Psalms 18
1 I will love thee, O YHWH, my strength.
To the music director. A psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who sang the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord saved him from all his enemies, and from Saul. He sang: I love you, Lord. You are my strength.
2 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.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my Savior. He is my God, my rock who protects me. He shields me from harm, his power protects me, he keeps me safe.
3 I will call upon YHWH, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
I call for help from the Lord who should be praised, and he saves me from those who hate me.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of destruction made me afraid.
Ropes of death encircled me, surging waters of destruction flooded over me;
The grave wound its ropes around me; death set snares for me. (Sheol h7585)
6 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.
In my despair I called on the Lord—I cried out to my God for help. He heard my voice from his Temple—my cry for help reached his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
The earth shook to and fro; the foundations of the mountains trembled, shaking because of his anger.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Smoke came out of his nostrils, and fire came from his mouth; burning coals blazed before him.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
He parted the heavens and came down, with dark clouds beneath his feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
Riding on an angel he flew, swooping on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
He hid himself in darkness, covering himself with black thunderclouds.
12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
Hailstones and burning coals flew out from his brightness, passing through his thick clouds.
13 YHWH also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High sounded among the hailstones and burning coals.
14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
He fired his arrows, scattering his enemies; he routed them with his lightning bolts.
15 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.
You roared, Lord, and by the wind from the breath of your nostrils the valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth were uncovered.
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
He reached down his hand from above and grabbed hold of me. He pulled me out of the deep water.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and who were much stronger than me.
18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but YHWH was my stay.
They came at me at my worst possible moment, but the Lord supported me.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
He set me free, he rescued me because he's my friend.
20 YHWH rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
The Lord rewarded me because I do what's right; he repaid me because I am innocent.
21 For I have kept the ways of YHWH, and have not wickedly departed from my Elohim.
For I have followed the Lord's ways; I have not sinned by turning away from my God.
22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
I have kept all his laws in mind; I have not ignored his commandments.
23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
I am blameless in his sight; I keep myself from sinning.
24 Therefore hath YHWH recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
The Lord rewarded me for doing what's right. I am innocent in his sight.
25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
You show trust to those who trust; you show integrity to those with integrity,
26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
You show yourself pure to those who are pure, but you show yourself smart to those who are crafty.
27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
You save the humble, but you bring down the proud.
28 For thou wilt light my candle: YHWH my Elohim will enlighten my darkness.
You light my lamp! Lord, my God, you light up my darkness!
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my Elohim have I leaped over a wall.
With you, I can charge down a troop of soldiers; with you, my God, I can climb a fortress wall.
30 As for El, his way is perfect: the word of YHWH is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
God's way is absolutely right. What the Lord says is trustworthy. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
31 For who is Eloah save YHWH? or who is a rock save our Elohim?
For who is God except the Lord? Who is the rock, except our God?
32 It is El that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
God makes me strong and keeps me safe.
33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
He makes me surefooted like the deer, able to walk the heights in safety.
34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
He teaches me how to fight in battle; he gives me the strength to draw a bronze bow.
35 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.
You protect me with the shield of your salvation; you support me with your powerful right hand; your help has made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
You gave me space in which to walk, and prevented my feet from slipping.
37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
I chased my enemies, and caught up with them. I did not turn around until I had destroyed them.
38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
I struck them down—they couldn't get up. They fell at my feet.
39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
You made me strong for battle; you made those who rose up against me kneel down before me.
40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
You made my enemies run away; I destroyed all my enemies.
41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto YHWH, but he answered them not.
They cried out for help, but no one came to rescue them. They even called out to the Lord, 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 dirt in the streets.
I ground them into dust, like dust in the wind. I threw them out like mud in the street.
43 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.
You rescued me from rebellious people; you made me ruler over nations—people I didn't know now serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
As soon as they hear of me, they obey; foreigners cringe before me.
45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
They lose heart, and come trembling in surrender from their strongholds.
46 YHWH liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the Elohim of my salvation be exalted.
The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock! May the God who saves me be praised!
47 It is El that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
God avenges me, he subdues peoples under me,
48 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.
he rescues me from those who hate me. You keep me safe from those who rebel against me, you save me from violent men.
49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O YHWH, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
That's why I will praise you among the nations, Lord; I will sing praises about who you are.
50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
You have saved the king so often, showing your trustworthy love to David, your anointed, and to his descendants forever.
