Psalm 18                           Wednesday & Thursday Readings 1 (Thursday Rd at C’)

I love you, Yahweh, my strength. * Yahweh is my rock and my fortress; * my God is my haven,

my mountain where I take refuge, * my shield and my horn of salvation, * my stronghold, worthy of praise.

I called on Yahweh, * and was saved from my Foe.

    The waves of Death surrounded me; * the torrents of Belial overwhelmed me.

    The cords of Sheol surrounded me; * the traps of Death confronted me.

In my anguish I called on Yahweh, * and to my God I cried for help.

My voice was heard in his palace; * my cry reached his ears.

 

A  The underworld reeled and rocked; * the foundations of the mountains shuddered; * they reeled when his anger blazed.

    Smoke rose from his nostrils, * and consuming fire from his mouth; * coals flamed forth from him.

        He spread open the heavens and came down, * a storm cloud under his feet.

        He mounted the Cherub and flew, * and soared on wings outstretched.

           Dark grew his canopy around him, * with a heavy rain cloud his pavilion.

           From his light, clouds ran before him, * with hailstones and flashes of fire.

               Yahweh thundered from the heavens, * and the Most High gave forth his voice.

               He forged his arrows and scattered them; * he multiplied his bolts and dispersed them.

           The fountainheads of the sea were exposed, * and the world's foundations laid bare,

           at your roar, Yahweh, * at the blast from your nostrils.

        He reached down from high and snatched me; * he drew me from the waters deep.

        He rescued me from my powerful Foe, * from my Enemy though stronger than I.

    He went before me on the day of my death, * and Yahwheh became my staff.

    He brought me out of the Bad Expanse, * and freed me because he loved me.

 

B      Yahweh rewarded me because I was just; * because my hands were clean he repaid me.

           For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, * and have not been guilty, my God.

               For all his rulings are before me; * his laws I never put aside.

           I have always been candid with him, * and taken care not to offend him.

        So Yahweh repaid me because I was just; * because my hands were clean in his eyes.

 

C          With the faithful you are faithful; * with the candid you are candid.

           With the sincere you are sincere, * but with the cunning you are crafty.

M             Yes, you are the Strong One, * who saves the poor, * but you humble the eyes that are proud.

                   You shine for me; * my lamp is Yahweh; * my God illumines my darkness.

               Through you I am in good shape to run, * and with my God I can scale any wall.

C’         God's dominion is complete; * Yahweh’s command well tested.

           He is the Sovereign * of all who trust in him.

 

B’     For who is God besides Yahweh? * Who is the mountain but our God?

           the God who wrapped me with strength, * the Benefactor whose dominion is complete,

           who made my feet like the deer's, * who brought me to stand on his heights,

        who trained my hands for battle, * who let down to my arms the miraculous bow.

 

A’ You gave me your shield of victory; * with your right hand sustained me, * and by your triumph made me great.

    You gave me long-striding legs, * and my ankles did not falter.

        I pursued my foes and overtook them; * I did not turn back till they were finished.

        I struck them so that they could not rise; * they lay dead at my feet.

        You wrapt me with strength for battle; * you felled my assailants beneath me.

        You gave me the neck of my foes, * and my enemies I exterminated.

    They implored ) but the Savior was not there ) * Yahweh the Most High, * but he did not answer them.

    I pulverized them like dust in the square; * like mud in the streets I trampled them.

 

You delivered me from the arrows of people, * protected me from the venom of nations.

An alien people must serve me; * as soon as they hear, they obey me. * Foreigners cringe before me.

Foreigners shrivel up, * their hearts seized with anguish.

    May Yahweh live! * Praised be my Mountain! * and exalted the God of my triumph!

    the God who gave me victory * and made nations subject to me,

    who delivered me from my Foe, * exalted me above my assailants, * and rescued me from my defamers.

Supreme Being, I will praise you among the nations; * I will sing to your name, Yahweh,

who made his king famous through victories, * showed kindness to his anointed, * to David and his offspring forever.

 

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