Psalm 18:21-50

English Standard Version

²¹For I have ^(A)kept the ways of the Lord,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
²²For ^(B)all his rules^[a] were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
²³I was ^(C)blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from my guilt.
²⁴So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵With ^(D)the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
²⁶with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with ^(E)the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
²⁷For you save ^(F)a humble people,
    but ^(G)the haughty eyes you bring down.
²⁸For it is you who light my ^(H)lamp;
    the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
²⁹For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can ^(I)leap over ^(J)a wall.
³⁰This God—his way is ^(K)perfect;^[b]
    the word of the Lord ^(L)proves true;
    he is ^(M)a shield for all those who ^(N)take refuge in him.

³¹For ^(O)who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is ^(P)a rock, except our God?—
³²the God who ^(Q)equipped me with strength
    and made my way ^(R)blameless.
³³He made my feet like the feet of a ^(S)deer
    and set me secure on ^(T)the heights.
³⁴He ^(U)trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand ^(V)supported me,
    and your ^(W)gentleness made me great.
³⁶You ^(X)gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
³⁷I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
³⁸I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
³⁹For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
⁴⁰You made my enemies ^(Y)turn their backs to me,^[c]
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
⁴¹^(Z)They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
⁴²I beat them fine as ^(AA)dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like ^(AB)the mire of the streets.

⁴³You delivered me from ^(AC)strife with the people;
    you made me ^(AD)the head of the nations;
    ^(AE)people whom I had not known served me.
⁴⁴As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    ^(AF)foreigners ^(AG)came cringing to me.
⁴⁵^(AH)Foreigners lost heart
    and ^(AI)came trembling out of their fortresses.

⁴⁶The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation—
⁴⁷the God who gave me vengeance
    and ^(AJ)subdued peoples under me,
⁴⁸who rescued me from my enemies;
    yes, you ^(AK)exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from ^(AL)the man of violence.

⁴⁹^(AM)For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
    and ^(AN)sing to your name.
⁵⁰Great ^(AO)salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his ^(AP)anointed,
    to ^(AQ)David and his offspring forever.