Psalms 18:1-30:12 For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of Yahweh, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, I love you, Yahweh, my strength.

WEB⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of Yahweh, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, I love you, Yahweh, my strength. ² Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower. ³ I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies. ⁴ The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. ⁵ The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death came on me. ⁶ In my distress I called on Yahweh, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears. ⁷ Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry. ⁸ Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it. ⁹ He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet. ¹⁰ He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind. ¹¹ He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. ¹² At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire. ¹³ Yahweh also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire. ¹⁴ He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts. ¹⁵ Then the channels of waters appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. ¹⁶ He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters. ¹⁷ He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me. ¹⁸ They came on me in the day of my calamity, but Yahweh was my support. ¹⁹ He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me. ²⁰ Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands, he has recompensed me. ²¹ For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not wickedly departed from my God. ²² For all his ordinances were before me. I didn’t put away his statutes from me. ²³ I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity. ²⁴ Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. ²⁵ With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect. ²⁶ With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd. ²⁷ For you will save the afflicted people, but the arrogant eyes you will bring down. ²⁸ For you will light my lamp, Yahweh. My God will light up my darkness. ²⁹ For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall. ³⁰ As for God, his way is perfect. Yahweh’s word is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. ³¹ For who is God, except Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God, ³² the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect? ³³ He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places. ³⁴ He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze. ³⁵ You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great. ³⁶ You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped. ³⁷ I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed. ³⁸ I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet. ³⁹ For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. ⁴⁰ You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me. ⁴¹ They cried, but there was no one to save; even to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them. ⁴² Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets. ⁴³ You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me. ⁴⁴ As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me. ⁴⁵ The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds. ⁴⁶ Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation, ⁴⁷ even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me. ⁴⁸ He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man. ⁴⁹ Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name. ⁵⁰ He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more. ¹⁹ ¹ For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork. ² Day after day they pour out speech, and night after night they display knowledge. ³ There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. ⁴ Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, ⁵ which is as a bridegroom coming out of his room, like a strong man rejoicing to run his course. ⁶ His going out is from the end of the heavens, his circuit to its ends. There is nothing hidden from its heat. ⁷ Yahweh’s law is perfect, restoring the soul. Yahweh’s covenant is sure, making wise the simple. ⁸ Yahweh’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart. Yahweh’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes. ⁹ The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether. ¹⁰ They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb. ¹¹ Moreover your servant is warned by them. In keeping them there is great reward. ¹² Who can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors. ¹³ Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression. ¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer. ²⁰ ¹ For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. May Yahweh answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high, ² send you help from the sanctuary, grant you support from Zion, ³ remember all your offerings, and accept your burned sacrifice. Selah. ⁴ May he grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your counsel. ⁵ We will triumph in your salvation. In the name of our God, we will set up our banners. May Yahweh grant all your requests. ⁶ Now I know that Yahweh saves his anointed. He will answer him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand. ⁷ Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of Yahweh our God. ⁸ They are bowed down and fallen, but we rise up, and stand upright. ⁹ Save, Yahweh! Let the King answer us when we call! ²¹ ¹ For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The king rejoices in your strength, Yahweh! How greatly he rejoices in your salvation! ² You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. ³ For you meet him with the blessings of goodness. You set a crown of fine gold on his head. ⁴ He asked life