Psalms 18
1 For the choirmaster. Of David the servant of the LORD, who sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love You, O LORD, 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 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
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 the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I 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; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.
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 the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached 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 quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.
And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake — because He hath wrath.
8 Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth.
Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.
And He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet.
10 He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on 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, and storm clouds a canopy around Him.
He maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 From the brightness of His presence His clouds advanced— hailstones and coals of fire.
From the brightness over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire.
13 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— 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 He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them.
15 The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at Your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Your 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 reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.
He sendeth from above — He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes 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 confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD was my support.
They go before me in a day of my calamity And Jehovah is for a support to me.
19 He brought me out into the open; He rescued 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 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
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 the LORD 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 are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.
For all His judgments [are] before me, And His statutes I turn not from me.
23 And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity.
And I am perfect with him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity.
24 So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
And Jehovah doth return to me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, Over-against his eyes.
25 To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
With the kind Thou showest Thyself kind, With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect.
26 to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
With the pure Thou showest Thyself pure, And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler,
27 For You save an afflicted people, but You humble those with haughty eyes.
For Thou a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall.
28 For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness.
For Thou — Thou lightest my lamp, Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
29 For in You I can charge an army, and with my God I can scale 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 the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all 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 besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
For who [is] God besides Jehovah? And who [is] a rock save our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way clear.
God! who is girding me [with] strength, And He maketh perfect my way.
33 He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.
Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand.
34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms.
35 You have given me Your shield of salvation; Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness exalts me.
And Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy right hand doth support me, And Thy lowliness maketh me great.
36 You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.
Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.
I pursue mine enemies, and overtake them, And turn back not till they are consumed.
38 I crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet.
I smite them, and they are not able to rise, They fall under my feet,
39 You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.
And Thou girdest me [with] strength for battle, Causest my withstanders to bow under me.
40 You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me.
As to mine enemies — Thou hast given to me the neck, As to those hating me — I cut them off.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but He did not answer.
They cry, and there is no saviour, On Jehovah, and He doth not answer them.
42 I ground them as dust in the face of the wind; I trampled them like mud in the streets.
And I beat them as dust before wind, As mire of the streets I empty them out.
43 You have delivered me from the strife of the people; You have made me the head of nations; a people I had 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 When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me.
At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me, Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me,
45 Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.
Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places.
46 The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may the God of my salvation be exalted—
Jehovah liveth — and blessed [is] my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.
47 the God who avenges me and subdues nations beneath me,
God — who is giving vengeance to me, And He subdueth peoples under me,
48 who delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.
My deliverer from mine enemies, Above my withstanders Thou raisest me, From a man of violence dost deliver me.
49 Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.
Therefore I confess Thee among nations, O Jehovah, And to Thy name I sing praise,
50 Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.
Magnifying the salvation of His king, And doing kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed — unto the age!
