and our God,
you are my mighty rock,
my fortress, my protector.
3 You are the rock
where I am safe.
You are my shield,
my powerful weapon,
and my place of shelter.
You rescue me and keep me
safe from violence.
4 I praise you, our Lord!
I prayed to you,
and you rescued me
from my enemies.
5 Death, like ocean waves,
surrounded me,
and I was almost swallowed
by its flooding waters.
6 Ropes from the world
of the dead
had coiled around me,
and death had set a trap
in my path.
7 I was in terrible trouble
when I called out to you,
but from your temple
you heard me
and answered my prayer.
8 Earth shook and shivered!
The columns supporting the sky
rocked back and forth.
You were angry
9 and breathed out smoke.
Scorching heat and fiery flames
spewed from your mouth.
10 You opened the heavens
like curtains,
and you came down
with storm clouds
under your feet.
11 You rode on the backs
of flying creatures.
You appeared
with the wind as wings.
12 Darkness was your tent!
Thunderclouds filled the sky,
hiding you from sight.
13 Fiery coals lit up the sky
in front of you.
14 Lord Most High, your voice
thundered from the heavens.
15 You scattered your enemies
with arrows of lightning.
16 You roared at the sea,
and its deepest channels
could be seen.
You snorted,
and the earth shook
to its foundations.
17 You reached down from heaven,
and you lifted me
from deep in the ocean.
18 You rescued me from enemies
who were hateful
and too powerful for me.
19 On the day disaster struck,
they came and attacked,
but you defended me.
20 When I was fenced in,
you freed and rescued me
because you love me.
21 You are good to me, Lord,
because I do right,
and you reward me
because I am innocent.
22 I do what you want
and never turn to do evil.
23 I keep your laws in mind
and never turn away
from your teachings.
24 I obey you completely
and guard against sin.
25 You have been good to me
because I do right;
you have rewarded me
for being innocent
by your standards.
26 You are always loyal
to your loyal people,
and you are faithful
to the faithful.
27 With all who are sincere
you are sincere,
but you treat the unfaithful
as their deeds deserve.
28 You rescue the humble,
but you look for ways
to put down the proud.
29 Our Lord and God,
you are my lamp.
You turn darkness to light.
30 You help me defeat armies
and capture cities.
31 Your way is perfect, Lord,
and your word is correct.
You are a shield for those
who run to you for help.
32 You alone are God!
Only you are a mighty rock.
33 You are my strong fortress,
and you set me free.
34 You make my feet run as fast
as those of a deer,
and you help me stand
on the mountains.
35 You teach my hands to fight
and my arms to use
a bow of bronze.
36 You alone are my shield,
and by coming to help me,
you have made me famous.
37 You clear the way for me,
and now I won't stumble.
38 I kept chasing my enemies
until I caught them
and destroyed them.
39 I destroyed them!
I stuck my sword
through my enemies,
and they were crushed
under my feet.
40 You helped me win victories
and forced my attackers
to fall victim to me.
41 You made my enemies run,
and I killed them.
42 They cried out for help,
but no one saved them;
they called out to you,
but there was no answer.
43 I ground them to dust,
and I squashed them
like mud in the streets.
44 You rescued me
from my stubborn people
and made me the leader
of foreign nations,
who are now my slaves.
45 They obey and come crawling.
46 They have lost all courage
and from their fortresses
they come trembling.
47 You are the living Lord!
I will praise you!
You are a mighty rock.
I will honor you
for keeping me safe.
48 You took revenge for me,
and you put nations
in my power.
49 You protected me
from violent enemies,
and you made me much greater
than all of them.
50 I will praise you, Lord,
and I will honor you
among the nations.
51 You give glorious victories
to your chosen king.
Your faithful love for David
and for his descendants
will never end.
