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 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 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 is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 As one worthy to be praised, called I on Yahweh, —And, from my foes, was I saved.
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 The meshes of death encompassed me, The torrents of perdition, made me afraid;
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, 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 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 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 quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.
8 There went up smoke in his nostrils, and, a fire out of his mouth, devoured, Live coals, were kindled from it:
Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth.
9 Then he stretched out the heaven, and came down, —and, thick gloom, was under his feet;
He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.
10 Then he rode on a cherub, and flew, and darted on the wings of the wind;
He mounted a cherub and flew; 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, and storm clouds a canopy around Him.
12 Out of the brightness before him, his clouds rolled along, hail, and live coals of fire.
From the brightness of His presence His clouds advanced— 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 thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded— hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, yea, lightnings, he shot out, and confused them.
He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.
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.
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 rescued me from my foe, in his might, and from them who hated me, because they were too strong for me:
He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me, in the day of my necessity, Then became Yahweh my stay:
They confronted me in my day of 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 into the open; He rescued 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; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
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 are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.
23 So became I blameless with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.
And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity.
24 Yahweh therefore repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the pureness of my hands, before his eyes.
So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
25 With the loving, thou didst show thyself loving, —With the blameless man, thou didst show thyself blameless;
To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
26 With the pure, thou didst show thyself pure, But, with the perverse, thou didst show thyself ready to contend.
to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
27 For, as for thee, an oppressed people, thou didst save, but, looks that were lofty, layedst thou low;
For You save an afflicted people, but You humble those with haughty eyes.
28 For, thou, didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God, enlightened my darkness;
For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness.
29 For, by thee, I ran through a troop, and, by my God, I leapt over a wall.
For in You I can charge an army, and with my God I can scale 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 word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all 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 besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
32 The GOD who girded me with strength, and set forth, as blameless, my way:
It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way clear.
33 Planting my feet like hinds’ [feet], yea, on my high places, he caused me to stand:
He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.
34 Teaching my hands to war, —so that a bow of bronze was bent by mine arms.
He trains my hands for battle; my arms can 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 given me Your shield of salvation; Your right hand upholds me, and Your gentleness exalts me.
36 Thou didst widen my stepping-places under me, so that, mine ankles, faltered not.
You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.
37 I pursued my foes, and overtook them, and returned not, till they were consumed:
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.
38 I crushed them, and they were unable to rise, They fell under my feet.
I crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet.
39 Thus didst thou gird me with strength, for the battle, Thou subduedst mine assailants under me.
You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.
40 As for my foes, thou didst give me their neck, and, as for them who hated me, I destroyed them.
You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me.
41 They cried out, but there was none to save, unto Yahweh, but he answered them not.
They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but He did not answer.
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.
I ground them as dust in the face of the wind; I trampled them like mud in 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 strife of the people; You have made me the head of nations; a people I had 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:
When they hear me, they obey me; foreigners cower before me.
45 The sons of the foreigner, lost heart, and came quaking out of their fortresses.
Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.
46 Yahweh liveth and, blessed, be my Rock, yea, 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 The GOD, who hath avenged me, —and subjugated peoples under me:
the God who avenges me and subdues nations beneath 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.
who delivers me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.
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 praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I 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.
Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.
