Psalms 18
1 To the chief Musician. Of the servant of Yahweh, of David, —who spake unto Yahweh the words of this song, —in the day when Yahweh had rescued him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul; and he said: — I will love thee, O Yahweh my strength!
For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, I love you, LORD, my strength.
2 Yahweh, was my mountain crag and my stronghold, and my deliverer: My GOD, was my rock, I sought refuge in him, My shield, and my horn of salvation, my high tower.
The LORD 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.
3 As one worthy to be praised, called I on Yahweh, —And, from my foes, was I saved.
I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies.
4 The meshes of death encompassed me, The torrents of perdition, made me afraid;
The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The cords of Sheol (Sheol h7585) were around me. The snares of death came on me.
6 In my distress, called I on Yahweh, And, unto my God, made outcry for help, He heard, out of his temple, my voice, And my outcry for help came before him—entered into his ears!
In my distress I called on the LORD, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears.
7 Then did the earth shake and quake, Even, the foundations of the mountains, were deeply moved, Yea they did shake, because he was angry.
Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
8 There went up smoke in his nostrils, and, a fire out of his mouth, devoured, Live coals, were kindled from it:
Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
9 Then he stretched out the heaven, and came down, —and, thick gloom, was under his feet;
He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
10 Then he rode on a cherub, and flew, and darted on the wings of the wind;
He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 Made darkness his hiding-place, Round about him—his pavilion, Darkness of waters, clouds of vapours.
He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 Out of the brightness before him, his clouds rolled along, hail, and live coals of fire.
At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire.
13 Then did Yahweh thunder in the heavens, and the Highest uttered his voice, —hail, and live coals of fire.
The LORD also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, yea, lightnings, he shot out, and confused them.
He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts.
15 Then appeared the channels of waters, were uncovered the foundations of the world, —At thy rebuke O Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
Then the channels of waters appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, 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 on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.
17 He rescued me from my foe, in his might, and from them who hated me, because they were too strong for me:
He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me, in the day of my necessity, Then became Yahweh my stay:
They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
19 And brought me out, into a large place, he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, he repaid me;
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands, he has recompensed me.
21 For I had kept the ways of Yahweh, and not broken away from my God;
For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For, all his regulations, were before me, and, his statutes, did I not put from me:
For all his ordinances were before me. I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 So became I blameless with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.
I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
24 Yahweh therefore repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the pureness of my hands, before his eyes.
Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 With the loving, thou didst show thyself loving, —With the blameless man, thou didst show thyself blameless;
With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.
26 With the pure, thou didst show thyself pure, But, with the perverse, thou didst show thyself ready to contend.
With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
27 For, as for thee, an oppressed people, thou didst save, but, looks that were lofty, layedst thou low;
For you will save the afflicted people, but the arrogant eyes you will bring down.
28 For, thou, didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God, enlightened my darkness;
For you will light my lamp, LORD. My God will light up my darkness.
29 For, by thee, I ran through a troop, and, by my God, I leapt over a wall.
For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.
30 As for GOD, blameless is his way, The speech of Yahweh hath been proved, A shield, he is to all who seek refuge in him.
As for God, his way is perfect. The LORD’s word is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
31 For who is a GOD, save Yahweh? And who is a Rock, save our God?
For who is God, except the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God,
32 The GOD who girded me with strength, and set forth, as blameless, my way:
the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
33 Planting my feet like hinds’ [feet], yea, on my high places, he caused me to stand:
He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places.
34 Teaching my hands to war, —so that a bow of bronze was bent by mine arms.
He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
35 Thus didst thou grant me, as a shield, thy salvation, —and, thy right hand, sustained me, and, thy condescension, made me great.
You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.
36 Thou didst widen my stepping-places under me, so that, mine ankles, faltered not.
You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
37 I pursued my foes, and overtook them, and returned not, till they were consumed:
I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I will not turn away until they are consumed.
38 I crushed them, and they were unable to rise, They fell under my feet.
I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet.
39 Thus didst thou gird me with strength, for the battle, Thou subduedst mine assailants under me.
For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40 As for my foes, thou didst give me their neck, and, as for them who hated me, I destroyed them.
You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
41 They cried out, but there was none to save, unto Yahweh, but he answered them not.
They cried, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
42 Then did I beat them in pieces, like dust on the face of the wind. Like the mire in the lanes, did I scatter them.
Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets.
43 Thus didst thou rescue me from the contentions of a people, —didst appoint me to be the head of nations, A people I had not known, served me:
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.
44 At the hearing of the ear, they submitted to me, the sons of the foreigner, came cringing unto me:
As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
45 The sons of the foreigner, lost heart, and came quaking out of their fortresses.
The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
46 Yahweh liveth and, blessed, be my Rock, yea, exalted, be the God of my salvation:
The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
47 The GOD, who hath avenged me, —and subjugated peoples under me:
even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
48 Who hath delivered me from my foes, —Yea, from mine assailants, hast thou set me on high, From the man of violence, hast thou rescued me.
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.
49 For this cause, will I praise thee among the nations, O Yahweh, and, to thy Name, will I sweep the strings: —
Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name.
50 Who hath made great the victories of his King, —and shown lovingkindness to his Anointed One, To David and to his Seed, Unto times age-abiding.
He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.
