Psalm 18:1-50 AMPC

[1] I love You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my Strength. [2] The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower. [3] I will call upon the Lord, Who is to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. [4] The cords or bands of death surrounded me, and the streams of ungodliness and the torrents of ruin terrified me. [5] The cords of Sheol (the place of the dead) surrounded me; the snares of death confronted and came upon me. [6] In my distress [when seemingly closed in] I called upon the Lord and cried to my God; He heard my voice out of His temple (heavenly dwelling place), and my cry came before Him, into His [very] ears. [7] Then the earth quaked and rocked, the foundations also of the mountains trembled; they moved and were shaken because He was indignant and angry. [8] There went up smoke from His nostrils; and lightning out of His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it. [9] He bowed the heavens also and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet. [10] And He rode upon a cherub [a storm] and flew [swiftly]; yes, He sped on with the wings of the wind. [11] He made darkness His secret hiding place; as His pavilion (His canopy) round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. [12] Out of the brightness before Him there broke forth through His thick clouds hailstones and coals of fire. [13] The Lord also thundered from the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice, amid hailstones and coals of fire. [14] And He sent out His arrows and scattered them; and He flashed forth lightnings and put them to rout. [15] Then the beds of the sea appeared and the foundations of the world were laid bare at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. [16] He reached from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. [17] He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated and abhorred me, for they were too strong for me. [18] They confronted and came upon me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay and support. [19] He brought me forth also into a large place; He was delivering me because He was pleased with me and delighted in me. [20] The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness (my conscious integrity and sincerity with Him); according to the cleanness of my hands has He recompensed me. [21] For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. [22] For all His ordinances were before me, and I put not away His statutes from me. [23] I was upright before Him and blameless with Him, ever [on guard] to keep myself free from my sin and guilt. [24] Therefore has the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness (my uprightness and right standing with Him), according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. [25] With the kind and merciful You will show Yourself kind and merciful, with an upright man You will show Yourself upright, [26] With the pure You will show Yourself pure, and with the perverse You will show Yourself contrary. [27] For You deliver an afflicted and humble people but will bring down those with haughty looks. [28] For You cause my lamp to be lighted and to shine; the Lord my God illumines my darkness. [29] For by You I can run through a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. [30] As for God, His way is perfect! The word of the Lord is tested and tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge and put their trust in Him. [31] For who is God except the Lord? Or who is the Rock save our God, [32] The God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect? [33] He makes my feet like hinds' feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing and trouble]; He sets me securely upon my high places. [34] He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. [35] You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand has held me up; Your gentleness and condescension have made me great. [36] You have given plenty of room for my steps under me, that my feet would not slip. [37] I pursued my enemies and overtook them; neither did I turn again till they were consumed. [38] I smote them so that they were not able to rise; they fell wounded under my feet. [39] For You have girded me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me and caused to bow down those who rose up against me. [40] You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. [41] They cried [for help], but there was none to deliver-even unto the Lord, but He answered them not. [42] Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I emptied them out as the dirt and mire of the streets. [43] You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; You made me the head of the nations; a people I had not known served me. [44] As soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me; foreigners submitted themselves cringingly and yielded feigned obedience to me. [45] Foreigners lost heart and came trembling out of their caves or strongholds. [46] The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted, [47] The God Who avenges me and subdues peoples under me, [48] Who delivers me from my enemies; yes, You lift me up above those who rise up against me; You deliver me from the man of violence. [49] Therefore will I give thanks and extol You, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to Your name. [50] Great deliverances and triumphs gives He to His king; and He shows mercy and steadfast love to His anointed, to David and his offspring forever.