Psalms 18
1 I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
To the Overseer. — By a servant of Jehovah, by David, who hath spoken to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, and he saith: — I love Thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
2 Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
Jehovah [is] my rock, and my bulwark, And my deliverer, My God [is] my rock, I trust in Him: My shield, and a horn of my salvation, My high tower.
3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised. So I shall be saved from my enemies.
The 'Praised One' I call Jehovah, And from my enemies I am saved.
4 The cords of death encompassed me, and the floods of lawlessness made me afraid.
Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid.
Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death. (Sheol h7585)
6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry before him came into his ears.
In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh into His ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken because he was angry.
And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake — because He hath wrath.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured. Coals were kindled by it.
Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.
9 He also bowed the heavens, and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.
And He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and flew. Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind.
And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And He flieth on wings of wind.
11 He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion round about him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
He maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire.
From the brightness over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire.
13 Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire.
And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them, Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.
And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them.
15 Then the channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at thy rebuke, O Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
And seen are the streams of waters, And revealed are foundations of the earth. From Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of Thine anger.
16 He sent from on high, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
He sendeth from above — He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
He delivereth me from my strong enemy, And from those hating me, For they have been stronger than I.
18 They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my stay.
They go before me in a day of my calamity And Jehovah is for a support to me.
19 He also brought me forth into a large place. He delivered me because he delighted in me.
And He bringeth me forth to a large place, He draweth me out, because He delighted in me.
20 Jehovah has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands he has recompensed me.
Jehovah doth recompense me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me.
21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not done wickedly against my God.
22 For all his ordinances were before me, and I put not away his statutes from me.
For all His judgments [are] before me, And His statutes I turn not from me.
23 I was also perfect with him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.
And I am perfect with him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity.
24 Therefore Jehovah has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
And Jehovah doth return to me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, Over-against his eyes.
25 With the merciful thou will show thyself merciful. With the perfect man thou will show thyself perfect.
With the kind Thou showest Thyself kind, With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect.
26 With the pure thou will show thyself pure. And with the perverse thou will show thyself contrary.
With the pure Thou showest Thyself pure, And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler,
27 For thou will save the afflicted people, but the haughty eyes thou will bring down.
For Thou a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall.
28 For thou will light my lamp. Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.
For Thou — Thou lightest my lamp, Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
29 For by thee I run upon a troop, and by my God I leap over a wall.
For by Thee I run — a troop! And by my God I leap a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect. The word of Jehovah is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
God! perfect [is] His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield [is] He to all those trusting in Him.
31 For who is God, except Jehovah? And who is a rock, besides our God,
For who [is] God besides Jehovah? And who [is] a rock save our God?
32 the God who girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
God! who is girding me [with] strength, And He maketh perfect my way.
33 He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places.
Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand.
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of brass.
Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms.
35 Thou have also given me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand has held me up, and thy gentleness has made me great.
And Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy right hand doth support me, And Thy lowliness maketh me great.
36 Thou have enlarged my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped.
Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.
37 I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. Neither will I turn again till they are consumed.
I pursue mine enemies, and overtake them, And turn back not till they are consumed.
38 I will smite them through, so that they shall not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet.
I smite them, and they are not able to rise, They fall under my feet,
39 For thou have girded me with strength to the battle. Thou have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
And Thou girdest me [with] strength for battle, Causest my withstanders to bow under me.
40 Thou have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
As to mine enemies — Thou hast given to me the neck, As to those hating me — I cut them off.
41 They cried, but there was none to save, even to Jehovah, but he answered them not.
They cry, and there is no saviour, On Jehovah, and He doth not answer them.
42 Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets.
And I beat them as dust before wind, As mire of the streets I empty them out.
43 Thou have delivered me from the strivings of the people. Thou have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
Thou dost deliver me From the strivings of the people, Thou placest me for a head of nations, A people I have not known do serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me, Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me,
45 The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their close places.
Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places.
46 Jehovah lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation,
Jehovah liveth — and blessed [is] my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.
47 even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
God — who is giving vengeance to me, And He subdueth peoples under me,
48 He rescues me from my enemies. Yea, thou lift me up above those who rise up against me. Thou deliver me from the violent man.
My deliverer from mine enemies, Above my withstanders Thou raisest me, From a man of violence dost deliver me.
49 Therefore I will give thanks to thee, O Jehovah, among the Gentiles, and will sing praises to thy name.
Therefore I confess Thee among nations, O Jehovah, And to Thy name I sing praise,
50 He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore.
Magnifying the salvation of His king, And doing kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed — unto the age!
