Psalms 18
1 I love thee, O LORD, my strength!
Ngizakuthanda, Nkosi, mandla ami.
2 Jehovah is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I trust; My shield, my strong defence, and my high tower.
INkosi ilidwala lami, lenqaba yami, lomkhululi wami; uNkulunkulu wami, idwala lami, engizaphephela kulo, isihlangu sami, lophondo losindiso lwami, inqaba yami ephakemeyo.
3 I called upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And was delivered from my enemies.
Ngizabiza iNkosi edumisekayo, ngakho ngizasindiswa ezitheni zami.
4 The snares of death encompassed me; The floods of destruction filled me with dismay;
Izibopho zokufa zangizingelezela, lezikhukhula zobubi zangethusa.
Izibopho zesihogo zangigombolozela, imijibila yokufa yayiphambi kwami. (Sheol h7585)
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried unto my God; He heard my voice from his palace, And my cry came before him into his ears.
Ekuhluphekeni kwami ngayibiza iNkosi, ngakhala kuNkulunkulu wami; walizwa ilizwi lami esethempelini lakhe, lokukhala kwami kweza phambi kwakhe, endlebeni zakhe.
7 Then the earth quaked and trembled; The foundations of the mountains rocked and were shaken, Because his wrath was kindled.
Khona umhlaba wazamazama, wanyikinyeka, lezisekelo zezintaba zaqhaqhazela, zazamazama, ngoba wayethukuthele.
8 A smoke went up from his nostrils, And fire from his mouth devoured; Burning coals shot forth from him.
Kwenyuka intuthu emakhaleni akhe, lomlilo ophuma emlonyeni wakhe waqothula; amalahle avuthiswa yiwo.
9 He bowed the heavens, and came down; And darkness was under his feet;
Wasekhothamisa amazulu, wehlela phansi, lomnyama onzima wawungaphansi kwenyawo zakhe.
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
Wasegada ikherubhi, waphapha, wandiza phezu kwempiko zomoya.
11 And he made darkness his covering; His pavilion round about him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
Wamisa umnyama waba yindawo yakhe yensitha, idumba lakhe inhlangothi zonke zakhe, amanzi amnyama, amayezi amnyama omkhathi.
12 At the brightness before him, his thick clouds passed away; Then came hailstones and coals of fire.
Ekukhazimuleni okuphambi kwakhe amayezi akhe amnyama edlula, isiqhotho lamalahle omlilo.
13 The LORD also thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered his voice, Amid hailstones and coals of fire.
INkosi yasiduma emazulwini, oPhezukonke wazwakalisa ilizwi lakhe, isiqhotho lamalahle omlilo.
14 He sent forth his arrows, and scattered them; Continual lightnings, and discomfited them.
Yasithuma imitshoko yayo, yabachitha; lemibane eminengi, yabaphaphathekisa.
15 Then the channels of the deep were seen, And the foundations of the earth were laid bare At thy rebuke, O LORD! At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
Khona kwabonakala imisele yamanzi, kwembulwa izisekelo zomhlaba ekusoleni kwakho, Nkosi, ekuvutheleni komoya wamakhala akho.
16 He stretched forth his hand from above; he took me, And drew me out of deep waters.
Yathuma iphezulu, yangibamba, yangenyula emanzini amanengi.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy; From my adversaries, who were too powerful for me.
Yangophula esitheni sami esilamandla, lakibo abangizondayo, ngoba babelamandla kulami.
18 They fell upon me in the day of my calamity; But the LORD was my stay.
Babephambi kwami osukwini lwenhlupheko yami, kodwa iNkosi yaba yisisekelo sami.
19 He brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
Yangikhuphela endaweni ebanzi, yangikhulula ngoba yayithokoza ngami.
20 The LORD hath rewarded me according to my righteous; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
INkosi yangivuza njengokulunga kwami; yangibuyisela njengokuhlanzeka kwezandla zami.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
Ngoba ngizilondolozile indlela zeNkosi, kangisukanga kuNkulunkulu wami ngenkohlakalo.
22 For all his laws were in my sight; I did not put away his statutes from me.
Ngoba zonke izahlulelo zayo zaziphambi kwami, lezimiso zayo kangiziphambulanga kimi.
23 I was upright before him, And kept myself from iniquity.
Njalo ngangiqondile kuyo, ngizinqandile ebubini bami.
24 Therefore hath the LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.
Ngakho iNkosi ingibuyisele njengokulunga kwami, njengokuhlanzeka kwezandla zami phambi kwamehlo ayo.
25 To the merciful thou showest thyself merciful; To the upright thou showest thyself upright;
Kolesihawu uzaziveza ulesihawu; koqotho uzaziveza uqotho;
26 To the pure thou showest thyself pure, And to the perverse thou showest thyself perverse.
kohlanzekileyo uzaziveza uhlanzekile; lakophambukileyo uzaziveza uphambukile.
