KJV - Psalms 18 to 21

Psalm 18

¹I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. ²The 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. ³I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. ⁴The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. ⁵The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. ⁶In 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.

⁷Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. ⁸There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. ⁹He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. ¹⁰And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. ¹¹He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. ¹²At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.

¹³The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. ¹⁴Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. ¹⁵Then 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. ¹⁶He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. ¹⁷He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. ¹⁸They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. ¹⁹He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

²⁰The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. ²¹For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. ²²For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. ²³I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. ²⁴Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. ²⁵With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; ²⁶With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. ²⁷For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.²⁸For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. ²⁹For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. ³⁰As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

³¹For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? ³²It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. ³³He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places. ³⁴He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. ³⁵Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. ³⁶Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

³⁷I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed. ³⁸I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet. ³⁹For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. ⁴⁰Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. ⁴¹They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not. ⁴²Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.

⁴³Thou 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. ⁴⁴As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. ⁴⁵The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places. ⁴⁶The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. ⁴⁷It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me. ⁴⁸He 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. ⁴⁹Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. ⁵⁰Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

Psalm 19

¹The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. ²Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. ³There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. ⁴Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, ⁵Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. ⁶His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. ⁷The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. ⁸The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. ⁹The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. ¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. ¹¹Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. ¹²Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. ¹³Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. ¹⁴Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalm 20

¹The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; ²Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion; ³Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah. ⁴Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel. ⁵We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions. ⁶Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand. ⁷Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. ⁸They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. ⁹Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.

Psalm 21

¹The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! ²Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah. ³For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. ⁴He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. ⁵His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. ⁶For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance. ⁷For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved. ⁸Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. ⁹Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. ¹⁰Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men. ¹¹For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform. ¹²Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them. ¹³Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.