Psalms 18
1 Unto the end, for David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. I will love thee, O Lord, my strength:
I will love thee, O YHWH, my strength.
2 The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector and the horn of my salvation, and my support.
YHWH is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my El, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 Praising I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies.
I will call upon YHWH, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The sorrows of death surrounded me: and the torrents of iniquity troubled me.
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of destruction made me afraid.
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. (Sheol h7585)
6 In my affliction I called upon the Lord, and I cried to my God: And he heard my voice from his holy temple: and my cry before him came into his ears.
In my distress I called upon YHWH, and cried unto my Elohim: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
7 The earth shook and trembled: the foundations of the mountains were troubled and were moved, because he was angry with them.
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
8 There went up a smoke in his wrath: and a fire flamed from his face: coals were kindled by it.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
10 And he ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew; he flew upon the wings of the winds.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11 And he made darkness his covert, his pavilion round about him: dark waters in the clouds of the air.
He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness that was before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire.
At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13 And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the highest gave his voice: hail and coals of fire.
YHWH also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent forth his arrows, and he scattered them: he multiplied lightnings, and troubled them.
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 Then the fountains of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were discovered: At thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the spirit of thy wrath.
Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O YHWH, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, and took me: and received me out of many waters.
He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strongest enemies, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18 They prevented me in the day of my affliction: and the Lord became my protector.
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but YHWH was my stay.
19 And he brought me forth into a large place: he saved me, because he was well pleased with me.
He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and will repay me according to the cleanness of my hands:
YHWH rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
21 Because I have kept the ways of the Lord; and have not done wickedly against my God.
For I have kept the ways of YHWH, and have not wickedly departed from my Elohim.
22 For till his judgments are in my sight: and his justices I have not put away from me.
For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 And I shall be spotless with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity.
I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.
Therefore hath YHWH recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 With the holy, thou wilt be holy; and with the innocent man thou wilt be innocent.
With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
26 And with the elect thou wilt be elect: and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted.
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
27 For thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring down the eyes of the proud.
For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
28 For thou lightest my lamp, O Lord: O my God enlighten my darkness.
For thou wilt light my candle: YHWH my Elohim will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by thee I shall be delivered from temptation; and through my God I shall go over a wall.
For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my Elohim have I leaped over a wall.
30 As for my God, his way is undefiled: the words of the Lord are fire tried: he is the protector of all that trust in him.
As for El, his way is perfect: the word of YHWH is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 For who is God but the Lord? or who is God but our God?
For who is Eloah save YHWH? or who is a rock save our Elohim?
32 God who hath girt me with strength; and made my way blameless.
It is El that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
33 Who hath made my feet like the feet of harts: and who setteth me upon high places.
He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
34 Who teacheth my hands to war: and thou hast made my arms like a brazen bow.
He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
35 And thou hast given me the protection of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath held me up: And thy discipline hath corrected me unto the end: and thy discipline, the same shall teach me.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; and my feet are not weakened.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
37 I will pursue after my enemies, and overtake them: and I will not turn again till they are consumed.
I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
38 I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet.
I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
39 And thou hast girded me with strength unto battle; and hast subdued under me them that rose up against me.
For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
40 And thou hast made my enemies turn their back upon me, and hast destroyed them that hated me.
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
41 They cried, but there was none to save them, to the Lord: but he heard them not.
They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto YHWH, but he answered them not.
42 And I shall beat them as small as the dust before the wind; I shall bring them to nought, like the dirt in the streets.
Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
43 Thou wilt deliver me from the contradictions of the people: thou wilt make me head of the Gentiles.
Thou 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.
44 A people, which I knew not, hath served me: at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me.
As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
45 The children that are strangers have lied to me, strange children have faded away, and have halted from their paths.
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
46 The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God, and let the God of my salvation be exalted:
YHWH liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the Elohim of my salvation be exalted.
47 O God, who avengest me, and subduest the people under me, my deliverer from my enemies.
It is El that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
48 And thou wilt lift me up above them that rise up against me: from the unjust man thou wilt deliver me.
He 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.
49 Therefore will I give glory to thee, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing a psalm to thy name.
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O YHWH, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
50 Giving great deliverance to his king, and shewing mercy to David his anointed: and to his seed for ever.
Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
