Psalm 18
Thanksgiving for
Deliverance |
2 Sam. 22.1-51 |
To the chief Musician, A
Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto 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: And he
said, |
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1 |
I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
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2 |
The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
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my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; |
my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high
tower. |
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3 |
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised:
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so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
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4 |
The sorrows of death compassed me,
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and the floods of ungodly men made me
afraid. |
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5 |
The sorrows of hell compassed me
about:
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the snares of death prevented me.
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6 |
In my distress I called upon the LORD,
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and cried unto my God: |
he heard my voice out of his temple, |
and my cry came before him, even into his
ears.
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7 |
Then the earth shook and trembled;
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the foundations also of the hills moved |
and were shaken, because he was
wroth. |
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8 |
There went up a smoke out of his
nostrils,
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and fire out of his mouth devoured: |
coals were kindled by
it. |
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9 |
He bowed the heavens also, and came
down:
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and darkness was under his
feet. |
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10 |
And he rode upon a cherub, and did
fly:
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yea, he did fly upon the wings of the
wind. |
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11 |
He made darkness his secret place;
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his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the
skies. |
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12 |
At the brightness that was before
him his thick clouds passed,
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hail stones and coals of
fire. |
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13 |
The LORD also
thundered in the heavens,
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and the Highest gave his voice; |
hail stones and coals of
fire. |
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14 |
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and
scattered them;
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and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited
them. |
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15 |
Then the channels of waters were
seen,
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and the foundations of the world were
discovered |
at thy rebuke, O LORD, |
at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
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16 |
He sent from above, he took me,
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he drew me out of many
waters. |
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17 |
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
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and from them which hated me: |
for they were too strong for
me. |
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18 |
They prevented me in the day of my
calamity:
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but the LORD was my
stay. |
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19 |
He brought me forth also into a large
place;
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he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
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20 |
The LORD rewarded me
according to my righteousness;
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according to the cleanness of my hands hath he
recompensed
me. |
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21 |
For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
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and have not wickedly departed from my
God. |
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22 |
For all his judgments were before
me,
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and I did not put away his statutes from
me. |
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23 |
I was also upright before him,
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and I kept myself from mine
iniquity. |
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24 |
Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness,
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according to the cleanness of my hands in his
eyesight.
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25 |
With the merciful thou wilt show thyself
merciful;
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with an upright man thou wilt show thyself
upright; |
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26 |
with the pure thou wilt show thyself
pure;
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and with the froward thou wilt show thyself
froward. |
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27 |
For thou wilt save the afflicted
people;
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but wilt bring down high
looks. |
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28 |
For thou wilt light my candle:
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the LORD my God will enlighten
my
darkness. |
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29 |
For by thee I have run through a
troop;
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and by my God have I leaped over a
wall. |
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30 |
As for God, his way is perfect:
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the word of the LORD is
tried: |
he is a buckler to all those that trust in
him.
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31 |
For who is God save the LORD?
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Or who is a rock save our
God? |
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32 |
It is God that girdeth me with
strength,
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and maketh my way
perfect. |
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33 |
He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, Hab. 3.19
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and setteth me upon my high
places. |
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34 |
He teacheth my hands to war,
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so that a bow of steel is broken by mine
arms. |
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35 |
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy
salvation:
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and thy right hand hath holden me up, |
and thy gentleness hath made me
great. |
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36 |
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me,
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that my feet did not
slip. |
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37 |
I have pursued mine enemies, and
overtaken them:
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neither did I turn again till they were
consumed. |
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38 |
I have wounded them that they were not
able to rise:
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they are fallen under my
feet. |
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39 |
For thou hast girded me with strength
unto the battle:
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thou hast subdued under me those that rose up
against
me. |
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40 |
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine
enemies;
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that I might destroy them that hate
me. |
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41 |
They cried, but there was none to
save them:
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even unto the LORD, but
he answered them
not. |
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42 |
Then did I beat them small as the dust
before the wind:
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I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
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43 |
Thou hast delivered me from the strivings
of the people;
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and thou hast made me the head of the
heathen: |
a people whom I have not known shall serve
me. |
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44 |
As soon as they hear of me, they shall
obey me:
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the strangers shall submit themselves unto
me. |
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45 |
The strangers shall fade away,
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and be afraid out of their close places.
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46 |
The LORD liveth; and
blessed be my Rock;
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and let the God of my salvation be
exalted. |
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47 |
It is God that avengeth me,
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and subdueth the people under
me. |
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48 |
He delivereth me from mine enemies:
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yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up
against me: |
thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
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49 |
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O
LORD, among the heathen,
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50 |
Great deliverance giveth he to his
king;
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and showeth mercy to his anointed, |
to David, and to his seed for
evermore. |
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