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The Book of Psalms 18

Psalm

A psalm written by God’s servant David. He sang it after Yahweh had rescued him from Saul and his other enemies.

18 This is what he sang: “Yahweh, I love you, the one who enables me to be strong.

2 Yahweh, you are like a huge rock or fortress where I can go to be safe. I can be confident that you will rescue me when I am in trouble. You are my God. You protect me. I am as safe as I would be if I were hiding on top of a cliff. It is as if you are a shield that defends me. You are the powerful God who saves me. You are like a high place where I am safe from my enemies.

3 You deserve for people to praise you, Yahweh. When I cry to you for help, you rescue me from my enemies.

4 Someone was trying to kill me, and I was in such danger of dying that it was as if someone was trying to tie ropes around me. His wicked plans against me were like floodwaters that were carrying me away, and this made me very afraid.

5 I did not think I could escape going to the place where dead people go. It was as if that place had wrapped ropes around me and was pulling me down into it. It was as if the only direction I could walk was right into a trap where I would surely die.

6 But when I was very distressed, I cried out to you, Yahweh my God. From your temple in heaven you could hear me calling to you, and you listened to my prayer.

7 It made you so angry that someone was trying to kill me, and you responded so powerfully, that it was as if there was a great earthquake and as if you shook the foundations of the mountains.

8 Your power was so great that it was as if there was a volcano from which smoke was rising, a stream of fire was flowing out that burned up everything in its path, and hot coals were flying into the air that started fires where they landed.

9 Your power was so great when you came to help me that it was as if there was a great thunderstorm, with only a little sky visible below the low-hanging dark clouds.

10 He flew, riding on the back of an angel traveling fast, which the wind was blowing along.

11 It was as if you had made the darkness of the storm a safe place for you to stay. Yes, it was as if you had a temporary shelter within the dark storm clouds that were full of moisture.

12 It was as if it became bright where you were within the clouds, and then hailstones and lightning bolts came from there.

13 It was as if there was a loud sound of thunder in the sky because you, Yahweh, the God who is greater than all other gods, had spoken to announce that you were coming to rescue me, and as if hailstones and coals of fire continued to come.

14 It was as if you sent many flashes of lightning that made my enemies so afraid that they ran away in different directions, as if you had shot arrows at them.

15 The bottom of the ocean became visible, and the water uncovered the foundations of the earth when Yahweh rebuked his enemies

with the breath that came in his anger!

16 It was as if you reached down from heaven and grabbed me so that you could pull me up out of the deep water of the ocean.

17 There was a powerful man who wanted to harm me, and there were people who hated me. They were too strong for me to defeat, but you rescued me from them.

18 They attacked me, and they would have destroyed me, but you, Yahweh, protected me.

19 You brought me to a place where I was safe. You love me, and so you rescued me.

20 Yahweh, you did good things for me because I did what was right. I did not harm my enemies, so you made sure that they did not harm me.

21 Yahweh, I have lived as you want people to live. I have not stopped obeying you, my God, and done wicked things instead.

22 I have remained aware of what you have said people should do, and I have continued to obey all your laws.

23 I have not done anything for which you would blame me. I have been careful not to do anything for which you would punish me.

24 You have done good things for me because I did what is right. You recognize that I am innocent.

25 When people are loyal to you, you act loyally toward them; when people are careful to do what you want them to do, you do good things for them.

26 You allow sincere people to recognize how sincere you are. But when people try to trick others, you show that you are much more clever than they are.

27 You rescue people whom others are afflicting, but you humiliate those who are proud.

28 Yahweh my God, it is as if you light my lamp so that I can see even when it is dark.

29 With your help I have caught and defeated a band of raiders. With your help I have captured a city that had walls around it, as if I had leaped over those walls.

30 My God, everything that you do is perfect. Everything that you say is right. You protect everyone who depends on you, as if you are a shield that defends them.

31 Yahweh, you are the only real God. Only you are like a huge rock where I can go to be safe.

32 My God, you enable me to be strong like someone who equips me for war. You make sure that nothing prevents me from doing what you want me to do.

33 You enable me to walk about safely in the mountains, as a deer does, without falling.

34 You teach me how to fight in a battle. You give me the strength to bend and string a bronze bow.

35 You have saved me by protecting me like a shield, you are strong and therefore keep me safe. You humble yourself and answer my prayers and this is what has made me successful.

36 You have given me many ways to respond to each situation. As a result, I have been able to carry out my plans successfully.

37 I chased my enemies and defeated them. I did not stop fighting them until I had killed them all.

38 I wounded them so badly that the ones who fell to the ground never got up because they died of their wounds.

39 You have given me the strength and courage to fight battles. When people revolted against me, you enabled me to subdue them.

40 You enabled me to defeat my enemies and step in triumph on their necks. You gave me power over those who hated me so that I was able to destroy them.

41 They called out for someone to rescue them, but no one did. They cried out for help to you, Yahweh, but you did not help them.

42 I defeated them so completely that they were no longer any threat to me, no more than tiny particles of dust that the wind blows away would be. It was as they were dirt that I threw out into the street.

43 You rescued me from the Israelites who tried to rebel against me. You appointed me as the ruler of many nations. Foreign people are now my subjects.

44 When they heard about what Yahweh enabled me to do, they obeyed me. Foreign rulers fearfully bow down in front of me to show their submission.

45 I defeat foreign armies that resist me so that they become weak, like a plant that dries up in the sun. They surrender and come out of their walled cities shaking with weakness and fear.

46 Yahweh, you are the only real God! I praise you! You are like a huge rock where I can go to be safe! You are the God who rescues me. Everyone should exalt you.

47 You are the God who enables me to conquer enemies who have attacked me. You cause the people of other nations to be subject to my rule.

48 You kept my enemies from capturing me. People rebelled against me, but it as if their armies had been floodwaters and you lifted me out of them to safety. You rescued me from men who tried to harm me.

49 Because of all this, I thank you, Yahweh, so that all people groups will know that you are the one who has helped me. I will sing to praise you for what you have done that has made you famous.

50 You chose me to be king, and you have done great things to save me from my enemies. You faithfully show kindness to me, David, whom you anointed as king, and you will always show kindness faithfully to my descendants.”