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!
To the chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David, the servant of Jehovah, who spoke to Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Saul. And he said, I will love thee, O Jehovah, 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.
Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I will trust; 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 will call upon Jehovah, who is to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The meshes of death encompassed me, The torrents of perdition, made me afraid;
The bands of death encompassed me, and torrents of Belial made me afraid.
The bands of Sheol surrounded me, the cords of death encountered 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 Jehovah, and I cried out to my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, 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 quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled and shook, because he was wroth.
8 There went up smoke in his nostrils, and, a fire out of his mouth, devoured, Live coals, were kindled from it:
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals burned forth from it.
9 Then he stretched out the heaven, and came down, —and, thick gloom, was under his feet;
And he bowed the heavens, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
10 Then he rode on a cherub, and flew, and darted on the wings of the wind;
And he rode upon a cherub and did fly; yea, he flew fast upon 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 secret place, his tent round about 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.
From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed forth: hail and coals of fire.
13 Then did Yahweh thunder in the heavens, and the Highest uttered his voice, —hail, and live coals of fire.
And Jehovah thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice: hail and coals of fire.
14 And he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, yea, lightnings, he shot out, and confused them.
And he sent his arrows, and scattered [mine enemies]; and he shot forth lightnings, and discomfited 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.
And the beds of the waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered at thy rebuke, Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, he took me, —he drew me out of many waters.
He reached forth from above, he took me, he drew me out of great 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, and from them that hated me; for they were mightier than I.
18 They confronted me, in the day of my necessity, Then became Yahweh my stay:
They encountered me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my stay.
19 And brought me out, into a large place, he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
And he brought me forth 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;
Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he 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 Jehovah, 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, and I did not put away his statutes from me;
23 So became I blameless with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.
And I was upright with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 Yahweh therefore repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the pureness of my hands, before his eyes.
And Jehovah hath recompensed 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;
With the gracious thou dost shew thyself gracious; with the upright man thou dost shew thyself upright;
26 With the pure, thou didst show thyself pure, But, with the perverse, thou didst show thyself ready to contend.
With the pure thou dost shew thyself pure; and with the perverse thou dost shew thyself contrary.
27 For, as for thee, an oppressed people, thou didst save, but, looks that were lofty, layedst thou low;
For it is thou that savest the afflicted people; but the haughty eyes wilt thou bring down.
28 For, thou, didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God, enlightened my darkness;
For it is thou that makest my lamp to shine: Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
29 For, by thee, I ran through a troop, and, by my God, I leapt over a wall.
For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped 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 word of Jehovah is tried: he is a shield to all that trust in him.
31 For who is a GOD, save Yahweh? And who is a Rock, save our God?
For who is God save Jehovah? and who is a rock if not our God?
32 The GOD who girded me with strength, and set forth, as blameless, my way:
The God who girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect,
33 Planting my feet like hinds’ [feet], yea, on my high places, he caused me to stand:
Who maketh my feet like hinds' [feet], and setteth me upon my high places;
34 Teaching my hands to war, —so that a bow of bronze was bent by mine arms.
Who teacheth my hands to war, and mine arms bend a bow of brass;
35 Thus didst thou grant me, as a shield, thy salvation, —and, thy right hand, sustained me, and, thy condescension, made me great.
And thou didst give me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand held me up; and thy condescending gentleness hath made me great.
36 Thou didst widen my stepping-places under me, so that, mine ankles, faltered not.
Thou didst enlarge my steps under me, and mine ankles have not wavered.
37 I pursued my foes, and overtook them, and returned not, till they were consumed:
I pursued mine enemies, and overtook them; and I turned not again till they were consumed.
38 I crushed them, and they were unable to rise, They fell under my feet.
I crushed them, and they were not able to rise: they fell under my feet.
39 Thus didst thou gird me with strength, for the battle, Thou subduedst mine assailants under me.
And thou girdedst me with strength to battle; thou didst subdue under me those that 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.
And mine enemies didst thou make to turn their backs unto me, and those that hated me I destroyed.
41 They cried out, but there was none to save, unto Yahweh, but he answered them not.
They cried, and there was none to save; — unto Jehovah, and he answered them not.
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.
And I did beat them small as dust before the wind; I did 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:
Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; thou hast made me the head of the nations: a people I knew not doth serve me.
44 At the hearing of the ear, they submitted to me, the sons of the foreigner, came cringing unto me:
At the hearing of the ear, they obey me: strangers come cringing unto me.
45 The sons of the foreigner, lost heart, and came quaking out of their fortresses.
Strangers have faded away, and they come trembling forth from their close places.
46 Yahweh liveth and, blessed, be my Rock, yea, exalted, be the God of my salvation:
Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation,
47 The GOD, who hath avenged me, —and subjugated peoples under me:
The God who hath avenged me, and hath subjected the peoples to 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 hath delivered me from mine enemies: yea, thou hast lifted me up above them that rose up against me; from the man of violence hast thou delivered me.
49 For this cause, will I praise thee among the nations, O Yahweh, and, to thy Name, will I sweep the strings: —
Therefore will I give thanks to thee, Jehovah, among the nations, and will sing psalms to thy 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.
[It is he] who giveth great deliverances to his king, and sheweth loving-kindness to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