27 For thou savest the afflicted people, But the haughty countenance thou bringest down.
Ngoba wena uzabasindisa abantu abahlutshwayo; kodwa amehlo aphakemeyo uzawehlisela phansi.
28 Thou causest my lamp to shine; Jehovah, my God, enlighteneth my darkness.
Ngoba wena uzalumathisa isibane sami; iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wami, izakhanyisa ubumnyama bami.
29 For through thee I have broken through troops; Through my God I have leaped over walls.
Ngoba ngawe ngigijimile ngadabula phakathi kwebutho, langoNkulunkulu wami ngeqe umthangala.
30 The ways of God are just and true; His word is pure, tried in the fire; He is a shield to all who put their trust in him.
UNkulunkulu, indlela yakhe iphelele; ilizwi leNkosi lihloliwe; uyisihlangu kubo bonke abaphephela kuye.
31 Who, then, is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, save our God?
Ngoba ngubani onguNkulunkulu ngaphandle kweNkosi? Njalo ngubani olidwala ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu wethu?
32 It is God that girded me with strength, And made my way plain.
NguNkulunkulu ongibhincisa amandla, owenza indlela yami iphelele.
33 He made my feet like the hind's, And set me in my high places;
Owenza inyawo zami zibe njengezezimpala, wangimisa ezingqongeni zami.
34 He taught my hands to war, So that my arm bent the bow of brass.
Ofundisela izandla zami impi, ukuze idandili lethusi ligotshiswe zingalo zami.
35 Thou gavest me the shield of thy protection; Thy right hand held me up, And thy goodness made me great.
Unginikile lesihlangu sosindiso lwakho, lesandla sakho sokunene singisekele, lobumnene bakho bungikhulisile.
36 Thou didst make a wide path for my steps, So that my feet did not stumble.
Wenze zaba banzi izinyathelo zami ngaphansi kwami, ukuze inyawo zami zingatsheleli.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And turned not back till I had destroyed them.
Ngixotshene lezitha zami, ngazifica, kangibuyanga ngaze ngaziqeda.
38 I smote them, so that they could not rise; They fell under my feet.
Ngazigwaza, zaze zehluleka ukuvuka, zawa ngaphansi kwenyawo zami.
39 Thou didst gird me with strength for the battle; Thou didst cast down my adversaries under me.
Ngoba ungibhincise amandla kusenzelwa impi, wabakhothamisela phansi kwami abangivukelayo.
40 Thou didst cause my enemies to turn their backs, So that I destroyed them that hated me.
Unginike intamo yezitha zami, labo abangizondayo ngababhubhisa.
41 They cried, but there was none to help; To Jehovah, but he answered them not.
Bakhala, kodwa engekho umsindisi; eNkosini, kodwa kayibaphendulanga.
42 I beat them small, like dust before the wind; I cast them out as the dirt of the streets.
Ngasengibacholisisa njengothuli phambi komoya, ngabachitha njengodaka lwezitalada.
43 Thou hast delivered me from the assaults of the nations; Thou hast made me the head of the kingdoms. Nations whom I knew not serve me;
Wangikhulula ekuphikiseni kwabantu, wangimisa ngaba yinhloko yezizwe; abantu engangingabazi bangisebenzela.
44 They who have only heard of me obey me; Yea, men of a strange land submit themselves to me;
Bangenela ukuzwa ngendlebe bazangilalela, abezizweni bazazithoba kimi ngokuzenzisa.
45 Men of a strange land fade away, like a leaf, And come trembling from their strongholds.
Abezizweni bazabuna, baphume ezinqabeni zabo bethuthumela.
46 Jehovah is the living God; blessed be my rock; Exalted be the God of my salvation!
INkosi iyaphila; njalo kalidunyiswe idwala lami, kaphakanyiswe uNkulunkulu wosindiso lwami.
47 It is God who hath given me vengeance, And subdued the nations under me;
UNkulunkulu onginika impindiselo, lowehlisela izizwe ngaphansi kwami;
48 He delivered me from my enemies; Yea, thou hast lifted me up above my adversaries; Thou hast saved me from the violent man!
ongikhulula ezitheni zami; yebo, phezu kwabangivukelayo wangiphakamisa, emuntwini wodlakela wangikhulula.
49 Therefore I will give thanks to thee, O LORD! among the nations, And sing praises to thy name.
Ngenxa yalokhu ngizakudumisa, Nkosi, phakathi kwezizwe, ngihlabelele ibizo lakho indumiso.
50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth mercy to his anointed, —To David and to his posterity for ever.
Iyanika inkosi yayo usindiso olukhulu, isenzela ogcotshiweyo wayo umusa, kuDavida, lenzalweni yakhe kuze kube nininini.
