Psalms 18:4-47
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 18
4The ropes of death encompassed me, And the torrents of destruction terrified me. 5The ropes of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. 6In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears. 7Then the earth shook and quaked; And the foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry. 8Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth was devouring; Coals burned from it. 9He also bowed the heavens down low, and came down With thick darkness under His feet. 10He rode on a cherub and flew; And He sped on the wings of the wind. 11He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds. 12From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and coals of fire. 13The Lord also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. 14He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them. 15Then the channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were exposed By Your rebuke, Lord, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. 16He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. 17He saved me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 18They confronted me in the day of my disaster, But the Lord was my support. 19He also brought me out into an open place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me. 20The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has repaid me. 21For I have kept the ways of the Lord, And have not acted wickedly against my God. 22For all His judgments were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me. 23I was also blameless with Him, And I kept myself from my wrongdoing. 24Therefore the Lord has repaid me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes. 25With the faithful You show Yourself faithful; With the blameless You prove Yourself blameless; 26With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the crooked You show Yourself astute. 27For You save an afflicted people, But You humiliate haughty eyes. 28For You light my lamp; The Lord my God illumines my darkness. 29For by You I can run at a troop of warriors; And by my God I can leap over a wall. 30As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the Lord is refined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. 31For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God, 32The God who encircles me with strength, And makes my way blameless? 33He makes my feet like deer’s feet, And sets me up on my high places. 34He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great. 36You enlarge my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped. 37I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And I did not turn back until they were consumed. 38I shattered them, so that they were not able to rise; They fell under my feet. 39For You have encircled me with strength for battle; You have forced those who rose up against me to bow down under me. 40You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, And I destroyed those who hated me. 41They cried for help, but there was no one to save, They cried to the Lord, but He did not answer them. 42Then I beat them fine like the dust before the wind; I emptied them out like the mud of the streets. 43You have rescued me from the contentions of the people; You have placed me as head of the nations; A people whom I have not known serve me. 44As soon as they hear, they obey me; Foreigners pretend to obey me. 45Foreigners lose heart, And come trembling out of their fortresses. 46The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation, 47The God who executes vengeance for me, And subdues peoples under me.King James Version
Chapter 18
4The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 5The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. 6In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. 7Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. 8There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. 9He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. 10And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. 11He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. 12At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. 13The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. 14Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. 15Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. 16He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. 17He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. 18They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. 19He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
21For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
24Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
26With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
27For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
28For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
29For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
30As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
32It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
33He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
34He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
35Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
36Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
37I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
38I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
39For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
40Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
41They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
42Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
43Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
44As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
45The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
46The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 18
4The ropes of death were wrapped around me; the torrents of destruction terrified me. 5The ropes of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
6I called to the Lord in my distress, and I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
7Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the mountains trembled; they shook because he burned with anger.
8Smoke rose from his nostrils, and consuming fire came from his mouth; coals were set ablaze by it.
9He bent the heavens and came down, total darkness beneath his feet.
10He rode on a cherub and flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness his hiding place, dark storm clouds his canopy around him.
12From the radiance of his presence, his clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals.
13The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High made his voice heard.
14He shot his arrows and scattered them; he hurled lightning bolts and routed them.
15The depths of the sea became visible, the foundations of the world were exposed, at your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he pulled me out of deep water.
17He rescued me from my powerful enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.
19He brought me out to a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; he repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
21For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not turned from my God to wickedness.
22Indeed, I let all his ordinances guide me and have not disregarded his statutes.
23I was blameless toward him and kept myself from my iniquity.
24So the Lord repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25With the faithful you prove yourself faithful, with the blameless you prove yourself blameless,
26with the pure you prove yourself pure, but with the crooked you prove yourself shrewd.
27For you rescue an oppressed people, but you humble those with haughty eyes.
28Lord, you light my lamp; my God illuminates my darkness.
29With you I can attack a barricade, and with my God I can leap over a wall.
30God--his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. He is a shield to all who take refuge in him.
31For who is God besides the Lord? And who is a rock? Only our God.
32God--he clothes me with strength and makes my way perfect.
33He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and sets me securely on the heights.
34He trains my hands for war; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35You have given me the shield of your salvation; your right hand upholds me, and your humility exalts me.
36You make a spacious place beneath me for my steps, and my ankles do not give way.
37I pursue my enemies and overtake them; I do not turn back until they are wiped out.
38I crush them, and they cannot get up; they fall beneath my feet.
39You have clothed me with strength for battle; you subdue my adversaries beneath me.
40You have made my enemies retreat before me; I annihilate those who hate me.
41They cry for help, but there is no one to save them -- they cry to the Lord, but he does not answer them.
New Living Translation
Chapter 18
4The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. 5The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. 6But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.
7Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger.
8Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
9He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
10Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.
11He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
12Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals.
13The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals.
14He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.
15Then at your command, O Lord, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
16He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.
17He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
18They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me.
19He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.
20The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence.
21For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
22I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees.
23I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.
24The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence.
25To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.
26To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
27You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud.
28You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
29In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.
30God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
31For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock?
32God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect.
33He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
34He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
35You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great.
36You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.
37I chased my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until they were conquered.
38I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet.
39You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
40You placed my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who hated me.
41They called for help, but no one came to their rescue. They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.
42I ground them as fine as dust in the wind. I swept them into the gutter like dirt.
43You gave me victory over my accusers. You appointed me ruler over nations; people I don’t even know now serve me.
44As soon as they hear of me, they submit; foreign nations cringe before me.
45They all lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds.
English Standard Version
Chapter 18
4The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction assailed me; 5the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. 6In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. 7Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. 8Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. 9He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. 10He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind. 11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him, thick clouds dark with water. 12Out of the brightness before him hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds. 13The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. 14And he sent out his arrows and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings and routed them. 15Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. 16He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. 17He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 18They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support. 19He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. 20The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. 21For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 22For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. 23I was 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 the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; 26with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. 27For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down. 28For it is you who light my lamp; the LORD my God lightens my darkness. 29For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. 30This God—his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. 31For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?— 32the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. 33He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. 34He 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 supported me, and your gentleness made me great. 36You 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 turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed. 41They 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 dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets. 43You delivered me from strife with the people; you made me the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. 44As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me; foreigners came cringing to me. 45Foreigners lost heart and 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 subdued peoples under me,New International Version
5The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
6In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.
7The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.
8Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.
9He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.
10He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him-- the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
14He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.
17He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.
19He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.
23I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.
24The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
29With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
30As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD's word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
31For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
32It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
33He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.
34He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great.
36You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.
37I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38I crushed them so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
39You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.
40You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
41They cried for help, but there was no one to save them-- to the LORD, but he did not answer.
42I beat them as fine as windblown dust; I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43You have delivered me from the attacks of the people; you have made me the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me,
44foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
New King James Version
