Psalm 18

18:0  For the director of music; by the servant of the LORD 	David who sang to the LORD, the words of this song in the 	day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his 	enemies and from the hand of Saul.

18:1 “I love you LORD, my strength.”
18:2  The LORD is my rock [inaccessible high place] and my 			fortress and my deliverer,
		my God, my cliff rock in whom I take refuge; 
		my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
18:3  I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
		and I was delivered from my enemies.
18:4  The cords of death encompassed me, 
		and torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 
18:5  The ropes of Sheol tightened around me;
		    the snares of death confronted [come upon] me.
18:6  In my distress, I called unto the LORD
		and I cried to my God for help; 
	He heard from his temple, my voice;
		and my cry for help before him, reached his ears. 
18:7  The earth trembled and quaked
		and the foundations of the mountains trembled
		and they shook because he was angry.
18:8  Smoke went up out of his nostrils,
		and fire from his mouth devoured; 
			Coals burned from it. 
18:9  He bowed the heavens and came down 
		and thick darkness was under his feet.
18:10  He mounted the cherubim and flew;
				and he glided on the wings of the wind. 
18:11  He made darkness his hiding place around him,
				his covering.,
			darkness of water, thick clouds. 
18:12  Out of the brightness before him, his thick clouds 
		came hail and fiery coals.
18:13  The LORD also thundered in the heavens [sky],
				and the Most High uttered His voice, 
		      [Hailstones and coals of fire.]
18:14  He shot out his arrows, and scattered them  							[enemies], 
		and with many lightening flashes routed them.
18:15  Then the channels of water appeared
		and the foundations of the world were uncovered
			at your rebuke [battle cry], LORD,
		at the blast of breath from your nostrils. 
18:16  He reached down from on high, 
				he pulled me out of many waters.
18:17  He delivered me from my strong enemy, 
			and from those who hated me, for they were too 					strong for me.
18:18  They confronted me in the day of my calamity, 
			but the LORD was my support.
18:19	He brought me to an open place,
		he delivered me because he delighted in me.
18:20 The LORD has dealt with me 
		according to my righteousness; according to the 				cleanness of my hands [blamelessness] he has rewarded 			me.
18:21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, 
	and I have not acted wicked [departing] from my God.
18:22  For all his [covenantal] laws were before me,
		and I did not turn away from his decrees. 
18:23  I was also blameless with Him, 
		and I kept myself from my sin.
18:24  The LORD has rewarded me according to my 				righteousness, 
		according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.
18:25  With the faithful you prove yourself faithful,
	with a blameless man, you show yourself blameless. 
18:26  With the pure you show yourself pure, 
	and with the crooked you show yourself astute.
18:27  For you deliver those with humility
	but those with proud eyes, you bring low. 
18:28  For you light my lamp; 
	the LORD my God illumines my darkness.
18:29  For by you I can run [advance quickly against]
		a troop [of soldiers];
	and by my God I can jump over a wall. 
18:30  As for God, his way is perfect [blameless];
			the word of the LORD is tested [as pure/reliable];
		he is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
18:31  For who is God besides the LORD?
		And who is a cliff rock except our God?
18:32  The God who equips me with strength 
		and makes my path smooth ?
18:33  He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
		and he enables me to stand on high places. 
18:34  He trains my hands for battle, 
		my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
18:35  And you give me the shield of salvation 							[deliverance],
	and your right hand sustains me;
	and your humility [willingness to condescend]
		enabled me to be great [prevail].
18:36  You widen my stride beneath me,
	and my ankles do not slip. 
18:37  I pursued my enemies and overtook them, 
	and I did not turn back until they were finished.
18:38  I shattered them, so that they were not able to 					rise; 
	they fell under my feet.
18:39  You armed me with strength for battle;
		you have made those who rise up to bow down 						beneath me. 
18:40  You have put the backs of my enemy to me
		[in flight],
	and I destroy those who hate me. 
18:41  They cry for help but there is no deliverer,
	even to the LORD but he does not answer them. 
18:42  I beat them as dust upon the face [before] of the wind. 
	 I poured them out like mud on the streets
18:43  You have delivered me from the [military] 							conflicts of people;
		you established me as the leader of nations;
		a people whom I do not know serve me. 
18:44  At the hearing of the ear [as soon as they hear],
			they obey me; 
	sons of foreigners cringe in obedience before me. 
18:45  Sons of foreigners lose heart
	and come trembling out of their fortresses.
18:46  The LORD lives [active], blessed be my cliff rock;
	exalted be the God of my deliverance. 
18:47  The God who executes vengeance for me, 
	and makes peoples [nations] submit under me. 
18:48  who delivers me from my enemies; 
	Indeed, you exalt me above those who rise against me				from violent men, you rescue me. 
18:49  Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the 						nations,
	and to your name, I will sing praises. 
18:50  He gives great deliverance to his king
			and shows lovingkindness to his anointed,
	to David and his descendants forever.