Psalm 18 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress

(2Sa 22:1–51 )

Psa 18:1To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:
I love you, O LORD, my strength.

Psa 18:2

Psa 18:2The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psa 18:3

Psa 18:3I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.

Psa 18:4

Psa 18:4The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;[fn]

Psa 18:5

Psa 18:5the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.

Psa 18:6

Psa 18:6In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.

Psa 18:7

Psa 18:7Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.

Psa 18:8

Psa 18:8Smoke went up from his nostrils,[fn]
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.

Psa 18:9

Psa 18:9He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.

Psa 18:10

Psa 18:10He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.

Psa 18:11

Psa 18:11He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
thick clouds dark with water.

Psa 18:12

Psa 18:12Out of the brightness before him
hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

Psa 18:13

Psa 18:13The LORD also thundered in the heavens,
and the Most High uttered his voice,
hailstones and coals of fire.

Psa 18:14

Psa 18:14And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;
he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.

Psa 18:15

Psa 18:15Then the channels of the sea were seen,
and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your rebuke, O LORD,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

Psa 18:16

Psa 18:16He sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.

Psa 18:17

Psa 18:17He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.

Psa 18:18

Psa 18:18They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the LORD was my support.

Psa 18:19

Psa 18:19He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

Psa 18:20

Psa 18:20The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.

Psa 18:21

Psa 18:21For I have kept the ways of the LORD,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.

Psa 18:22

Psa 18:22For all his rules[fn] were before me,
and his statutes I did not put away from me.

Psa 18:23

Psa 18:23I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from my guilt.

Psa 18:24

Psa 18:24So the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

Psa 18:25

Psa 18:25With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;

Psa 18:26

Psa 18:26with the purified you show yourself pure;
and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.

Psa 18:27

Psa 18:27For you save a humble people,
but the haughty eyes you bring down.

Psa 18:28

Psa 18:28For it is you who light my lamp;
the LORD my God lightens my darkness.

Psa 18:29

Psa 18:29For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.

Psa 18:30

Psa 18:30This God—his way is perfect;[fn]
the word of the LORD proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

Psa 18:31

Psa 18:31For who is God, but the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?—

Psa 18:32

Psa 18:32the God who equipped me with strength
and made my way blameless.

Psa 18:33

Psa 18:33He made my feet like the feet of a deer
and set me secure on the heights.

Psa 18:34

Psa 18:34He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

Psa 18:35

Psa 18:35You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand supported me,
and your gentleness made me great.

Psa 18:36

Psa 18:36You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.

Psa 18:37

Psa 18:37I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
and did not turn back till they were consumed.

Psa 18:38

Psa 18:38I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
they fell under my feet.

Psa 18:39

Psa 18:39For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.

Psa 18:40

Psa 18:40You made my enemies turn their backs to me,[fn]
and those who hated me I destroyed.

Psa 18:41

Psa 18:41They cried for help, but there was none to save;
they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.

Psa 18:42

Psa 18:42I beat them fine as dust before the wind;
I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

Psa 18:43

Psa 18:43You delivered me from strife with the people;
you made me the head of the nations;
people whom I had not known served me.

Psa 18:44

Psa 18:44As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
foreigners came cringing to me.

Psa 18:45

Psa 18:45Foreigners lost heart
and came trembling out of their fortresses.

Psa 18:46

Psa 18:46The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation—

Psa 18:47

Psa 18:47the God who gave me vengeance
and subdued peoples under me,

Psa 18:48

Psa 18:48who rescued me from my enemies;
yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me;
you delivered me from the man of violence.

Psa 18:49

Psa 18:49For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations,
and sing to your name.

Psa 18:50

Psa 18:50Great salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his offspring forever.

See the ESV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

ESV Footnotes

Or terrified me

Or in his wrath

Or just decrees

Or blameless

Or You gave me my enemies’ necks

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the ESV Preface.