18 1 I love you, O Yahweh, my strength.
18 2 Yahweh is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield,
and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
18 3 I call upon Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
18 4 The cords of death encompassed me,
the torrents of perdition assailed me;
18 5 the cords of Sheol entangled me,
the snares of death confronted me.
18 6 In my distress I called upon Yahweh;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
18 7 Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
18 8 Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
18 9 He bowed the heavens, and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
18 10 He rode on a cherub, and flew;
he came swiftly upon the wings of the wind.
18 11 He made darkness his covering around him,
his canopy thick clouds dark with water.
18 12 Out of the brightness before him there broke through his clouds
hailstones and coals of fire.
18 13 Yahweh 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;
he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them.
18 15 Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare,
at your rebuke, O Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
18 16 He reached 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 Yahweh was my stay.
18 19 He brought me forth into a broad place;
he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
18 20 Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.
18 21 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
18 22 For all his ordinances were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
18 23 I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from guilt.
18 24 Therefore Yahweh has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
18 25 With the loyal you show yourself loyal;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
18 26 with the pure you show yourself pure;
and with the crooked you show yourself perverse.
18 27 For you deliver a humble people;
but the haughty eyes you bring down.
18 28 Yea, you light my lamp;
Yahweh my God lightens my darkness.
18 29 Yea, by you I can crush a troop;
and by my God I can leap over a wall.
18 30 This God - his way is perfect;
the promise of Yahweh proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
18 31 For who is God, but Yahweh?
And who is a rock, except our God? -
18 32 the God who girded me with strength,
and made my way safe.
18 33 He made my feet like hinds' feet,
and set me secure on the heights.
18 34 He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
18 35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand supported me, and your help made me great.
18 36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
18 37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
18 38 I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
18 39 For you girded me with strength for the battle;
you made my assailants sink under me.
18 40 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
and those who hated me I destroyed.
18 41 They cried for help, but there was none to save,
they cried to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
18 42 I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
I cast them out like the mire of the streets.
18 43 You delivered me from strife with the peoples;
you made me the head of the nations;
people whom I had not known served me.
18 44 As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
foreigners came cringing to me.
18 45 Foreigners lost heart,
and came trembling out of their fastnesses.
18 46 Yahweh lives; and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation,
18 47 the God who gave me vengeance
and subdued peoples under me;
18 48 who delivered me from my enemies;
yea, you exalted me above my adversaries;
you delivered me from men of violence.
18 49 For this I will extol you, O Yahweh, among the nations,
and sing praises to your name.
18 50 Great triumphs he gives to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his descendents for ever.