< Psalms 18 >
1 I will love thee, O Yhwh, my strength.
TO THE OVERSEER. BY A SERVANT OF YHWH, BY DAVID, WHO HAS SPOKEN TO YHWH THE WORDS OF THIS SONG IN THE DAY YHWH DELIVERED HIM FROM THE HAND OF ALL HIS ENEMIES, AND FROM THE HAND OF SAUL, AND HE SAYS: I love You, O YHWH, my strength.
2 Yhwh is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
YHWH [is] my rock, and my bulwark, And my deliverer, My God [is] my rock, I trust in Him: My shield, and the horn of my salvation, My high tower.
3 I will call upon Yhwh, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
I call on YHWH, the Praised One, And I am saved from my enemies.
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
Cords of death have surrounded me, And streams of the worthless make me afraid.
5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. (Sheol )
Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Snares of death have been before me. (Sheol )
6 In my distress I called upon Yhwh, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
In my adversity I call YHWH, And I cry to my God. He hears my voice from His temple, And My cry comes into His ears before Him.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
And the earth shakes and trembles, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake—because He has wrath.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Smoke has gone up from His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumes, Coals have been kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
And He inclines the heavens, and comes down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
And He rides on a cherub, and flies, And He flies on wings of wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
He makes darkness His secret place, Around Him His dwelling place, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
From the brightness before Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire.
13 Yhwh also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
And YHWH thunders in the heavens, And the Most High gives forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire.
14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
And He sends His arrows and scatters them, And much lightning, and crushes them.
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.
And the streams of waters are seen, And foundations of the earth are revealed, From Your rebuke, O YHWH, From the breath of the wind of Your anger.
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
He sends from above—He takes me, He draws me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
He delivers me from my strong enemy, And from those hating me, For they have been stronger than I.
18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: But Yhwh was my stay.
They go before me in a day of my calamity And YHWH is for a support to me.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
And He brings me forth to a large place, He draws me out, because He delighted in me.
20 Yhwh rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
YHWH repays me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He returns to me.
21 For I have kept the ways of Yhwh, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For I have kept the ways of YHWH, And have not done wickedly against my God.
22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
For all His judgments [are] before me, And I do not turn His statutes from me.
23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
And I am perfect with Him, And I keep myself from my iniquity.
24 Therefore hath Yhwh recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
And YHWH returns to me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, Before His eyes.
25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
With the kind You show Yourself kind, With a perfect man You show Yourself perfect.
26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt shew thyself contrary.
With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the perverse You show Yourself a wrestler,
27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
For You save a poor people, And cause the eyes of the high to fall.
28 For thou wilt light my candle: Yhwh my God will enlighten my darkness.
For You light my lamp, My God YHWH enlightens my darkness.
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
For by You I run [against] a troop! And by my God I leap a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of Yhwh is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
God—perfect [is] His way, The saying of YHWH is tried, He [is] a shield to all those trusting in Him.
31 For who is God save Yhwh? or who is a rock save our God?
For who [is] God besides YHWH? And who [is] a rock except our God?
32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
God—who is girding me [with] strength, And He makes my way perfect.
33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
Making my feet like does, And on my high places causes me to stand.
34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of bronze was brought down by my arms.
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.
And You give to me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand supports me, And Your lowliness makes me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
You enlarge my step under me, And my ankles have not slipped.
37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
I pursue my enemies, and overtake them, And do not turn back until they are consumed.
38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
I strike them, and they are not able to rise, They fall 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.
And You gird me [with] strength for battle, You cause my withstanders to bow under me.
40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
As for my enemies—You have given to me the neck, As for those hating me—I cut them off.
41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto Yhwh, but he answered them not.
They cry, and there is no savior, On YHWH, and He does 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.
And I beat them as dust before wind, I empty them out as mire of the streets.
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 deliver me From the strivings of the people, You place me for a head of nations, A people I have not known serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
At the hearing of the ear they listen to me, Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me,
45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places.
46 Yhwh liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
YHWH lives—and blessed [is] my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.
47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
God—who is giving vengeance to me, And 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.
My deliverer from my enemies, You raise me above my withstanders, Deliver me from a man of violence.
49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Yhwh, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
Therefore I confess You among nations, O YHWH, And I sing praise to Your Name,
50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
Magnifying the salvation of His king, And doing kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed—for all time!