of you and you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever. ⁵ His glory is great in your salvation. You lay honor and majesty on him. ⁶ For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence. ⁷ For the king trusts in Yahweh. Through the loving kindness of the Most High, he shall not be moved. ⁸ Your hand will find out all of your enemies. Your right hand will find out those who hate you. ⁹ You will make them as a fiery furnace in the time of your anger. Yahweh will swallow them up in his wrath. The fire shall devour them. ¹⁰ You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from among the children of men. ¹¹ For they intended evil against you. They plotted evil against you which cannot succeed. ¹² For you will make them turn their back, when you aim drawn bows at their face. ¹³ Be exalted, Yahweh, in your strength, so we will sing and praise your power. ²² ¹ For the Chief Musician; set to “The Doe of the Morning.” A Psalm by David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning? ² My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer; in the night season, and am not silent. ³ But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel. ⁴ Our fathers trusted in you. They trusted, and you delivered them. ⁵ They cried to you, and were delivered. They trusted in you, and were not disappointed. ⁶ But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people. ⁷ All those who see me mock me. They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying, ⁸ “He trusts in Yahweh. Let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.” ⁹ But you brought me out of the womb. You made me trust while at my mother’s breasts. ¹⁰ I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb. You are my God since my mother bore me. ¹¹ Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near. For there is no one to help. ¹² Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. ¹³ They open their mouths wide against me, lions tearing prey and roaring. ¹⁴ I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is melted within me. ¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death. ¹⁶ For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet. ¹⁷ I can count all of my bones. They look and stare at me. ¹⁸ They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing. ¹⁹ But don’t be far off, Yahweh. You are my help. Hurry to help me! ²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog. ²¹ Save me from the lion’s mouth! Yes, you have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen. ²² I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the assembly, I will praise you. ²³ You who fear Yahweh, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him! Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel! ²⁴ For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, Neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard. ²⁵ My praise of you comes in the great assembly. I will pay my vows before those who fear him. ²⁶ The humble shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise Yahweh who seek after him. Let your hearts live forever. ²⁷ All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you. ²⁸ For the kingdom is Yahweh’s. He is the ruler over the nations. ²⁹ All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him, even he who can’t keep his soul alive. ³⁰ Posterity shall serve him. Future generations shall be told about the Lord. ³¹ They shall come and shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born, for he has done it. ²³ ¹ A Psalm by David. Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. ² He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. ³ He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. ⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runs over. ⁶ Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahweh’s house forever. ²⁴ ¹ A Psalm by David. The earth is Yahweh’s, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell in it. ² For he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the floods. ³ Who may ascend to Yahweh’s hill? Who may stand in his holy place? ⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully. ⁵ He shall receive a blessing from Yahweh, righteousness from the God of his salvation. ⁶ This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face—even Jacob. Selah. ⁷ Lift up your heads, you gates! Be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in. ⁸ Who is the King of glory? Yahweh strong and mighty, Yahweh mighty in battle. ⁹ Lift up your heads, you gates; yes, lift them up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in. ¹⁰ Who is this King of glory? Yahweh of Armies is the King of glory! Selah. ²⁵ ¹ By David. To you, Yahweh, I lift up my soul. ² My God, I have trusted in you. Don’t let me be shamed. Don’t let my enemies triumph over me. ³ Yes, no one who waits for you will be shamed. They will be shamed who deal treacherously without cause. ⁴ Show me your ways, Yahweh. Teach me your paths. ⁵ Guide me in your truth, and teach me, For you are the God of my salvation, I wait for you all day long. ⁶ Yahweh, remember your tender mercies and your loving kindness, for they are from old times. ⁷ Don’t remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Remember me according to your loving kindness, for your goodness’ sake, Yahweh. ⁸ Good and upright is Yahweh, therefore he will instruct sinners in the way. ⁹ He will guide the humble in justice. He will teach the humble his way. ¹⁰ All the paths of Yahweh are loving kindness and truth to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. ¹¹ For your name’s sake, Yahweh, pardon my iniquity, for it is great. ¹² What man is he who fears Yahweh? He shall instruct him in the way that he shall choose. ¹³ His soul will dwell at ease. His offspring will inherit the land. ¹⁴ The friendship of Yahweh is with those who fear