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Chapter 18 |
| 1 | I will love
thee, O LORD, my strength. |
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2 | The LORD is my rock, and my fortress,
and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and
the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. |
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3 | I will call upon the
LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
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| 4 | The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me
afraid. |
| 5 |
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death
prevented me. |
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6 | In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried
unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him,
even into his ears. |
| 7 | Then the earth shook and trembled; the
foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was
wroth. |
| 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 darkness was under his feet. |
| 10 | And he rode
upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
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| 11 | He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were
dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. |
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12 | At the brightness that
was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
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| 13 | The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice;
hail stones and coals of fire. |
| 14 | Yea, he sent out his arrows,
and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
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| 15 | Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world
were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy
nostrils. |
| 16
| He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many
waters. |
| 17
| He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which
hated me: for they were too strong for me. |
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18 | They prevented me in
the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. |
| 19 | He brought
me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in
me. |
| 20 |
The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according
to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. |
| 21 | For I have
kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
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| 22 | For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his
statutes from me. |
| 23 | I was also upright before him, and I kept
myself from mine iniquity. |
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24 | Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me
according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his
eyesight. |
| 25
| With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with
an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; |
| 26 | With the
pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself
froward. |
| 27
| For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring
down high looks. |
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28 | For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will
enlighten my darkness. |
| 29 | For by thee I have run through a troop; and
by my God have I leaped over a wall. |
| 30 | As for God, his way is
perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust
in him. |
| 31
| For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our
God? |
| 32 |
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way
perfect. |
| 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 a bow of steel
is broken by mine arms. |
| 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. |
| 36
| Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did
not slip. |
| 37
| I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither
did I turn again till they were consumed. |
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38 | I have wounded them that
they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet. |
| 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 given me the necks of
mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. |
| 41 | They cried,
but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them
not. |
| 42 |
Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did
cast them out as the dirt in the streets. |
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43 | Thou hast delivered me
from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the
heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. |
| 44 | As soon as
they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto
me. |
| 45 |
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their
close places. |
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46 | The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let
the God of my salvation be exalted. |
| 47 | It is God that avengeth me,
and subdueth the people under me. |
| 48 | He delivereth me from mine
enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast
delivered me from the violent man. |
| 49 | Therefore will I give thanks
unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
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| 50 | Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his
anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore. |
