115 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
115 lines
4.6 KiB
Markdown
# Chapter 18
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1 I love you, Lord;
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you are my strength.
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2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
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my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
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He is my shield, the power that saves me,
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and my place of safety.
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3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
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and he saved me from my enemies.
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4 The ropes of death entangled me;
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floods of destruction swept over me.
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5 The grave wrapped its ropes around me;
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death laid a trap in my path.
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6 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
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yes, I prayed to my God for help.
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He heard me from his sanctuary;
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my cry to him reached his ears.
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7 Then the earth quaked and trembled.
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The foundations of the mountains shook;
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they quaked because of his anger.
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8 Smoke poured from his nostrils;
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fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
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Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
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9 He opened the heavens and came down;
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dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
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10 Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew,
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soaring on the wings of the wind.
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11 He shrouded himself in darkness,
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veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
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12 Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him
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and rained down hail and burning coals.
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13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
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the voice of the Most High resounded
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amid the hail and burning coals.
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14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
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great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.
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15 Then at your command, O Lord,
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at the blast of your breath,
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the bottom of the sea could be seen,
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and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
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16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
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he drew me out of deep waters.
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17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
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from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
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18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
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but the Lord supported me.
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19 He led me to a place of safety;
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he rescued me because he delights in me.
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20 The Lord rewarded me for doing right;
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he restored me because of my innocence.
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21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
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I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
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22 I have followed all his regulations;
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I have never abandoned his decrees.
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23 I am blameless before God;
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I have kept myself from sin.
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24 The Lord rewarded me for doing right.
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He has seen my innocence.
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25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
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to those with integrity you show integrity.
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26 To the pure you show yourself pure,
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but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
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27 You rescue the humble,
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but you humiliate the proud.
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28 You light a lamp for me.
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The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
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29 In your strength I can crush an army;
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with my God I can scale any wall.
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30 God’s way is perfect.
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All the Lord’s promises prove true.
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He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
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31 For who is God except the Lord?
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Who but our God is a solid rock?
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32 God arms me with strength,
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and he makes my way perfect.
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33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
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enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
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34 He trains my hands for battle;
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he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
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35 You have given me your shield of victory.
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Your right hand supports me;
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your help has made me great.
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36 You have made a wide path for my feet
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to keep them from slipping.
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37 I chased my enemies and caught them;
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I did not stop until they were conquered.
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38 I struck them down so they could not get up;
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they fell beneath my feet.
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39 You have armed me with strength for the battle;
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you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
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40 You placed my foot on their necks.
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I have destroyed all who hated me.
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41 They called for help, but no one came to their rescue.
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They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.
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42 I ground them as fine as dust in the wind.
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I swept them into the gutter like dirt.
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43 You gave me victory over my accusers.
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You appointed me ruler over nations;
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people I don’t even know now serve me.
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44 As soon as they hear of me, they submit;
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foreign nations cringe before me.
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45 They all lose their courage
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and come trembling from their strongholds.
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46 The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
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May the God of my salvation be exalted!
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47 He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
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he subdues the nations under me
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48 and rescues me from my enemies.
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You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
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you save me from violent opponents.
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49 For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations;
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I will sing praises to your name.
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50 You give great victories to your king;
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you show unfailing love to your anointed,
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to David and all his descendants forever. |