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!
I will 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, 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 As one worthy to be praised, called I on Yahweh, —And, from my foes, was I saved.
I will call on 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 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, 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, and my cry came before him, even 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 hills moved and were shaken, 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 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: 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 on a cherub, and did fly: yes, he did fly 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 secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and 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 that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones 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 heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, yea, lightnings, he shot out, and confused them.
Yes, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightning, 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.
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 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 which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me, in the day of my necessity, Then became Yahweh my stay:
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
19 And brought me out, 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 Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, he repaid me;
The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands has 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 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 judgments 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.
I was also upright before him, and 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 has the LORD recompensed 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 an upright man you will show yourself upright;
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; and with the fraudulent you will show yourself devious.
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 will bring down high looks.
28 For, thou, didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God, enlightened my darkness;
For you will light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For, by thee, I ran through a troop, and, by my God, I leapt 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, 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 tried: he is a buckler to all those 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 the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
32 The GOD who girded me with strength, and set forth, as blameless, my way:
It is God that girds 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 hinds’ 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 a bow of steel is broken by my arms.
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: and your right hand has held me up, and 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, that my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my foes, and overtook them, and returned not, till they were consumed:
I have pursued my enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
38 I crushed them, and they were unable to rise, They fell under my feet.
I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
39 Thus didst thou gird me with strength, for the battle, Thou subduedst mine assailants under me.
For you have girded me with strength to the battle: you have subdued 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.
You have also given me the necks of my enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
41 They cried out, but there was none to save, unto Yahweh, but he answered them not.
They cried, but there was none to save them: even to the LORD, but 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.
Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt 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 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 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 strangers shall submit themselves to me.
45 The sons of the foreigner, lost heart, and came quaking out of their fortresses.
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
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 let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 The GOD, who hath avenged me, —and subjugated peoples under me:
It is God that avenges me, and subdues the people 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 delivers me from my enemies: yes, you lift me up above those that rise up against me: you have delivered 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 will I give thanks to you, O LORD, among the heathen, and 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 deliverance gives he to his king; and shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for ever more.
