Psalm 18:title–19:14

Praise to God for His Deliverance

18For the music director. Of David, the servant of Yahweh,

who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song

when^a Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies,

and from the hand of Saul.^b

¹And he said:

“I love you, O Yahweh, my strength.”

²Yahweh is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

my God, my rock in whom I have taken refuge,

my shield and the horn of my deliverance, my stronghold.

³I called upon Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised,

and I was saved from my enemies.

⁴The ropes of death encircled me,

and streams of ruin overwhelmed me.

⁵The ropes of Sheol surrounded me;

the snares of death confronted me.

⁶In my trouble I called on Yahweh,

and to my God I cried for help.

He heard my voice from his temple,

and my cry for help

came up before his presence into his ears.

⁷Then the earth shook and quaked,

and the foundations of the mountains trembled,

and they staggered because he was angry.

⁸Smoke went forth from his nose,

and fire from his mouth consumed.

Burning coals blazed from him.

⁹So he bowed the heavens and came down

with a thick cloud under his feet.

¹⁰And he mounted a cherub and flew,

and he swooped down on wings of wind.

¹¹He made darkness his hiding place;

all about him his covering

was a darkness of waters, thick clouds.^c

¹²From the brightness before him

his clouds passed over

with hail and coals of fire.

¹³And Yahweh thundered from the heavens,

and the Most High uttered his voice

with hail and coals of fire.

¹⁴And he shot his arrows and scattered them,^d

and many lightning bolts and routed them.

¹⁵Then the channels of the sea became visible,

and the foundations of the world were uncovered

by your rebuke, O Yahweh,

by the blast^e of the wind of your nose.

¹⁶He reached^f from on high; he seized me.

He drew me from many waters.

¹⁷He delivered me from my strong enemy,

and from those who hated me

because they were stronger than I.

¹⁸They confronted me on the day of disaster,

but Yahweh was my support.

¹⁹So he brought me out to a spacious place.

He delivered me because he delighted in me.

²⁰Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness;

According to the cleanness of my hands

he has repaid me.

²¹Because I have kept the ways of Yahweh,

and have not acted wickedly against my God,

²²because all his ordinances are before me,

and his statutes I have not removed from me,

²³and I was blameless before him,

and I kept myself from my guilt.

²⁴Therefore Yahweh has repaid me according to my righteousness,

according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵To the loyal you show yourself loyal.

To the blameless you show yourself blameless.

²⁶To the pure you show yourself pure.

but to the wicked you show yourself shrewd.

²⁷For you deliver humble people,

but haughty eyes you humiliate.

²⁸For you light my lamp;

Yahweh, my God, lights up my darkness.

²⁹For with you I can charge a troop,

and with my God I can scale a wall.

³⁰This^g God—his way is blameless.

The word of Yahweh is flawless.^h

He is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

³¹For who is God apart from Yahweh,

and who is a rock except our God?

³²The God who girded me with strength,

and made safeⁱ my way,

³³he made my feet like the deer’s,

and on my high places he makes me stand.

³⁴He trains my hands for war,

so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

³⁵You also gave me the shield of your salvation,

and your right hand supported me,

and your humility made me great.

³⁶You enlarged my step under me,

and my ankles did not slip.

³⁷I chased my enemies and overtook them;

I did not turn back until they were finished off.

³⁸I struck them and they were not able to stand up;

they fell under my feet.

³⁹And you girded me with strength for the battle;

those rising against me you made to kneel under me.

⁴⁰And you made my enemies turn their backs,^j

then I destroyed those who hated me.

⁴¹They cried out but there was no rescuer,

even to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.

⁴²And I ground them like dust in the wind,^k

I emptied them^l out like mud of the streets.

⁴³You rescued me from strife with people;

you set me as head (over) nations.

People I did not know served me;

⁴⁴as soon as they heard,^m they obeyed me.

The children of a foreign land feigned obedience before me.

⁴⁵The children of a foreign land lost heart,ⁿ

and they came trembling from their strongholds.

⁴⁶Yahweh lives, and blessed be my rock,

and may the God of my salvation be exalted—

⁴⁷the God who executed vengeance for me,

and subdued peoples under me,

⁴⁸who delivered me from my enemies.

Indeed, you exalted me higher than those who rose against me.

You delivered me from the man of violence.

⁴⁹Therefore I will give thanks to you among the nations, O Yahweh,

and I will sing the praise of your name:

⁵⁰the one who makes great victories for his king,

and who shows loyal love for his anointed,

to David and to his descendants forever.

Yahweh’s Creation and Law

19For the music director. A psalm of David.^a

¹The heavens are telling the glory of God,

and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.

²Every day^b they pour forth speech,

and every night^c they tell knowledge.

³There is no speech and there are no words;

their sound is inaudible.

⁴Yet in all the world their line^d goes out,

and their words to the end of the world.

In them^e he has pitched a tent for the sun,

⁵and it is like a bridegroom

who comes out of his bridal chamber.

It is glad like a strong man

to run its course.

⁶Its rising is from one^f end of the heavens

and its circuit to the other end^g of them;

and nothing is hidden from its heat.

⁷The law of Yahweh is perfect, reviving life.^h

The testimony of Yahweh is firm, making wise the simple.

⁸The precepts of Yahweh are right, making the heart rejoice.

The command of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes.

⁹The fear of Yahweh is pure, enduring forever.

The ordinances of Yahweh are true; they are righteous altogether,

¹⁰more desirable than gold, even much fine gold;

and sweeter than honey, even honey in the comb.

¹¹Moreover, your servant is warnedⁱ by them;

in keeping them is great reward.

¹²Who can perceive his errors?

Acquit me from hidden faults.

¹³Also, keep back your servant from arrogant sins;^j

let them not rule over me.

Then I shall be blameless,

and I shall be innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your presence,

O Yahweh, my rock and my redeemer.