Psalms 18: (ASV)
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1) I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
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2) Jehovah 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.
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3) I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies.
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4) The cords of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
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5) The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me.
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6) In 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.
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7) Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations also of the mountains quaked And were shaken, because he was wroth.
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8) There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it.
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9) He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet.
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10) And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind.
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11) He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion round about him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
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12) At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire.
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13) Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.
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14) And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.
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15) Then 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.
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16) He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters.
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17) He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from them that hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
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18) They came upon me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay.
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19) He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
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20) Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
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21) For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
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22) For all his ordinances were before me, And I put not away his statutes from me.
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23) I was also perfect with him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity.
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24) Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
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25) With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect;
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26) With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward.
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27) For thou wilt save the afflicted people; But the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down.
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28) For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.
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29) For by thee I run upon a troop; And by my God do I leap over a wall.
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30) As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him.
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31) For who is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, besides our God,
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32) The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect?
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33) He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: And setteth me upon my high places.
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34) He teacheth my hands to war; So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.
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35) Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; And thy right hand hath holden me up, And thy gentleness hath made me great.
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36) Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.
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37) I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them; Neither will I turn again till they are consumed.
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38) I will smite them through, so that they shall not be able to rise: They shall fall under my feet.
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39) For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
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40) Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me.
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41) They cried, but there was none to save; Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not.
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42) Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.
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43) Thou 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.
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44) As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me; The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me.
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45) The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places.
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46) Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation,
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47) Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, And subdueth peoples under me.
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48) He rescueth me from mine enemies; Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man.
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49) Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name.
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50) Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore.
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