Psalms 18
1 For the Leader. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul; And he said: I love thee, O LORD, my strength.
To the chief Musician. Of the servant of Yahweh, of David, —who spake unto Yahweh the words of this song, —in the day when Yahweh had rescued him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul; and he said: — I will love thee, O Yahweh my strength!
2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in Him I take refuge; my shield, and my horn of salvation, my high tower.
Yahweh, was my mountain crag and my stronghold, and my deliverer: My GOD, was my rock, I sought refuge in him, My shield, and my horn of salvation, my high tower.
3 Praised, I cry, is the LORD, and I am saved from mine enemies.
As one worthy to be praised, called I on Yahweh, —And, from my foes, was I saved.
4 The cords of Death compassed me, and the floods of Belial assailed me.
The meshes of death encompassed me, The torrents of perdition, made me afraid;
The meshes of hades, had surrounded me, The snares of death, had confronted me, (Sheol h7585)
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God; out of His temple He heard my voice, and my cry came before Him unto His ears.
In my distress, called I on Yahweh, And, unto my God, made outcry for help, He heard, out of his temple, my voice, And my outcry for help came before him—entered into his ears!
7 Then the earth did shake and quake, the foundations also of the mountains did tremble; they were shaken, because He was wroth.
Then did the earth shake and quake, Even, the foundations of the mountains, were deeply moved, Yea they did shake, because he was angry.
8 Smoke arose up in His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth did devour; coals flamed forth from Him.
There went up smoke in his nostrils, and, a fire out of his mouth, devoured, Live coals, were kindled from it:
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet.
Then he stretched out the heaven, and came down, —and, thick gloom, was under his feet;
10 And He rode upon a cherub, and did fly; yea, He did swoop down upon the wings of the wind.
Then he rode on a cherub, and flew, and darted on the wings of the wind;
11 He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him; darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
Made darkness his hiding-place, Round about him—his pavilion, Darkness of waters, clouds of vapours.
12 At the brightness before Him, there passed through His thick clouds hailstones and coals of fire.
Out of the brightness before him, his clouds rolled along, hail, and live coals of fire.
13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave forth His voice; hailstones and coals of fire.
Then did Yahweh thunder in the heavens, and the Highest uttered his voice, —hail, and live coals of fire.
14 And He sent out His arrows, and scattered them; and He shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
And he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, yea, lightnings, he shot out, and confused them.
15 And the channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare, at Thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Thy nostrils.
Then appeared the channels of waters, were uncovered the foundations of the world, —At thy rebuke O Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.
He sent from on high, he took me, —he drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from mine enemy most strong, and from them that hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
He rescued me from my foe, in his might, and from them who hated me, because they were too strong for me:
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity; but the LORD was a stay unto me.
They confronted me, in the day of my necessity, Then became Yahweh my stay:
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me.
And brought me out, into a large place, he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath He recompensed me.
Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, he repaid me;
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For I had kept the ways of Yahweh, and not broken away from my God;
22 For all His ordinances were before me, and I put not away His statutes from me.
For, all his regulations, were before me, and, his statutes, did I not put from me:
23 And I was single-hearted with Him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
So became I blameless with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.
Yahweh therefore repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the pureness of my hands, before his eyes.
25 With the merciful Thou dost show Thyself merciful, with the upright man Thou dost show Thyself upright;
With the loving, thou didst show thyself loving, —With the blameless man, thou didst show thyself blameless;
26 With the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure; and with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself subtle.
With the pure, thou didst show thyself pure, But, with the perverse, thou didst show thyself ready to contend.
27 For Thou dost save the afflicted people; but the haughty eyes Thou dost humble.
For, as for thee, an oppressed people, thou didst save, but, looks that were lofty, layedst thou low;
28 For Thou dost light my lamp; the LORD my God doth lighten my darkness.
For, thou, didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God, enlightened my darkness;
29 For by Thee I run upon a troop; and by my God do I scale a wall.
For, by thee, I ran through a troop, and, by my God, I leapt over a wall.
30 As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in Him.
As for GOD, blameless is his way, The speech of Yahweh hath been proved, A shield, he is to all who seek refuge in him.
31 For who is God, save the LORD? And who is a Rock, except our God?
For who is a GOD, save Yahweh? And who is a Rock, save our God?
32 The God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way straight;
The GOD who girded me with strength, and set forth, as blameless, my way:
33 Who maketh my feet like hinds', and setteth me upon my high places;
Planting my feet like hinds’ [feet], yea, on my high places, he caused me to stand:
34 Who traineth my hands for war, so that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.
Teaching my hands to war, —so that a bow of bronze was bent by mine arms.
35 Thou hast also given me Thy shield of salvation, and Thy right hand hath holden me up; and Thy condescension hath made me great.
Thus didst thou grant me, as a shield, thy salvation, —and, thy right hand, sustained me, and, thy condescension, made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped.
Thou didst widen my stepping-places under me, so that, mine ankles, faltered not.
37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them; neither did I turn back till they were consumed.
I pursued my foes, and overtook them, and returned not, till they were consumed:
38 I have smitten them through, so that they are not able to rise; they are fallen under my feet.
I crushed them, and they were unable to rise, They fell under my feet.
39 For Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
Thus didst thou gird me with strength, for the battle, Thou subduedst mine assailants under me.
40 Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, and I did cut off them that hate me.
As for my foes, thou didst give me their neck, and, as for them who hated me, I destroyed them.
41 They cried, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but He answered them not.
They cried out, but there was none to save, unto Yahweh, but he answered them not.
42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.
Then did I beat them in pieces, like dust on the face of the wind. Like the mire in the lanes, did I scatter them.
43 Thou hast delivered me from the contentions of the people; Thou hast made me the head of the nations; a people whom I have not known serve me.
Thus didst thou rescue me from the contentions of a people, —didst appoint me to be the head of nations, A people I had not known, served me:
44 As soon as they hear of me, they obey me; the sons of the stranger dwindle away before me.
At the hearing of the ear, they submitted to me, the sons of the foreigner, came cringing unto me:
45 The sons of the stranger fade away, and come trembling out of their close places.
The sons of the foreigner, lost heart, and came quaking out of their fortresses.
46 The LORD liveth, and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation;
Yahweh liveth and, blessed, be my Rock, yea, exalted, be the God of my salvation:
47 Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, and subdueth peoples under me.
The GOD, who hath avenged me, —and subjugated peoples under me:
48 He delivereth me from mine enemies; yea, Thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man.
Who hath delivered me from my foes, —Yea, from mine assailants, hast thou set me on high, From the man of violence, hast thou rescued me.
49 Therefore I will give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises unto Thy name.
For this cause, will I praise thee among the nations, O Yahweh, and, to thy Name, will I sweep the strings: —
50 Great salvation giveth He to His king; and showeth mercy to His anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore.
Who hath made great the victories of his King, —and shown lovingkindness to his Anointed One, To David and to his Seed, Unto times age-abiding.