him. He will show them his covenant. ¹⁵ My eyes are ever on Yahweh, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. ¹⁶ Turn to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted. ¹⁷ The troubles of my heart are enlarged. Oh bring me out of my distresses. ¹⁸ Consider my affliction and my travail. Forgive all my sins. ¹⁹ Consider my enemies, for they are many. They hate me with cruel hatred. ²⁰ Oh keep my soul, and deliver me. Let me not be disappointed, for I take refuge in you. ²¹ Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. ²² Redeem Israel, God, out of all his troubles. ²⁶ ¹ By David. Judge me, Yahweh, for I have walked in my integrity. I have trusted also in Yahweh without wavering. ² Examine me, Yahweh, and prove me. Try my heart and my mind. ³ For your loving kindness is before my eyes. I have walked in your truth. ⁴ I have not sat with deceitful men, neither will I go in with hypocrites. ⁵ I hate the assembly of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked. ⁶ I will wash my hands in innocence, so I will go about your altar, Yahweh, ⁷ that I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard and tell of all your wondrous deeds. ⁸ Yahweh, I love the habitation of your house, the place where your glory dwells. ⁹ Don’t gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men; ¹⁰ in whose hands is wickedness, their right hand is full of bribes. ¹¹ But as for me, I will walk in my integrity. Redeem me, and be merciful to me. ¹² My foot stands in an even place. In the congregations I will bless Yahweh. ²⁷ ¹ By David. Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? ² When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. ³ Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident. ⁴ One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in Yahweh’s house all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple. ⁵ For in the day of trouble, he will keep me secretly in his pavilion. In the secret place of his tabernacle, he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock. ⁶ Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me. I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh. ⁷ Hear, Yahweh, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also on me, and answer me. ⁸ When you said, “Seek my face,” my heart said to you, “I will seek your face, Yahweh.” ⁹ Don’t hide your face from me. Don’t put your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Don’t abandon me, neither forsake me, God of my salvation. ¹⁰ When my father and my mother forsake me, then Yahweh will take me up. ¹¹ Teach me your way, Yahweh. Lead me in a straight path, because of my enemies. ¹² Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty. ¹³ I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living. ¹⁴ Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh. ²⁸ ¹ By David. To you, Yahweh, I call. My rock, don’t be deaf to me, lest, if you are silent to me, I would become like those who go down into the pit. ² Hear the voice of my petitions, when I cry to you, when I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place. ³ Don’t draw me away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts. ⁴ Give them according to their work, and according to the wickedness of their doings. Give them according to the operation of their hands. Bring back on them what they deserve. ⁵ Because they don’t respect the works of Yahweh, nor the operation of his hands, he will break them down and not build them up. ⁶ Blessed be Yahweh, because he has heard the voice of my petitions. ⁷ Yahweh is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices. With my song I will thank him. ⁸ Yahweh is their strength. He is a stronghold of salvation to his anointed. ⁹ Save your people, and bless your inheritance. Be their shepherd also, and bear them up forever. ²⁹ ¹ A Psalm by David. Ascribe to Yahweh, you sons of the mighty, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength. ² Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Worship Yahweh in holy array. ³ Yahweh’s voice is on the waters. The God of glory thunders, even Yahweh on many waters. ⁴ Yahweh’s voice is powerful. Yahweh’s voice is full of majesty. ⁵ Yahweh’s voice breaks the cedars. Yes, Yahweh breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. ⁶ He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young, wild ox. ⁷ Yahweh’s voice strikes with flashes of lightning. ⁸ Yahweh’s voice shakes the wilderness. Yahweh shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. ⁹ Yahweh’s voice makes the deer calve, and strips the forests bare. In his temple everything says, “Glory!” ¹⁰ Yahweh sat enthroned at the Flood. Yes, Yahweh sits as King forever. ¹¹ Yahweh will give strength to his people. Yahweh will bless his people with peace. ³⁰ ¹ A Psalm. A Song for the Dedication of the Temple. By David. I will extol you, Yahweh, for you have raised me up, and have not made my foes to rejoice over me. ² Yahweh my God, I cried to you, and you have healed me. ³ Yahweh, you have brought up my soul from Sheol. You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. ⁴ Sing praise to Yahweh, you saints of his. Give thanks to his holy name. ⁵ For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning. ⁶ As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” ⁷ You, Yahweh, when you favored me, made my mountain stand strong; but when you hid your face, I was troubled. ⁸ I cried to you, Yahweh. I made supplication to the Lord: ⁹ “What profit is there in my destruction, if I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise you? Shall it declare your truth? ¹⁰ Hear, Yahweh, and have mercy on me. Yahweh, be my helper.” ¹¹ You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness, ¹² to the end that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent. Yahweh my God, I will give thanks to you forever!