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.
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 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 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 Praised, I cry, is the LORD, and I am saved from mine enemies.
I will call on Yahweh who is worthy to be praised, and I will be saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of Death compassed me, and the floods of Belial assailed me.
The cords of death surrounded me, and the rushing waters of worthlessness overwhelmed me.
The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death trapped 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 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 did shake and quake, the foundations also of the mountains did tremble; they were shaken, because He was wroth.
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the mountains also trembled and were shaken because God was angry.
8 Smoke arose up in His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth did devour; coals flamed forth from Him.
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 heavens also, and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet.
He opened the heavens and came down, and thick darkness 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.
He rode on a cherub and flew; he glided 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.
He made darkness a tent around him, heavy rainclouds in the skies.
12 At the brightness before Him, there passed through His thick clouds hailstones and coals of fire.
Hailstones and coals of fire fell from the lightning before him.
13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave forth His voice; hailstones and coals of fire.
Yahweh thundered in the heavens! The voice of the Most High shouted.
14 And He sent out His arrows, and scattered them; and He shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; many lightning bolts dispersed 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 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 sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.
He reached down from above; he took hold of me! He pulled me out of the surging water.
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 strong enemy, from those who hated me, for 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 came against me on the day of my distress but Yahweh was my support!
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in 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 righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath He recompensed me.
Yahweh has rewarded me because of my righteousness; he has restored me because my hands were clean.
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 Yahweh and have not wickedly turned away from my God.
22 For all His ordinances were before me, and I put not away His statutes from me.
For all his righteous decrees have been before me; as for his statutes, I have not turned away from them.
23 And I was single-hearted with Him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
I have also been innocent before him, and I have kept myself from sin.
24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.
Therefore Yahweh has restored me because of my righteousness, because my hands were clean before his eyes.
25 With the merciful Thou dost show Thyself merciful, with the upright man Thou dost show Thyself upright;
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 dost show Thyself pure; and with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself subtle.
To anyone who is pure, you show yourself pure; but you are clever toward anyone who is twisted.
27 For Thou dost save the afflicted people; but the haughty eyes Thou dost humble.
For you save afflicted people, but you bring down those with proud, uplifted eyes!
28 For Thou dost light my lamp; the LORD my God doth lighten my darkness.
For you give light to my lamp; Yahweh my God lights up my darkness.
29 For by Thee I run upon a troop; and by my God do I scale a wall.
For by you I can run over a barricade; by my God I can leap 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—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, save the LORD? And who is a Rock, except our God?
For who is God except Yahweh? Who is a rock except our God?
32 The God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way straight;
It is God who puts strength on me like a belt, who places the blameless person on his path.
33 Who maketh my feet like hinds', and setteth me upon my high places;
He makes my feet swift like a deer and places me on the heights!
34 Who traineth my hands for war, so that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.
He trains my hands for war and my arms to bend a bow of bronze.
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.
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 under me, and my feet have not slipped.
You have made a wide place for my feet beneath me so that my feet have not slipped.
37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them; neither did I turn back till they were consumed.
I pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not turn back until they were destroyed.
38 I have smitten them through, so that they are not able to rise; they are fallen under my feet.
I smashed them so that they were unable to rise; they have fallen 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.
For you put strength on me like a belt for battle; you put under me those who rise up against me.
40 Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, and I did cut off them that hate me.
You gave me the back of my enemies' necks; I annihilated those who hated me.
41 They cried, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but He 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 did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.
I beat them into fine pieces like dust before the wind; I threw them out like mud in the streets.
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.
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 soon as they hear of me, they obey me; the sons of the stranger dwindle away before me.
As soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me; foreigners were forced to bow to me.
45 The sons of the stranger fade away, and come trembling out of their close places.
The foreigners came trembling out of their strongholds.
46 The LORD liveth, and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation;
Yahweh lives; may my rock be praised. May the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, and subdueth peoples under me.
He is the God who executes vengeance for me, who subdues the nations 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.
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 give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises unto Thy name.
Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name!
50 Great salvation giveth He to His king; and showeth mercy to His anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore.
God gives great victory to his king, and he shows his covenant loyalty to his anointed one, to David and to his descendants forever.