1 And Dauid spake the woordes of this song vnto the Lord, what time the Lord had deliuered him out of the handes of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul. 2 And he sayd, The Lord is my rocke and my fortresse, and he that deliuereth mee. 3 God is my strength, in him will I trust: my shielde, and the horne of my saluation, my hie tower and my refuge: my Sauiour, thou hast saued me from violence. 4 I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praysed: so shall I be safe from mine enemies. 5 For the pangs of death haue compassed me: the floods of vngodlinesse haue made mee afrayd. 6 The sorowes of the graue compassed mee about: the snares of death ouertooke mee. 7 But in my tribulation did I call vpon the Lord, and crie to my God, and he did heare my voyce out of his temple, and my crie did enter into his eares. 8 Then the earth trembled and quaked: the foundations of the heauens mooued and shooke, because he was angrie. 9 Smoke went out at his nostrels, and consuming fire out of his mouth: coles were kindled thereat. 10 He bowed the heauens also, and came downe, and darkenes was vnder his feete. 11 And he rode vpon Cherub and did flie, and hee was seene vpon the winges of the winde. 12 And hee made darkenesse a Tabernacle round about him, euen the gatherings of waters, and the cloudes of the ayre. 13 At the brightnesse of his presence the coles of fire were kindled. 14 The Lord thundred from heauen, and the most hie gaue his voyce. 15 He shot arrowes also, and scattered them: to wit, lightning, and destroyed them. 16 The chanels also of the sea appeared, euen the foundations of the worlde were discouered by the rebuking of the Lord, and at the blast of the breath of his nostrels. 17 He sent from aboue, and tooke me: hee drewe me out of many waters. 18 He deliuered me from my strong enemie, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. 19 They preuented me in the day of my calamitie, but the Lord was my stay, 20 And brought me foorth into a large place: he deliuered me, because he fauoured me. 21 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse: according to the purenesse of mine handes he recompensed me. 22 For I kept the wayes of the Lord, and did not wickedly against my God. 23 For all his lawes were before me, and his statutes: I did not depart therefrom. 24 I was vpright also towarde him, and haue kept me from my wickednesse. 25 Therefore the Lord did reward me according to my righteousnesse, according to my purenesse before his eyes. 26 With the godly thou wilt shewe thy selfe godly: with the vpright man thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright. 27 With the pure thou wilt shewe thy selfe pure, and with the frowarde thou wilt shew thy selfe frowarde. 28 Thus thou wilt saue the poore people: but thine eyes are vpon the hautie to humble them. 29 Surely thou art my light, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkenes. 30 For by thee haue I broken through an hoste, and by my God haue I leaped ouer a wall. 31 The way of God is vncorrupt: the word of the Lord is tryed in the fire: he is a shield to all that trust in him. 32 For who is God besides the Lord? and who is mightie, saue our God? 33 God is my strength in battel, and maketh my way vpright. 34 He maketh my feete like hindes feete, and hath set me vpon mine hie places. 35 He teacheth mine handes to fight, so that a bowe of brasse is broken with mine armes. 36 Thou hast also giuen me the shield of thy saluation, and thy louing kindnesse hath caused me to increase. 37 Thou hast inlarged my steppes vnder me, and mine heeles haue not slid. 38 I haue pursued mine enemies and destroyed them, and haue not turned againe vntill I had consumed them. 39 Yea, I haue consumed them and thrust them through, and they shall not arise, but shall fall vnder my feete. 40 For thou hast girded me with power to battell, and them that arose against me, hast thou subdued vnder me. 41 And thou hast giuen me the neckes of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. 42 They looked about, but there was none to saue them, euen vnto the Lord, but he answered them not. 43 Then did I beate them as small as the dust of the earth: I did treade them flat as the clay of the streete, and did spread them abroad. 44 Thou hast also deliuered me from the contentions of my people: thou hast preserued me to be the head ouer nations: the people which I knewe not, doe serue me. 45 Strangers shalbe in subiection to me: assoone as they heare, they shall obey me. 46 Strangers shall shrinke away, and feare in their priuie chambers. 47 Let the Lord liue, and blessed be my strength: and God, euen the force of my saluation be exalted. 48 It is God that giueth me power to reuenge me, and subdue the people vnder me, 49 And rescueth me from mine enemies: (thou also hast lift me vp from them that rose against me, thou hast deliuered me from the cruell man. 50 Therefore I will praise thee, O Lord amog the nations, and will sing vnto thy Name) 51 He is the tower of saluation for his King, and sheweth mercie to his anointed, euen to Dauid, and to his seede for euer.