l[See ver. 4 above]
bx[See ver. 44 above]

‏ Psalms 18:2-50

2The Lord is my arock and my bfortress and my deliverer,
my God, my crock, in dwhom I take refuge,
my eshield, and fthe horn of my salvation, my gstronghold.
3I call upon the Lord, who is hworthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
4 iThe cords of death encompassed me;
jthe torrents of destruction assailed me;
Or terrified me

5 lthe cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 mIn my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his ntemple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
7Then the earth oreeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
8Smoke went up from his nostrils,
Or in his wrath

and devouring qfire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
9He rbowed the heavens and scame down;
tthick darkness was under his feet.
10He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on uthe wings of the wind.
11He made darkness his covering, his vcanopy around him,
thick clouds wdark with water.
12Out of the brightness before him
xhailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.
13The Lord also ythundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his zvoice,
hailstones and coals of fire.
14And he sent out his aaarrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and abrouted them.
15Then acthe channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your adrebuke, O Lord,
at the blast of aethe breath of your nostrils.
16He afsent from on high, he took me;
he agdrew me out of ahmany waters.
17He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were aitoo mighty for me.
18They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
19He brought me out into aja broad place;
he rescued me, because he akdelighted in me.
20The Lord dealt with me alaccording to my righteousness;
according to amthe cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
21For I have ankept the ways of the Lord,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22For aoall his rules
Or just decrees
were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23I was aqblameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.
24So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25With arthe merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
26with the purified you show yourself pure;
and with asthe crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
27For you save ata humble people,
but authe haughty eyes you bring down.
28For it is you who light my avlamp;
the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
29For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can awleap over axa wall.
30This God—his way is ayperfect;
Or blameless

the word of the Lord baproves true;
he is bba shield for all those who bctake refuge in him.
31For bdwho is God, but the Lord?
And who is bea rock, except our God?—
32the God who bfequipped me with strength
and made my way bgblameless.
33He made my feet like the feet of a bhdeer
and set me secure on bithe heights.
34He bjtrains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand bksupported me,
and your blgentleness made me great.
36You bmgave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
37I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.
38I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.
39For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
40You made my enemies bnturn their backs to me,
Or  You gave me my enemies’ necks

and those who hated me I destroyed.
41 bpThey cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
42I beat them fine as bqdust before the wind;
I cast them out like brthe mire of the streets.
43You delivered me from bsstrife with the people;
you made me btthe head of the nations;
bupeople whom I had not known served me.
44As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
bvforeigners bwcame cringing to me.
45 bxForeigners lost heart
and bycame trembling out of their fortresses.
46The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation
47the God who gave me vengeance
and bzsubdued peoples under me,
48who rescued me from my enemies;
yes, you caexalted me above those who rose against me;
you delivered me from cbthe man of violence.
49 ccFor this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and cdsing to your name.
50Great cesalvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his cfanointed,
to cgDavid and his offspring forever.
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