< Psalms 18 >
1 To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid the seruant of the Lord, which spake unto the Lord the wordes of this song (in the day that the Lord delivered him for the hande of all this enemies, and form the and of saul) and sayd, I will loue thee dearely, O Lord my strength.
For the chief musician. A psalm of David, the servant of Yahweh, when he sang to Yahweh the words of this song on the day that Yahweh rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He sang: I love you, Yahweh, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rocke, and my fortresse, and he that deliuereth me, my God and my strength: in him will I trust, my shield, the horne also of my saluation, and my refuge.
Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, the one who brings me to safety; he is my God, my rock; I take refuge in him. He is my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my stronghold.
3 I will call vpon the Lord, which is worthie to be praysed: so shall I be safe from mine enemies.
I will call on Yahweh who is worthy to be praised, and I will be saved from my enemies.
4 The sorowes of death compassed me, and the floods of wickednes made me afraide.
The cords of death surrounded me, and the rushing waters of worthlessness overwhelmed me.
5 The sorowes of the graue haue compassed me about: the snares of death ouertooke me. (Sheol )
The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death trapped me. (Sheol )
6 But in my trouble did I call vpon the Lord, and cryed vnto my God: he heard my voyce out of his Temple, and my crye did come before him, euen into his eares.
In my distress I called to Yahweh; I called for help to my God. He heard my voice from his temple; my call for help went into his presence; it went into his ears.
7 Then the earth trembled, and quaked: the foundations also of the mountaines mooued and shooke, because he was angrie.
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the mountains also trembled and were shaken because God was angry.
8 Smoke went out at his nostrels, and a consuming fire out of his mouth: coales were kindled thereat.
Smoke went up from out of his nostrils, and blazing fire came out of his mouth. Coals were ignited by it.
9 He bowed the heauens also and came downe, and darkenes was vnder his feete.
He opened the heavens and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode vpon Cherub and did flie, and he came flying vpon the wings of the winde.
He rode on a cherub and flew; he glided on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkenes his secrete place, and his pauilion round about him, euen darkenesse of waters, and cloudes of the ayre.
He made darkness a tent around him, heavy rainclouds in the skies.
12 At the brightnes of his presence his clouds passed, haylestones and coles of fire.
Hailstones and coals of fire fell from the lightning before him.
13 The Lord also thundred in the heauen, and the Highest gaue his voyce, haylestones and coales of fire.
Yahweh thundered in the heavens! The voice of the Most High shouted.
14 Then hee sent out his arrowes and scattred them, and he increased lightnings and destroyed them.
He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; many lightning bolts dispersed them.
15 And the chanels of waters were seene, and the foundations of the worlde were discouered at thy rebuking, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath of thy nostrels.
Then the water channels appeared; the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 He hath sent downe from aboue and taken mee: hee hath drawen mee out of many waters.
He reached down from above; he took hold of me! He pulled me out of the surging water.
17 He hath deliuered mee from my strong enemie, and from them which hate me: for they were too strong for me.
He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
18 They preuented me in the day of my calamitie: but the Lord was my stay.
They came against me on the day of my distress but Yahweh was my support!
19 Hee brought mee foorth also into a large place: hee deliuered mee because hee fauoured me.
He set me free in a wide open place; he saved me because he was pleased with me.
20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnes: according to the purenes of mine hands he recompensed me:
Yahweh has rewarded me because of my righteousness; he has restored me because my hands were clean.
21 Because I kept the wayes of the Lord, and did not wickedly against my God.
For I have kept the ways of Yahweh and have not wickedly turned away from my God.
22 For all his Lawes were before mee, and I did not cast away his commandements from mee.
For all his righteous decrees have been before me; as for his statutes, I have not turned away from them.
23 I was vpright also with him, and haue kept me from my wickednes.
I have also been innocent before him, and I have kept myself from sin.
24 Therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse, and according to the purenes of mine hands in his sight.
Therefore Yahweh has restored me because of my righteousness, because my hands were clean before his eyes.
25 With the godly thou wilt shewe thy selfe godly: with the vpright man thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright.
To anyone who is faithful, you show yourself to be faithful; to a man who is blameless, you show yourself to be blameless.
26 With the pure thou wilt shewe thy selfe pure, and with the froward thou wilt shewe thy selfe froward.
To anyone who is pure, you show yourself pure; but you are clever toward anyone who is twisted.
27 Thus thou wilt saue the poore people, and wilt cast downe the proude lookes.
For you save afflicted people, but you bring down those with proud, uplifted eyes!
28 Surely thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God wil lighten my darkenes.
For you give light to my lamp; Yahweh my God lights up my darkness.
29 For by thee I haue broken through an hoste, and by my God I haue leaped ouer a wall.
For by you I can run over a barricade; by my God I can leap over a wall.
30 The way of God is vncorrupt: the worde of the Lord is tried in the fire: he is a shield to all that trust in him.
As for God—his way is perfect! The word of Yahweh is pure! He is a shield to everyone who takes refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord? and who is mightie saue our God?
For who is God except Yahweh? Who is a rock except our God?
32 God girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way vpright.
It is God who puts strength on me like a belt, who places the blameless person on his path.
33 He maketh my feete like hindes feete, and setteth me vpon mine high places.
He makes my feet swift like a deer and places me on the heights!
34 He teacheth mine hands to fight: so that a bowe of brasse is broken with mine armes.
He trains my hands for war and my arms to bend a bow of bronze.
35 Thou hast also giuen me the shield of thy saluation, and thy right hand hath stayed me, and thy louing kindenes hath caused me to increase.
You have given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand has supported me, and your favor has made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps vnder mee, and mine heeles haue not slid.
You have made a wide place for my feet beneath me so that my feet have not slipped.
37 I haue pursued mine enemies, and taken them, and haue not turned againe till I had consumed them.
I pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not turn back until they were destroyed.
38 I haue wounded them, that they were not able to rise: they are fallen vnder my feete.
I smashed them so that they were unable to rise; they have fallen under my feet.
39 For thou hast girded me with strength to battell: them, that rose against me, thou hast subdued vnder me.
For you put strength on me like a belt for battle; you put under me those who rise up against me.
40 And thou hast giuen me the neckes of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
You gave me the back of my enemies' necks; I annihilated those who hated me.
41 They cryed but there was none to saue them, euen vnto the Lord, but hee answered them not.
They called for help, but no one saved them; they called out to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
42 Then I did beate them small as the dust before the winde: I did treade them flat as the clay in the streetes.
I beat them into fine pieces like dust before the wind; I threw them out like mud in the streets.
43 Thou hast deliuered me from the contentions of the people: thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people, whom I haue not knowen, shall serue me.
You rescued me from the disputes of people. You have made me the head over nations. People that I have not known serve me.
44 As soone as they heare, they shall obey me: the strangers shall be in subiection to me.
As soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me; foreigners were forced to bow to me.
45 Strangers shall shrinke away, and feare in their priuie chambers.
The foreigners came trembling out of their strongholds.
46 Let the Lord liue, and blessed be my strength, and the God of my saluation be exalted.
Yahweh lives; may my rock be praised. May the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 It is God that giueth me power to auenge me, and subdueth the people vnder me.
He is the God who executes vengeance for me, who subdues the nations under me.
48 O my deliuerer from mine enemies, euen thou hast set mee vp from them, that rose against me: thou hast deliuered mee from the cruell man.
I am set free from my enemies! Indeed, you lifted me above the ones who rose against me! You rescued me from violent men.
49 Therefore I will prayse thee, O Lord, among the nations, and wil sing vnto thy Name.
Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name!
50 Great deliuerances giueth hee vnto his King, and sheweth mercie to his anoynted, euen to Dauid, and to his seede for euer.
God gives great victory to his king, and he shows his covenant loyalty to his anointed one, to David and to his descendants forever.