Psalm 18:20-21:13

English Standard Version

²⁰ The Lord dealt with me ^(A)according to my righteousness;
    according to ^(B)the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
²¹ For I have ^(C)kept the ways of the Lord,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
²² For ^(D)all his rules^[a] were before me,
    and his statutes I did not put away from me.
²³ I was ^(E)blameless before him,
    and I kept myself from my guilt.
²⁴ So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

²⁵ With ^(F)the merciful you show yourself merciful;
    with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
²⁶ with the purified you show yourself pure;
    and with ^(G)the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
²⁷ For you save ^(H)a humble people,
    but ^(I)the haughty eyes you bring down.
²⁸ For it is you who light my ^(J)lamp;
    the Lord my God lightens my darkness.
²⁹ For by you I can run against a troop,
    and by my God I can ^(K)leap over ^(L)a wall.
³⁰ This God—his way is ^(M)perfect;^[b]
    the word of the Lord ^(N)proves true;
    he is ^(O)a shield for all those who ^(P)take refuge in him.

³¹ For ^(Q)who is God, but the Lord?
    And who is ^(R)a rock, except our God?—
³² the God who ^(S)equipped me with strength
    and made my way ^(T)blameless.
³³ He made my feet like the feet of a ^(U)deer
    and set me secure on ^(V)the heights.
³⁴ He ^(W)trains my hands for war,
    so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁵ You have given me the shield of your salvation,
    and your right hand ^(X)supported me,
    and your ^(Y)gentleness made me great.
³⁶ You ^(Z)gave a wide place for my steps under me,
    and my feet did not slip.
³⁷ I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
    and did not turn back till they were consumed.
³⁸ I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise;
    they fell under my feet.
³⁹ For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
    you made those who rise against me sink under me.
⁴⁰ You made my enemies ^(AA)turn their backs to me,^[c]
    and those who hated me I destroyed.
^41 (AB)They cried for help, but there was none to save;
    they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
⁴² I beat them fine as ^(AC)dust before the wind;
    I cast them out like ^(AD)the mire of the streets.

⁴³ You delivered me from ^(AE)strife with the people;
    you made me ^(AF)the head of the nations;
    ^(AG)people whom I had not known served me.
⁴⁴ As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;
    ^(AH)foreigners ^(AI)came cringing to me.
^45 (AJ)Foreigners lost heart
    and ^(AK)came trembling out of their fortresses.

⁴⁶ The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
    and exalted be the God of my salvation—
⁴⁷ the God who gave me vengeance
    and ^(AL)subdued peoples under me,
⁴⁸ who rescued me from my enemies;
    yes, you ^(AM)exalted me above those who rose against me;
    you delivered me from ^(AN)the man of violence.

^49 (AO)For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
    and ^(AP)sing to your name.
⁵⁰ Great ^(AQ)salvation he brings to his king,
    and shows steadfast love to his ^(AR)anointed,
    to ^(AS)David and his offspring forever.

^7 (AZ)The law of the Lord is perfect,^{[f]
    (BA)}reviving the soul;
^(BB)the testimony of the Lord is ^(BC)sure,
    ^(BD)making wise ^(BE)the simple;
^8 (BF)the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is ^(BG)pure,
    ^(BH)enlightening the eyes;
⁹ the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring forever;
the rules^[g] of the Lord are ^(BI)true,
    and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than ^(BJ)gold,
    even much ^(BK)fine gold;
^(BL)sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of ^(BM)the honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
    ^(BN)in keeping them there is great reward.

^12 (BO)Who can discern his errors?
    ^(BP)Declare me innocent from ^(BQ)hidden faults.
^13 (BR)Keep back your servant also from ^(BS)presumptuous sins;
    let them not have ^(BT)dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in your sight,
    O Lord, my ^(BU)rock and my ^(BV)redeemer.

⁴ May he ^(CC)grant you your heart's desire
    and fulfill all your plans!
⁵ May we shout for joy over ^(CD)your salvation,
    and in the name of our God set up our ^(CE)banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!

⁶ Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed;
    he will answer him from his holy heaven
    with ^(CF)the saving might of his right hand.
⁷ Some trust in ^(CG)chariots and some in ^(CH)horses,
    ^(CI)but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ They collapse and fall,
    but we rise and stand upright.

⁹ O Lord, save ^(CJ)the king!
    May he answer us when we call.

⁸ Your hand will ^(CW)find out all your enemies;
    your right hand will find out those who hate you.
⁹ You will make them as ^(CX)a blazing oven
    when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his ^(CY)wrath,
    and ^(CZ)fire will consume them.
¹⁰ You ^(DA)will destroy their ^(DB)descendants from the earth,
    and their offspring from among the children of man.
¹¹ Though they plan evil against you,
    though they ^(DC)devise mischief, they will not succeed.
¹² For you will put them ^(DD)to flight;
    you will ^(DE)aim at their faces with your bows.

¹³ Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
    We will sing and praise your power.