Psalms 18
1 [For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of YHWH, who spoke to YHWH the words of this song in the day that YHWH delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, ] I love you, YHWH, my strength.
For the choirmaster. Of David the servant of the LORD, who sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love You, O LORD, my strength.
2 YHWH is my Rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my Rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call on YHWH, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 The waves of death surrounded me, and the currents of ungodliness overwhelmed me.
The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.
The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. (Sheol h7585)
6 In my distress I called upon YHWH, and cried out to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry before him came into his ears.
In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for His help reached His ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.
8 Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.
10 He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his hiding place, his canopy around him thick clouds dark with water.
He made darkness His hiding place, and storm clouds a canopy around Him.
12 From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed on, with hailstones and coals of fire.
From the brightness of His presence His clouds advanced— hailstones and coals of fire.
13 YHWH also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice.
The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out arrows and scattered them, and he shot lightning bolts and routed them.
He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
15 And the depths of the sea appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, YHWH, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at Your rebuke, O LORD, 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 on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me.
18 They came on me in the day of my calamity, but YHWH was my support.
They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD was my support.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me.
20 YHWH has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me.
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
21 For I have kept the ways of YHWH, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his ordinances were before me. I did not put away his statutes from me.
For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.
23 I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity.
24 Therefore YHWH has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
25 With the faithful you show yourself faithful. With the innocent you show yourself innocent.
To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
26 With the pure you show yourself pure. And with the crooked you show yourself tortuous.
to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
27 For you will save a humble people, but the eyes of the proud you will bring low.
For You save an afflicted people, but You humble those with haughty eyes.
28 For you light my lamp. YHWH my God lights up my darkness.
For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness.
29 For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.
For in You I can charge an army, and with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect. The word of YHWH is pure. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
31 For who is God, except YHWH? Who is a rock, besides our God,
For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
32 the God who girds me with strength, and makes my way blameless?
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way clear.
33 He makes my feet like deer's feet, and sets me on my high places.
He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand holds me up, and your help has made me great.
You have given me Your shield of salvation; Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness exalts me.
36 You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and I did not turn back until they were destroyed.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.
38 I struck them through, so that they did not rise. They fell beneath my feet.
I crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet.
39 For you have equipped me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.
40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me.
41 They cried, but there was none to save; even to YHWH, but he did not answer them.
They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but He did not answer.
42 Then I ground them as fine as the dust on the surface of a path. Like the mud in the streets, I trampled them.
I ground them as dust in the face of the wind; I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
You have delivered me from the strife of the people; You have made me the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me they obey me. Foreigners come cringing to me;
When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me.
45 they are not bound in chains.
Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.
46 YHWH lives; and blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may the God of my salvation be exalted—
47 even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
the God who avenges me and subdues nations beneath me,
48 He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.
who delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.
49 Therefore I will praise you, YHWH, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name.
Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.
50 He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his descendants, until forever.
Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.
