18:1 I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.

18:2 Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.

18:3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies.

18:4 The cords of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

18:5 The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me.

18:6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry before him came into his ears.

18:7 Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations also of the mountains quaked And were shaken, because he was wroth.

18:8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it.

18:9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet.

18:10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind.

18:11 He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion round about him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

18:12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire.

18:13 Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.

18:14 And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.

18:15 Then the channels of waters appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare, At thy rebuke, O Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

18:16 He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters.

18:17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from them that hated me; for they were too mighty for me.

18:18 They came upon me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay.

18:19 He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.

18:20 Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

18:21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God.

18:22 For all his ordinances were before me, And I put not away his statutes from me.

18:23 I was also perfect with him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity.

18:24 Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

18:25 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect;

18:26 With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward.

18:27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; But the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down.

18:28 For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.

18:29 For by thee I run upon a troop; And by my God do I leap over a wall.

18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him.

18:31 For who is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, besides our God,

18:32 The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect?

18:33 He maketh my feet like hinds' [feet]: And setteth me upon my high places.

18:34 He teacheth my hands to war; So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.

18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; And thy right hand hath holden me up, And thy gentleness hath made me great.

18:36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.

18:37 I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them; Neither will I turn again till they are consumed.

18:38 I will smite them through, so that they shall not be able to rise: They shall fall under my feet.

18:39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

18:40 Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me.

18:41 They cried, but there was none to save; Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not.

18:42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.

18:43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; Thou hast made me the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me.

18:44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me; The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me.

18:45 The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places.

18:46 Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation,

18:47 Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, And subdueth peoples under me.

18:48 He rescueth me from mine enemies; Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man.

18:49 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name.

18:50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore.