PSALM 18
Diligam te, Domine.

I will love thee, O | LORD, my strength.

* The LORD is my stony rock, | and my defence;

2 My Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom | I will trust;

* my buckler, the horn also of my sal- | -vation, and my refuge.

3 I will call upon the LORD, which is worthy | to be praised;

* so shall I be | safe from mine enemies.

4 The sorrows of death | compassed me,

* and the overflowings of ungodliness | made me afraid.

5 The pains of hell | came about me;

* the snares of | death overtook me.

6 In my trouble I called up- | -on the LORD,

* and com- | -plained •unto• my God:

7 So he heard my voice out of his | holy temple,

* and my complaint came before him; it entered | even •into• his ears.

8 The earth | trembled• and quaked,

* the very foundations also of the hills shook, and were removed, be- | -cause he was wroth.

9 There went a smoke out | in his presence,

* and a consuming fire out of his mouth, so that | coals were kindled at it.

10 He bowed the heavens also, and | came down,

* and it was | dark under his feet.

11 He rode upon the Cherubim, | and did fly;

* he came flying upon the | wings of the wind.

12 He made darkness his | secret place,

* his pavilion round about him with dark water, and thick | clouds to cover him.

13 At the brightness of his presence his | clouds removed;

* hail- | -stones and coals of fire.

14 The LORD also thundered out of heaven, and the Highest | gave his thunder;

* hail- | -stones and coals of fire.

15 He sent out his arrows, and | scattered them;

* he cast forth lightnings, | and destroyed them.

16 The springs of waters were seen, and the foundations of the round world | were discovered,

* at thy chiding, O LORD, at the blasting of the | breath of thy displeasure.

17 He sent down from on | high to fetch me,

* and took me | out of many waters.

18 He delivered me from my strongest enemy, and from | them which hate me;

* for they | were too •mighty• for me.

19 They came upon me in the day | of my trouble;

* but the | LORD was my upholder.

20 He brought me forth also into a | place of liberty;

* he brought me forth, even because he had a | favour unto me.

21 The LORD rewarded me after my | righteous dealing,

* according to the cleanness of my hands | did he recompense me.

22 Because I have kept the ways | of the LORD,

* and have not forsaken my God, | as the wicked doth.

23 For I have an eye unto | all his laws,

* and will not cast out | his commandments from me.

24 I was also uncor- | -rupt before him,

* and es- | -chewed mine own wickedness.

25 Therefore the LORD rewarded me after my | righteous dealing,

* and according unto the cleanness of my | hands in his eyesight.

26 With the holy thou | shalt be holy,

* and with a perfect man | thou shalt be perfect.

27 With the clean thou | shalt be clean,

* and with the froward | thou shalt be froward.

28 For thou shalt save the people that are | in adversity,

* and shalt bring down the | high looks of the proud.

29 Thou also shalt | light my candle;

* the LORD my God shall make my | darkness to be light.

30 For in thee I shall discomfit an | host of men,

* and with the help of my God I shall | leap •over• the wall.

31 The way of God is an unde- | -fil-ed way:

* the word of the LORD also is tried in the fire; he is the defender of all them that | put their trust in him.

32 For who is God, | but the LORD?

* or who hath any | strength, except our God?

33 It is God that girdeth me with | strength of war,

* and | maketh• my way perfect.

34 He maketh my | feet like harts' feet,

* and | setteth• me up on high.

35 He teacheth mine | hands to fight,

* and mine arms shall bend | even• a bow of steel.

36 Thou hast given me the defence of | thy salvation;

* thy right hand also shall hold me up, and thy loving cor- | -rection• shall make me great.

37 Thou shalt make room enough under me | for to go,

* that my | footsteps shall not slide.

38 I will follow upon mine enemies, and | overtake them;

* neither will I turn again till I | have destroyed them.

39 I will smite them, that they shall not be | able• to stand,

* but | fall •under• my feet.

40 Thou hast girded me with strength | unto• the battle;

* thou shalt throw down mine | ene•mies under me.

41 Thou hast made mine enemies also to turn their | backs upon me,

* and I shall de- | -stroy them that hate me.

42 They shall cry, but there shall be | none to help them;

* yea, even unto the LORD shall they cry, | but he shall not hear them.

43 I will beat them as small as the dust be- | -fore the wind:

* I will cast them out as the | clay in the streets.

44 Thou shalt deliver me from the strivings | of the people,

* and thou shalt make me the head of the nations; a people whom I | have not known shall serve me.

45 As soon as they hear of me, they shall o- | -bey me;

* the strangers shall feign o- | -bedi•ence unto me.

46 The strangers | shall fail,

* and come trembling | out of their strongholds.

47 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my | strong helper,

* and praised be the | God of my salvation;

48 Even the God that seeth that I | be avenged,

* and subdueth the | people unto me.

49 It is he that delivereth me from my cruel enemies, and setteth me up above mine | adversaries:

* thou shalt rid me | from the wicked man.

50 For this cause will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, a- | -mong the Gentiles,

* and sing | praises •unto• thy Name.

51 Great prosperity giveth he | unto• his King,

* and showeth loving-kindness unto David his anointed, and unto his | seed for evermore.

Glory be to the Father, and | to the Son,

* and | to the Holy Ghost,

As it was in the beginning, is now, and | ever shall be,

* world without | end.  Amen.