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.
I will 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, 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.
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 mine enemies.
4 The waves of death surrounded me, and the currents of ungodliness overwhelmed me.
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented 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, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into 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 trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was angry.
8 Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon 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 secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed on, with hailstones and coals of fire.
At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13 YHWH also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice.
The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out arrows and scattered them, and he shot lightning bolts and routed them.
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and humiliated 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.
Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered 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 sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18 They came on me in the day of my calamity, but YHWH was my support.
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered 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 rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed 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 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 judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 Therefore YHWH has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
Therefore has the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 With the faithful you show yourself faithful. With the innocent you show yourself innocent.
With the merciful you will show yourself merciful; with an upright man you will show yourself upright;
26 With the pure you show yourself pure. And with the crooked you show yourself tortuous.
With the pure you will show yourself pure; and with the perverse you will show yourself perverse.
27 For you will save a humble people, but the eyes of the proud you will bring low.
For you will save the afflicted people; but will bring down high looks.
28 For you light my lamp. YHWH my God lights up my darkness.
For you will light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.
For by you I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over 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 tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 For who is God, except YHWH? Who is a rock, besides our God,
For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
32 the God who girds me with strength, and makes my way blameless?
It is God that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like deer's feet, and sets me on my high places.
He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places.
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
He teaches my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
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 also given me the shield of your salvation: and your right hand has held me up, and your gentleness has made me great.
36 You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
You have enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and I did not turn back until they were destroyed.
I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I return till they were consumed.
38 I struck them through, so that they did not rise. They fell beneath my feet.
I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are 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.
For you have girded me with strength unto the battle: you have subdued under me those that rose up against me.
40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
You have also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
41 They cried, but there was none to save; even to YHWH, but he did not answer them.
They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
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.
Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt 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 strivings of the people; and you have made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me they obey me. Foreigners come cringing to me;
As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
45 they are not bound in chains.
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
46 YHWH lives; and blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
It is God that avenges me, and subdues the people under 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.
He delivers me from mine enemies: yea, you lift me up above those that rise up against me: you have delivered me from the violent man.
49 Therefore I will praise you, YHWH, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name.
Therefore will I give thanks unto you, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto 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 deliverance gives he to his king; and shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
