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Psalm 18
New Life Version
Psalm 18
New Life Version
Song of Thanks for Being Kept Safe
18 I love You, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, and my safe place, and the One Who takes me out of trouble. My God is my rock, in Whom I am safe. He is my safe-covering, my saving strength, and my strong tower. 3 I call to the Lord, Who has the right to be praised. And I am saved from those who hate me.
4 The ropes of death were all around me. The floods of death make me afraid. 5 The ropes of the grave were all around me. The traps of death were set for me. 6 I called to the Lord in my trouble. I cried to God for help. He heard my voice from His holy house. My cry for help came into His ears.
7 Then the earth shook. The mountains were shaking. They shook because He was angry. 8 Smoke went out from His nose and the fire that kept coming from His mouth burned everything around it. 9 He parted the heavens and came down. Dark clouds were under His feet. 10 He sat upon a cherub and flew. He traveled on the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness His hiding place, the covering around Him, the dark rain clouds of the sky. 12 Through the light before Him passed His dark clouds, hail stones and fire. 13 The Lord made thunder in the heavens. The voice of the Most High spoke out, hail stones and fire. 14 He sent out His arrows and divided them. He threw down lightning and sent them running. 15 Then the deep part of the sea could be seen. And the deep part of the earth was opened up, because of Your sharp words, O Lord, because of the powerful breath from Your nose.
16 He sent from above, and took me. He lifted me out of many waters. 17 He took me away from the powerful one who fights against me, and from those who hated me. They were too strong for me. 18 They stood against me in the day of my trouble. But the Lord was my strength. 19 He brought me out into a big place. He gave me a safe place, because He was pleased with me.
20 The Lord has paid me because of my being right with Him. Because of my clean hands He has paid me. 21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord. And I have not sinned by turning from my God. 22 All His Laws are in front of me. I have not set His Laws aside. 23 Before Him I was without blame. And I have kept myself from sin. 24 So the Lord has paid me back for being right with Him, and for my hands being clean in His eyes.
25 To the faithful, You show Yourself faithful. To those without blame, You show Yourself without blame. 26 With the pure, You show Yourself pure. With the sinful You show Yourself to be against them. 27 You save those who are suffering, but You bring low those who have pride in their eyes. 28 You make my lamp bright. The Lord my God lights my darkness. 29 With Your help I can go against many soldiers. With my God I can jump over a wall.
30 As for God, His way is perfect. The Word of the Lord has stood the test. He is a covering for all who go to Him for a safe place. 31 For Who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock except our God? 32 It is God Who covers me with strength and makes my way perfect. 33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. And He sets me on my high places. 34 He teaches me how to fight, so that I can use a bow of brass. 35 You have also given me the covering that saves me. Your right hand holds me up. And Your care has made me great. 36 You make the road wide for my steps, and my feet have not tripped.
37 I went after those who fight against me, and caught them. And I did not return until they were destroyed. 38 I hit them so they were not able to rise. They fell under my feet. 39 You have given me strength for war. You have put under me those who have fought against me. 40 You have made them turn their backs to me also. And I destroyed those who hated me. 41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save. They cried to the Lord, but He did not answer them. 42 Then I beat them as small as the dust in the wind. I emptied them out like mud in the streets.
43 You have taken me away from the fighting of the people. You have made me the leader of nations. People whom I have not known will serve me. 44 As soon as they hear, they obey me. Those from other lands obey me. 45 These people from other lands lose their strength of heart. And they come shaking from behind their walls. 46 The Lord lives! How great is my Rock! Praise be to the God Who saves me! 47 He is the God Who punishes those who have done wrong to me. He puts nations under my rule. 48 He saves me from those who hate me. Yes, You lift me above those who rise up against me. You save me from those who want to hurt me. 49 So I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord. And I will sing praises to Your name. 50 He gives His king great power over trouble. And He shows loving-kindness to His chosen one, to David, and to his children after him forever.
Psalm 18
New International Version
Psalm 18
New International Version
Psalm 18[a](A)
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, Lord, my strength.(B)
2 The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(F)
my shield[b](G) and the horn[c] of my salvation,(H) my stronghold.
3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(I)
and I have been saved from my enemies.(J)
4 The cords of death(K) entangled me;
the torrents(L) of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death(M) confronted me.
6 In my distress(N) I called to the Lord;(O)
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;(P)
my cry came(Q) before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled(R) and quaked,(S)
and the foundations of the mountains shook;(T)
they trembled because he was angry.(U)
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;(V)
consuming fire(W) came from his mouth,
burning coals(X) blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;(Y)
dark clouds(Z) were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim(AA) and flew;
he soared(AB) on the wings of the wind.(AC)
11 He made darkness his covering,(AD) his canopy(AE) around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence(AF) clouds advanced,
with hailstones(AG) and bolts of lightning.(AH)
13 The Lord thundered(AI) from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.[d]
14 He shot his arrows(AJ) and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning(AK) he routed them.(AL)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations(AM) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,(AN) Lord,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.(AO)
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.(AP)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,(AQ)
from my foes, who were too strong for me.(AR)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,(AS)
but the Lord was my support.(AT)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;(AU)
he rescued me because he delighted in me.(AV)
20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(AW)
according to the cleanness of my hands(AX) he has rewarded me.(AY)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;(AZ)
I am not guilty of turning(BA) from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;(BB)
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless(BC) before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(BD)
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful(BE) you show yourself faithful,(BF)
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure(BG) you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(BH)
27 You save the humble(BI)
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.(BJ)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp(BK) burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.(BL)
29 With your help(BM) I can advance against a troop[e];
with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:(BN)
The Lord’s word is flawless;(BO)
he shields(BP) all who take refuge(BQ) in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(BR)
And who is the Rock(BS) except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength(BT)
and keeps my way secure.(BU)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(BV)
he causes me to stand on the heights.(BW)
34 He trains my hands for battle;(BX)
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains(BY) me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path(BZ) for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.(CA)
37 I pursued my enemies(CB) and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them(CC) so that they could not rise;(CD)
they fell beneath my feet.(CE)
39 You armed me with strength(CF) for battle;
you humbled my adversaries(CG) before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs(CH) in flight,
and I destroyed(CI) my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them(CJ)—
to the Lord, but he did not answer.(CK)
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;(CL)
I trampled them[f] like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.(CM)
People I did not know(CN) now serve me,
44 foreigners(CO) cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;(CP)
they come trembling(CQ) from their strongholds.(CR)
46 The Lord lives!(CS) Praise be to my Rock!(CT)
Exalted be God(CU) my Savior!(CV)
47 He is the God who avenges(CW) me,
who subdues nations(CX) under me,
48 who saves(CY) me from my enemies.(CZ)
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man(DA) you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;(DB)
I will sing(DC) the praises of your name.(DD)
Footnotes
- Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
- Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
- Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
- Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning
- Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade
- Psalm 18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out
New Life Version (NLV)
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