{2Sa 22:1-51; Psa 18 **}
18:1 I love you, O Jehovah, my strength. 18:2Jehovah is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
18:3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised. So I will be saved from my enemies.
18:4 The cords of death encompassed me and the torrents of wickedness made me afraid. 18:5 The cords of Sheol were all around me. The snares of death came upon me.
18:6 I called upon Jehovah in my distress and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple and my cry before him came into his ears.
18:7 Then the earth shook and quaked. The foundations also of the mountains trembled and were shaken because he was angry.
18:8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured. Coals were kindled by it. 18:9 He also bowed the heavens and came down and thick darkness was under his feet.
18:10 And he rode upon a cherub and flew. Yes, he soared upon the wings of the wind.
18:11 He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion all around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
18:12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire. 18:13Jehovah also thundered in the heavens and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire.18:14 And he sent out his arrows and scattered them, Yes, lightnings shot out and confused them.
18:15 Then the channels of waters appeared and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
18:16 He sent from on high, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. 18:17 He delivered me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, because they were too mighty for me.
18:18 They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my support. 18:19 He also brought me forth into a large place. He delivered me because he delighted in me.
18:20 Jehovah has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands he has recompensed me. 18:21 Because I have kept the ways of Jehovah and have not wickedly departed from my God.
18:22 Because all his ordinances were before me and I put not away his statutes from me. 18:23 I was also perfect with him and I kept myself from my iniquity.
18:24 Therefore Jehovah has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
18:25 You will show yourself merciful with the merciful. You will show yourself perfect with the perfect man. 18:26 You will show yourself pure with the pure.And with the perverse you will show yourself contrary.
18:27 Because you will save the afflicted people, but the haughty eyes you will bring down. 18:28 Because you will light my lamp. Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness. 18:29 Because by you I run upon a troop and by my God I leap over a wall.
18:30 As for God, his way is perfect. The word of Jehovah is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
18:31 Because who is God, except Jehovah? And who is a rock, besides our God, 18:32 the God who girds me with strength and makes my way perfect? 18:33 He makes my feet like the feet of female-deers and sets me upon my high places. 18:34 He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of brass.
18:35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation and your right hand has held me up and your gentleness has made me great. 18:36 You have enlarged my steps under me and my feet have not slipped.
18:37 I will pursue my enemies and overtake them. Neither will I turn again till they are consumed. 18:38 I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They will fall under my feet.
18:39 For you have girded me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
18:40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.18:41 They cried, but there was none to save, even to Jehovah, but he answered them not.
18:42 Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mud of the streets.
18:43 You have delivered me from the strifes of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known will serve me. 18:44 As soon as they hear of me they will obey me. The foreigners will submit themselves to me. 18:45The foreigners will fade away and will come trembling out of their borders.
18:46 Jehovah lives and my rock is blessed and exalted be the God of my salvation, 18:47 even the God who executes vengeance for me and subdues peoples under me. 18:48 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.
18:49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, O Jehovah, among the Gentiles and will sing praises to your name. 18:50 He gives great deliverance to his king and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed, until everlasting.