ASV - Psalms 18 to 21

Psalm 18

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of Jehovah, who spake unto Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: and he said,

¹I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength. 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. ³I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies. ⁴The cords of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. ⁵The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me. ⁶In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry before him came into his ears.

⁷Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations also of the mountains quaked And were shaken, because he was wroth. ⁸There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it. ⁹He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet. ¹⁰And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind. ¹¹He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion round about him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies. ¹²At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire.

¹³Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. ¹⁴And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them. ¹⁵Then the channels of waters appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare, At thy rebuke, O Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

¹⁶He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters. ¹⁷He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from them that hated me; for they were too mighty for me. ¹⁸They came upon me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay. ¹⁹He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.

²⁰Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. ²¹For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God. ²²For all his ordinances were before me, And I put not away his statutes from me. ²³I was also perfect with him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity. ²⁴Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. ²⁵With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect; ²⁶With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward. ²⁷For thou wilt save the afflicted people; But the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down.

²⁸For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness. ²⁹For by thee I run upon a troop; And by my God do I leap over a wall. ³⁰As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him.

³¹For who is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, besides our God, ³²The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect? ³³He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: And setteth me upon my high places. ³⁴He teacheth my hands to war; So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.

³⁵Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; And thy right hand hath holden me up, And thy gentleness hath made me great. ³⁶Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.

³⁷I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them; Neither will I turn again till they are consumed. ³⁸I will smite them through, so that they shall not be able to rise: They shall fall under my feet. ³⁹For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. ⁴⁰Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me. ⁴¹They cried, but there was none to save; Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not. ⁴²Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.

⁴³Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; Thou hast made me the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me. ⁴⁴As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me; The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me. ⁴⁵The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places. ⁴⁶Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation, ⁴⁷Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, And subdueth peoples under me. ⁴⁸He rescueth me from mine enemies; Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man. ⁴⁹Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name. ⁵⁰Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore.

Psalm 19 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

¹The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament showeth his handiwork. ²Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night showeth knowledge. ³There is no speech nor language; Their voice is not heard. ⁴Their line is gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, ⁵Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoiceth as a strong man to run his course. ⁶His going forth is from the end of the heavens, And his circuit unto the ends of it; And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. ⁷The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul: The testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple. ⁸The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes. ⁹The fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring for ever: The ordinances of Jehovah are true, and righteous altogether. ¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb. ¹¹Moreover by them is thy servant warned: In keeping them there is great reward. ¹²Who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults. ¹³Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me: Then shall I be upright, And I shall be clear from great transgression. ¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer.

Psalm 20 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

¹Jehovah answer thee in the day of trouble; The name of the God of Jacob set thee up on high; ²Send thee help from the sanctuary, And strengthen thee out of Zion; ³Remember all thy offerings, And accept thy burnt-sacrifice; Selah ⁴Grant thee thy heart's desire, And fulfil all thy counsel. ⁵We will triumph in thy salvation, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners: Jehovah fulfil all thy petitions. ⁶Now know I that Jehovah saveth his anointed; He will answer him from his holy heaven With the saving strength of his right hand. ⁷Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will make mention of the name of Jehovah our God. ⁸They are bowed down and fallen; But we are risen, and stand upright. ⁹Save, Jehovah: Let the King answer us when we call.

Psalm 21 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

¹The king shall joy in thy strength, O Jehovah; And in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! ²Thou hast given him his heart's desire, And hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah ³For thou meetest him with the blessings of goodness: Thou settest a crown of fine gold on his head. ⁴He asked life of thee, thou gavest it him, Even length of days for ever and ever. ⁵His glory is great in thy salvation: Honor and majesty dost thou lay upon him. ⁶For thou makest him most blessed for ever: Thou makest him glad with joy in thy presence. ⁷For the king trusteth in Jehovah; And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he shall not be moved. ⁸Thy hand will find out all thine enemies; Thy right hand will find out those that hate thee. ⁹Thou wilt make them as a fiery furnace in the time of thine anger: Jehovah will swallow them up in his wrath, And the fire shall devour them. ¹⁰Their fruit wilt thou destroy from the earth, And their seed from among the children of men. ¹¹For they intended evil against thee; They conceived a device which they are not able to perform. ¹²For thou wilt make them turn their back; Thou wilt make ready with thy bowstrings against their face. ¹³Be thou exalted, O Jehovah, in thy strength: So will we sing and praise thy power.