Psalms 18:1-25

¹To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid the seruant of the Lord, which spake unto the Lord the wordes of this song (in the day that the Lord delivered him for the hande of all this enemies, and form the and of saul) and sayd, I will loue thee dearely, O Lord my strength.

²The Lord is my rocke, and my fortresse, and he that deliuereth me, my God and my strength: in him will I trust, my shield, the horne also of my saluation, and my refuge.

³I will call vpon the Lord, which is worthie to be praysed: so shall I be safe from mine enemies.

⁴The sorowes of death compassed me, and the floods of wickednes made me afraide.

⁵The sorowes of the graue haue compassed me about: the snares of death ouertooke me.

⁶But in my trouble did I call vpon the Lord, and cryed vnto my God: he heard my voyce out of his Temple, and my crye did come before him, euen into his eares.

⁷Then the earth trembled, and quaked: the foundations also of the mountaines mooued and shooke, because he was angrie.

⁸Smoke went out at his nostrels, and a consuming fire out of his mouth: coales were kindled thereat.

⁹He bowed the heauens also and came downe, and darkenes was vnder his feete.

¹⁰And he rode vpon Cherub and did flie, and he came flying vpon the wings of the winde.

¹¹He made darkenes his secrete place, and his pauilion round about him, euen darkenesse of waters, and cloudes of the ayre.

¹²At the brightnes of his presence his clouds passed, haylestones and coles of fire.

¹³The Lord also thundred in the heauen, and the Highest gaue his voyce, haylestones and coales of fire.

¹⁴Then hee sent out his arrowes and scattred them, and he increased lightnings and destroyed them.

¹⁵And the chanels of waters were seene, and the foundations of the worlde were discouered at thy rebuking, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath of thy nostrels.

¹⁶He hath sent downe from aboue and taken mee: hee hath drawen mee out of many waters.

¹⁷He hath deliuered mee from my strong enemie, and from them which hate me: for they were too strong for me.

¹⁸They preuented me in the day of my calamitie: but the Lord was my stay.

¹⁹Hee brought mee foorth also into a large place: hee deliuered mee because hee fauoured me.

²⁰The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnes: according to the purenes of mine hands he recompensed me:

²¹Because I kept the wayes of the Lord, and did not wickedly against my God.

²²For all his Lawes were before mee, and I did not cast away his commandements from mee.

²³I was vpright also with him, and haue kept me from my wickednes.

²⁴Therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse, and according to the purenes of mine hands in his sight.

²⁵With the godly thou wilt shewe thy selfe godly: with the vpright man thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright.