Psalms 18
1 To the chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David, the servant of Jehovah, who spoke to Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Saul. And he said, I will love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
Yahweh, I love you, the one who enables me to be strong.
2 Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I will trust; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
Yahweh is like an [overhanging] rock [DOU, MET] [under which I can hide from my enemies]; he is like a strong fortress, the one who protects me; he protects me like a shield [MET] [protects a soldier]; he is the one to whom I go (for refuge/to be protected/safe), and he defends me by his great power [IDM].
3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
I called out to Yahweh, who deserves to be praised, and he rescued me from my enemies.
4 The bands of death encompassed me, and torrents of Belial made me afraid.
All around me were dangerous situations in which I might be killed [PRS]; it was as though there were huge waves [MET] that almost crashed on me and killed me.
[It was as though] the place where dead people are had ropes that were wrapped around me, or [it was as though] there was a trap [MET] that would [seize and] kill me. (Sheol h7585)
6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, and I cried out to my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, into his ears.
But when I was very distressed, I called out to Yahweh, and from his temple he heard me. He listened to me when I cried out [for help].
7 Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled and shook, because he was wroth.
Then the earth quaked/shook strongly [DOU]; the mountains shook very strongly from their centers [DOU] because Yahweh was angry.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals burned forth from it.
[It was as though] smoke poured out from his nostrils, and [as though] burning coals came out of his mouth.
9 And he bowed the heavens, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
He opened the sky and came down with a black cloud under his feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub and did fly; yea, he flew fast upon the wings of the wind.
He flew, riding on the back of a creature that had wings, traveling [fast], blown along by the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place, his tent round about him: darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
Darkness was all around him [like a blanket] [MET]; dark clouds, full of moisture, covered him [MET].
12 From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed forth: hail and coals of fire.
Hailstones and flashes of lightning were around him; hail and burning coals fell from the sky.
13 And Jehovah thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice: hail and coals of fire.
Then Yahweh [spoke in a loud voice] from the sky, and [his enemies] heard his voice that sounded like thunder.
14 And he sent his arrows, and scattered [mine enemies]; and he shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
He shot his arrows at them and caused them to scatter; His flashes of lightning caused them to become very confused (OR, to run away).
15 And the beds of the waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered at thy rebuke, Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
The bottom of the ocean became visible, and the foundations of the earth were uncovered, when Yahweh rebuked his enemies when he snorted.
16 He reached forth from above, he took me, he drew me out of great waters:
[It was as though] he reached down from heaven and grabbed me and pulled me up out of the deep ocean.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me; for they were mightier than I.
He rescued me from my strong enemies who hated me; they were very strong, with the result that I [could not defeat them].
18 They encountered me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my stay.
When I (was distressed/had troubles), they attacked me, but Yahweh defended/protected me.
19 And he brought me forth into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
He led me to a place where I was safe; he rescued me because he was pleased with me.
20 Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
Yahweh has rewarded me because I do what is right; he has blessed me because I (am innocent/have not done things that are wrong).
21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
I have obeyed Yahweh’s laws; I have not abandoned him.
22 For all his ordinances were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me;
My behavior was directed by his rules; I have not stopped obeying them.
23 And I was upright with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.
He knows that I have not done what is wrong; I have kept myself from sinning.
24 And Jehovah hath recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
So he rewards me because I do what is right; he knows that I [SYN] have not committed sins.
25 With the gracious thou dost shew thyself gracious; with the upright man thou dost shew thyself upright;
Yahweh, you are faithful to those who faithfully [do what you tell them to do]; you always do what is good/right to those who do what you want them to do.
26 With the pure thou dost shew thyself pure; and with the perverse thou dost shew thyself contrary.
You are kind to those who are kind to others, but you act wisely toward those who (act perversely/do bad things).
27 For it is thou that savest the afflicted people; but the haughty eyes wilt thou bring down.
You save those who are humble, but you cause those who are proud to be humiliated/ashamed.
28 For it is thou that makest my lamp to shine: Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
You give light to my [soul/spirit]; you take away the darkness of my soul.
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
You enable me to be strong, with the result that I can run and attack a line of enemy soldiers; with your help I can (scale/climb up) the walls [that surround my enemies’ cities].
30 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of Jehovah is tried: he is a shield to all that trust in him.
Everything that Yahweh my God does is perfect. We can depend on him to do what he promises. He is like a shield [MET] to protect all those who go to him for refuge.
31 For who is God save Jehovah? and who is a rock if not our God?
Yahweh is [RHQ] the only one who is God; only he is like an [overhanging] rock [under which we can be safe].
32 The God who girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect,
God is the one who enables me to be strong and who keeps me safe on the roads that I walk on.
33 Who maketh my feet like hinds' [feet], and setteth me upon my high places;
He enables me to [walk swiftly without stumbling], like a deer walks/runs in the mountains.
34 Who teacheth my hands to war, and mine arms bend a bow of brass;
He teaches me how to use a strong/metal bow in order that I can use it to fight in battles.
35 And thou didst give me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand held me up; and thy condescending gentleness hath made me great.
Yahweh, you protect and save me with your shield; you have made me safe by your power [MTY]. I have become (strong/a great [king]) because you have helped me.
36 Thou didst enlarge my steps under me, and mine ankles have not wavered.
You have cleared the road for me, with the result that now I do not slip/stumble.
37 I pursued mine enemies, and overtook them; and I turned not again till they were consumed.
I have pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until I had defeated/killed them all.
38 I crushed them, and they were not able to rise: they fell under my feet.
When I strike them, they are not able to get up again; they lie on the ground, defeated.
39 And thou girdedst me with strength to battle; thou didst subdue under me those that rose up against me.
You have enabled me to be strong in order that I can fight battles and defeat my enemies.
40 And mine enemies didst thou make to turn their backs unto me, and those that hated me I destroyed.
You caused my enemies to run away (OR, you enabled me to put my foot on my enemies’ necks [after I captured them and forced them to lie on the ground]); I have gotten rid of all those who hated me.
41 They cried, and there was none to save; — unto Jehovah, and he answered them not.
They called out for someone to help them, but no one saved them.
42 And I did beat them small as dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.
I pulverize them, with the result that they become like [MET] the dust that the wind [blows away]; I throw them out like [SIM] [people throw] dirt out into the streets.
43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; thou hast made me the head of the nations: a people I knew not doth serve me.
You enabled me to defeat those who fought against me, and appointed me to be the ruler of [many]; people whom I did not know about previously are now slaves [in my kingdom].
44 At the hearing of the ear, they obey me: strangers come cringing unto me.
When foreigners hear about me, they (cringe/bow low before me) and they obey me.
45 Strangers have faded away, and they come trembling forth from their close places.
They are no longer courageous, and from their forts [where they were hiding] they come [to me] trembling.
46 Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation,
Yahweh is alive! Praise the one who is like an [overhanging] rock [MET] [under which I am safe] Exalt the God who saves me!
47 The God who hath avenged me, and hath subjected the peoples to me;
He enables me to get revenge on my enemies; he causes me to defeat nations and to rule over them,
48 Who hath delivered me from mine enemies: yea, thou hast lifted me up above them that rose up against me; from the man of violence hast thou delivered me.
and he rescues me from my enemies. He has lifted me up high so that violent men could not reach me [and harm me].
49 Therefore will I give thanks to thee, Jehovah, among the nations, and will sing psalms to thy name.
So I praise him [and I tell] the nations [the great things that he has done].
50 [It is he] who giveth great deliverances to his king, and sheweth loving-kindness to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
He has enabled me, his king, to powerfully defeat my enemies; he faithfully loves me, David, the one he has chosen [to be king], and he will faithfully love my descendants forever.
