David's Song of Victory

(Psalm 18)

1When the Lord saved David from Saul and his other enemies, David sang this song to the Lord:

2The Lord is my protector;

he is my strong fortress.

3My God is my protection,

and with him I am safe.

He protects me like a shield;

he defends me and keeps me safe.

He is my savior;

he protects me and saves me from violence.

4I call to the Lord,

and he saves me from my enemies.

Praise the Lord!

5The waves of death were all around me;

the waves of destruction rolled over me.

6The danger of death was around me,

and the grave set its trap for me.

7In my trouble I called to the Lord;

I called to my God for help.

In his temple he heard my voice;

he listened to my cry for help.

8Then the earth trembled and shook;

the foundations of the sky rocked and quivered

because God was angry!

9Smoke poured out of his nostrils,

a consuming flame and burning coals from his mouth.

10He tore the sky open and came down,

with a dark cloud under his feet.

11He flew swiftly on his winged creature;+

he traveled on the wings of the wind.

12He covered himself with darkness;

thick clouds, full of+ water, surrounded him;

13burning coals flamed up from the lightning before him.

14Then the Lord thundered from the sky,

and the voice of Almighty God was heard.

15He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;

with flashes of lightning he sent them running.

16The floor of the ocean was laid bare,

and the foundations of the earth were uncovered

when the Lord rebuked his enemies

and roared at them in anger.

17The Lord reached down from above and took hold of me;

he pulled me out of the deep waters.

18He rescued me from my powerful enemies

and from all those who hate me—

they were too strong for me.

19When I was in trouble, they attacked me,

but the Lord protected me.

20He helped me out of danger;

he saved me because he was pleased with me.

21The Lord rewards me because I do what is right;

he blesses me because I am innocent.

22I have obeyed the law of the Lord;

I have not turned away from my God.

23I have observed all his laws;

I have not disobeyed his commands.

24He knows that I am faultless,

that I have kept myself from doing wrong.

25And so he rewards me because I do what is right,

because he knows that I am innocent.

26O Lord, you are faithful to those who are faithful to you,

and completely good to those+ who are perfect.

27You are pure to those who are pure,

but hostile to those who are wicked.

28You save those who are humble,

but you humble those who are proud.

29You, Lord, are my light;

you dispel my darkness.

30You give me strength to attack my enemies

and power to overcome their defenses.

31This God—how perfect are his deeds,

how dependable his words!

He is like a shield

for all who seek his protection.

32The Lord alone is God;

God alone is our defense.

33This God is my strong refuge;

he makes+ my pathway safe.

34- He makes me sure-footed as a deer;

he keeps me safe on the mountains.

35He trains me for battle,

so that I can use the strongest bow.

36O Lord, you protect me and save me;

your help has made me great.

37You have kept me from being captured,

and I have never fallen.

38I pursue my enemies and defeat them;

I do not stop until I destroy them.

39I strike them down, and they cannot rise;

they lie defeated before me.

40You give me strength for the battle

and victory over my enemies.

41You make my enemies run from me;

I destroy those who hate me.

42They look for help, but no one saves them;

they call to the Lord, but he does not answer.

43I crush them, and they become like dust;

I trample on them like mud in the streets.

44You saved me from my rebellious people

and maintained my rule over the nations;

people I did not know have now become my subjects.

45Foreigners bow before me;

when they hear me, they obey.

46They lose their courage

and come trembling+ from their fortresses.

47The Lord lives! Praise my defender!

Proclaim the greatness of the strong God who saves me!

48He gives me victory over my enemies;

he subdues the nations under me

49and saves me from my foes.

O Lord, you give me victory over my enemies

and protect me from violent men.

50- And so I praise you among the nations;

I sing praises to you.

51God gives great victories to his king;

he shows constant love to the one he has chosen,

to David and his descendants forever.