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Psalms 18-21

Psalms 18

1“I love You, LORD, my strength.”

2The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my savior, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And I am saved from my enemies.

4The ropes of death encompassed me, And the torrents of destruction terrified me.

5The ropes of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.

6In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.

7Then the earth shook and quaked; And the foundations of the mountains were trembling And were shaken, because He was angry.

8Smoke went up out of His nostrils, And fire from His mouth was devouring; Coals burned from it.

9He also bowed the heavens down low, and came down With thick darkness under His feet.

10He rode on a cherub and flew; And He sped on the wings of the wind.

11He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds.

12From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and coals of fire.

13The LORD also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.

14He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.

15Then the channels of water appeared, And the foundations of the world were exposed By Your rebuke, LORD, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

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

17He saved me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

18They confronted me in the day of my disaster, But the LORD was my support.

19He also brought me out into an open place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.

20The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has repaid me.

21For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not acted wickedly against my God.

22For all His judgments were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me.

23I was also blameless with Him, And I kept myself from my wrongdoing.

24Therefore the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

25With the faithful You show Yourself faithful; With the blameless You prove Yourself blameless;

26With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.

27For You save an afflicted people, But You humiliate haughty eyes.

28For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness.

29For by You I can run at a troop of warriors; And by my God I can leap over a wall.

30As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is refined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

31For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God,

32The God who encircles me with strength, And makes my way blameless?

33He makes my feet like deer’s feet, And sets me up on my high places.

34He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

35You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand upholds me; And Your gentleness makes me great.

36You enlarge my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.

37I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And I did not turn back until they were consumed.

38I shattered them, so that they were not able to rise; They fell under my feet.

39For You have encircled me with strength for battle; You have forced those who rose up against me to bow down under me.

40You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, And I destroyed those who hated me.

41They cried for help, but there was no one to save, They cried to the LORD, but He did not answer them.

42Then I beat them fine like the dust before the wind; I emptied them out like the mud of the streets.

43You have rescued me from the contentions of the people; You have placed me as head of the nations; A people whom I have not known serve me.

44As soon as they hear, they obey me; Foreigners pretend to obey me.

45Foreigners lose heart, And come trembling out of their fortresses.

46The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation,

47The God who executes vengeance for me, And subdues peoples under me.

48He rescues me from my enemies; You indeed lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from a violent man.

49Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, LORD, And I will sing praises to Your name.

50He gives great salvation to His king, And shows faithfulness to His anointed, To David and his descendants forever.

Psalms 19

1The heavens tell of the glory of God; And their expanse declares the work of His hands.

2Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.

3There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard.

4Their line has gone out into all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

5Which is like a groom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices like a strong person to run his course.

6Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7The Law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

8The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

10They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much pure gold; Sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

11Moreover, Your servant is warned by them; In keeping them there is great reward.

12Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

13Also keep Your servant back from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be innocent, And I will be blameless of great wrongdoing.

14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

Psalms 20

1May the LORD answer you on a day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!

2May He send you help from the sanctuary, And support you from Zion!

3May He remember all your meal offerings And accept your burnt offering! Selah

4May He grant you your heart’s desire And fulfill your whole plan!

5We will sing for joy over your victory, And in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the LORD fulfill all your desires.

6Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven With the saving strength of His right hand.

7Some praise their chariots and some their horses, But we will praise the name of the LORD, our God.

8They have bowed down and fallen, But we have risen and stood upright.

9Save, LORD; May the King answer us on the day we call.

Psalms 21

1LORD, in Your strength the king will be glad, And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice!

2You have given him his heart’s desire, And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

3For You meet him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of pure gold on his head.

4He asked for life from You, You gave it to him, Length of days forever and ever.

5His glory is great through Your salvation, Splendor and majesty You place upon him.

6For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with the joy of Your presence.

7For the king trusts in the LORD, And through the faithfulness of the Most High he will not be shaken.

8Your hand will find all your enemies; Your right hand will find those who hate you.

9You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger; The LORD will swallow them up in His wrath, And fire will devour them.

10You will eliminate their descendants from the earth, And their children from among the sons of mankind.

11Though they intended evil against You And devised a plot, They will not succeed.

12For You will make them turn their back; You will take aim at their faces with Your bowstrings.

13Be exalted, LORD, in Your strength; We will sing and praise Your power.