ACV - Psalms - 18

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 I shall be saved from my enemies.

18:4  The cords of death encompassed me, and the floods of lawlessness 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 to 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 angry.

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 also bowed the heavens, and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.

18:10  And he rode upon a cherub, and flew. 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 those who 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 also brought me forth into a large place. He delivered me because he delighted in me.

18:20  Jehovah has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands he has 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 my iniquity.

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

18:25  With the merciful thou will show thyself merciful. With the perfect man thou will show thyself perfect.

18:26  With the pure thou will show thyself pure. And with the perverse thou will show thyself contrary.

18:27  For thou will save the afflicted people, but the haughty eyes thou will bring down.

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

18:29  For by thee I run upon a troop, and by my God I leap over a wall.

18:30  As for God, his way is perfect. The word of Jehovah is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.

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

18:32  the God who girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect?

18:33  He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places.

18:34  He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of brass.

18:35  Thou have also given me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand has held me up, and thy gentleness has made me great.

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

18:37  I will pursue my 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 have girded me with strength to the battle. Thou have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

18:40  Thou have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.

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

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

18:43  Thou have delivered me from the strivings of the people. Thou have 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 to me.

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

18:46  Jehovah lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation,

18:47  even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.

18:48  He rescues me from my enemies. Yea, thou lift me up above those who rise up against me. Thou deliver me from the violent man.

18:49  Therefore I will give thanks to thee, O Jehovah, among the Gentiles, and will sing praises to thy name.

18:50  He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore.