David’s Song of Deliverance (Psalm 18:1–50)
1 RV And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: BSB BSB: And David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
2 RV and he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine; BSB BSB: He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.
3 RV The God of my rock, in him will I trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge; my saviour, thou savest me from violence. BSB BSB: My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence.
4 RV I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. BSB BSB: I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.
5 RV For the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. BSB BSB: For the waves of death engulfed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.
6 RV The cords of Sheol were round about me: the snares of death came upon me. BSB BSB: The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
7 RV In my distress I called upon the LORD, yea, I called unto my God: and he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came into his ears. BSB BSB: In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried out to my God. And from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears.
8 RV Then the earth shook and trembled, the foundations of heaven moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. BSB BSB: Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the heavens trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.
9 RV There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. BSB BSB: Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth.
10 RV He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and thick darkness was under his feet. BSB BSB: He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.
11 RV And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he was seen upon the wings of the wind. BSB BSB: He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
12 RV And he made darkness pavilions round about him, gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies. BSB BSB: He made darkness a canopy around Him, a gathering of water and thick clouds.
13 RV At the brightness before him coals of fire were kindled. BSB BSB: From the brightness of His presence coals of fire blazed forth.
14 RV The LORD thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice. BSB BSB: The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
15 RV And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them. BSB BSB: He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
16 RV Then the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were laid bare, by the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. BSB BSB: The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
17 RV He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters; BSB BSB: He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.
18 RV He delivered me from my strong enemy, from them that hated me; for they were too mighty for me. BSB BSB: He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me.
19 RV They came upon me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. BSB BSB: They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD was my support.
20 RV He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me. BSB BSB: He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me.
21 RV The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. BSB BSB: The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
22 RV For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. BSB BSB: For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 RV For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them. BSB BSB: For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.
24 RV I was also perfect toward him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. BSB BSB: And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity.
25 RV Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eyesight. BSB BSB: So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight.
26 RV With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, with the perfect man thou wilt shew thyself perfect; BSB BSB: To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
27 RV With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt shew thyself froward. BSB BSB: to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
28 RV And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down. BSB BSB: You save an afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
29 RV For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness. BSB BSB: For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness.
30 RV For by thee I run upon a troop: by my God do I leap over a wall. BSB BSB: For in You I can charge an army; with my God I can scale a wall.
31 RV As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried; he is a shield unto all them that trust in him. BSB BSB: As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
32 RV For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? BSB BSB: For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
33 RV God is my strong fortress: and he guideth the perfect in his way. BSB BSB: God is my strong fortress, and He makes my way clear.
34 RV He maketh his feet like hinds’ feet : and setteth me upon my high places. BSB BSB: He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.
35 RV He teacheth my hands to war; so that mine arms do bend a bow of brass. BSB BSB: He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 RV Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great. BSB BSB: You have given me Your shield of salvation, and Your gentleness exalts me.
37 RV Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped. BSB BSB: You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.
38 RV I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; neither did I turn again till they were consumed. BSB BSB: I pursued my enemies and destroyed them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.
39 RV And I have consumed them, and smitten them through, that they cannot arise; yea, they are fallen under my feet. BSB BSB: I devoured and crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet.
40 RV For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. BSB BSB: You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.
41 RV Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, that I might cut off them that hate me. BSB BSB: You have made my enemies retreat before me; I destroyed those who hated me.
42 RV They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not. BSB BSB: They looked, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but He did not answer.
43 RV Then did I beat them small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the streets, and did spread them abroad. BSB BSB: I ground them as the dust of the earth; I crushed and trampled them like mud in the streets.
44 RV Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people; thou hast kept me to be the head of the nations: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. BSB BSB: You have delivered me from the strife of my people; You have preserved me as the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me.
45 RV The strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me. BSB BSB: Foreigners cower before me; when they hear me, they obey me.
46 RV The strangers shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their close places. BSB BSB: Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.
47 RV The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation: BSB BSB: The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted—
48 RV Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, and bringeth down peoples under me, BSB BSB: the God who avenges me and brings down nations beneath me,
49 RV And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me: thou deliverest me from the violent man. BSB BSB: who frees me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.
50 RV Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises unto thy name. BSB BSB: Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.
51 RV Great deliverance giveth he to his king: and sheweth lovingkindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore. BSB BSB: Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”
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