Psalms 18

2The Lord is my support, my refuge and my deliverer. My God is my helper, in Him I will trust: my protector, the horn of my salvation and my defender.

5The pangs of Hades surrounded me, and the snares of death were before me.

6In my distress I called on the Lord, and to my God I raised my cry. From His holy temple He heard my voice; and my cry before Him reached His ears.

8A smoke ascended in His ire, and at His presence a fire flamed, by which coals were kindled to a glow.

9And He bowed the heaven and came down, and darkness was under His feet.

10He mounted on cherubs and flew—He flew on the wings of winds.

11But He made darkness His covering, His tent around Him was dark water in clouds of air.

12At the flash of the lightning before Him, the clouds burst. Hail stones and coals of fire!

13Then the Lord thundered from heaven, the Most High uttered His voice:

14He sent forth His bolts and scattered them: He multiplied His lightnings and confounded them.

16He sent from on high and took me—He took me to Himself from many waters.

17He will deliver me from my potent enemies; and from them who hate me; because they are stronger than I.

18They surprised me in the day of my distress;

19but the Lord was my firm support; and brought me out to a large place. He will deliver me because He delighted in me.

20The Lord will reward me according to my righteousness, and recompense me according to the cleanness of my hands.

21Because I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God—

22because all His judgments were before me, and His rules of rectitude were not far from me;

23therefore with Him I shall be unblemished, and I will guard myself from mine iniquity;

24and the Lord will reward me according to my righteousness, and according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

26and with a harmless man Thou wilt be harmless; with a warrior Thou wilt be a warrior, and with the wily, Thou wilt practise wiles.

27Because Thou wilt save a dejected people; therefore the eyes of the lofty Thou wilt humble.

28Because Thou, O Lord, wilt light my lamp—Thou, O my God, wilt enlighten my darkness—

29by Thee therefore I shall be delivered from a roving band; and by my God I shall overleap a wall.

30As for my God, His way is spotless—the oracles of the Lord are tried, He is the protector of all who trust in Him.

32It is Thou, O God, Who girdest me with strength, and hast made my way spotless—

33Who makest my feet like those of a hind, and who steadiest me on high places;

34Who instructest my hands for battle, and hast made my arms like a bow of steel,

35and given me a defence for my safety; and Thy right hand hath helped me, and Thy discipline hath upheld me to the last: this discipline of Thine will still teach me.

36Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, and my tread was not unsteady.

38I shall harass them that they may not be able to stand; they shall fall down under my feet.

39For Thou hast girded me with strength for battle, and subdued under me all that rose up against me.

40Thou hast given me the backs of mine enemies, and utterly destroyed them who hate me.

41They cried aloud, but there was no saviour—to the Lord, but He hearkened not to them.

42So that I shall beat them small as dust before the wind, and trample them down like dirt in the street.

44As soon as they heard, they obeyed me.

45Strange children have paid me feigned obedience. Strange children became old and limped away from their paths.