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David’s Song of Deliverance

(Psalm 18:1-50)

¹ And David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

² He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.³ My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence.⁴ I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.⁵ For the waves of death engulfed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.⁶ The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.⁷ In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried out to my God. And from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears.⁸ Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the heavens^(a) trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.⁹ Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals flamed forth.¹⁰ He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.¹¹ He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared^(a) on the wings of the wind.¹² He made darkness a canopy around Him, a gathering of water and thick clouds.¹³ From the brightness of His presence, coals of fire blazed forth.¹⁴ The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.¹⁵ He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.¹⁶ The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.¹⁷ He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.¹⁸ He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, for they were too mighty for me.¹⁹ They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD was my support.²⁰ He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me.²¹ The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.²² For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God.²³ For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.²⁴ And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity.²⁵ So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight^(a).²⁶ To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, and to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;²⁷ to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.²⁸ You save an afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.²⁹ For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD enlightens my darkness.³⁰ For in you I can charge an army; with my God I can scale a wall.³¹ As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.³² For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the rock except our God?³³ God is my strong fortress and He makes my way blameless.³⁴ He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and stations me upon the heights.³⁵ He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.³⁶ You have given me Your shield of salvation; and Your gentleness exalts me^(a).³⁷ You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.³⁸ I pursued my enemies and destroyed them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.³⁹ I devoured and crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet.⁴⁰ You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.⁴¹ You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me.⁴² They looked, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but He did not answer.⁴³ I ground them as the dust of the earth; I crushed and trampled them like mud in the streets.⁴⁴ You have delivered me from the strife of my people; You have preserved me as the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me.⁴⁵ Foreigners cower before me; when they hear me, they obey me.⁴⁶ Foreigners lose heart and come trembling^(a) from their strongholds.⁴⁷ The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may God, the rock of my salvation, be exalted—⁴⁸ the God who avenges me and brings down nations beneath me,⁴⁹ who frees me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.⁵⁰ Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.⁵¹ Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”