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 OVERSEER. BY A SERVANT OF YHWH, BY DAVID, WHO HAS SPOKEN TO YHWH THE WORDS OF THIS SONG IN THE DAY YHWH DELIVERED HIM FROM THE HAND OF ALL HIS ENEMIES, AND FROM THE HAND OF SAUL, AND HE SAYS: I love You, O YHWH, 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.
YHWH [is] my rock, and my bulwark, And my deliverer, My God [is] my rock, I trust in Him: 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 YHWH, the Praised One, And I am saved from my enemies.
4 The meshes of death encompassed me, The torrents of perdition, made me afraid;
Cords of death have surrounded me, And streams of the worthless make me afraid.
Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Snares of death have been before 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 adversity I call YHWH, And I cry to my God. He hears my voice from His temple, And My cry comes into His ears before Him.
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.
And the earth shakes and trembles, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake—because He has wrath.
8 There went up smoke in his nostrils, and, a fire out of his mouth, devoured, Live coals, were kindled from it:
Smoke has gone up from His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumes, Coals have been kindled by it.
9 Then he stretched out the heaven, and came down, —and, thick gloom, was under his feet;
And He inclines the heavens, and comes down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet.
10 Then he rode on a cherub, and flew, and darted on the wings of the wind;
And He rides on a cherub, and flies, And He flies on wings of wind.
11 Made darkness his hiding-place, Round about him—his pavilion, Darkness of waters, clouds of vapours.
He makes darkness His secret place, Around Him His dwelling place, 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 have passed on, 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 YHWH thunders in the heavens, And the Most High gives forth 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 sends His arrows and scatters them, And much lightning, and crushes 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 streams of waters are seen, And foundations of the earth are revealed, From Your rebuke, O YHWH, From the breath of the wind of Your anger.
16 He sent from on high, he took me, —he drew me out of many waters.
He sends from above—He takes me, He draws 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 delivers me from my strong enemy, And from those hating me, For they have been stronger than I.
18 They confronted me, in the day of my necessity, Then became Yahweh my stay:
They go before me in a day of my calamity And YHWH is for a support to me.
19 And brought me out, into a large place, he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
And He brings me forth to a large place, He draws me out, because He delighted in me.
20 Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, he repaid me;
YHWH repays me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He returns to me.
21 For I had kept the ways of Yahweh, and not broken away from my God;
For I have kept the ways of YHWH, And have not done wickedly against my God.
22 For, all his regulations, were before me, and, his statutes, did I not put from me:
For all His judgments [are] before me, And I do not turn His statutes from me.
23 So became I blameless with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.
And I am perfect with Him, And I keep myself from my iniquity.
24 Yahweh therefore repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the pureness of my hands, before his eyes.
And YHWH returns to me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, Before His eyes.
25 With the loving, thou didst show thyself loving, —With the blameless man, thou didst show thyself blameless;
With the kind You show Yourself kind, With a perfect man You 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 show Yourself pure, And with the perverse You show Yourself a wrestler,
27 For, as for thee, an oppressed people, thou didst save, but, looks that were lofty, layedst thou low;
For You save a poor people, And cause the eyes of the high to fall.
28 For, thou, didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God, enlightened my darkness;
For You light my lamp, My God YHWH enlightens my darkness.
29 For, by thee, I ran through a troop, and, by my God, I leapt over a wall.
For by You I run [against] a troop! And by my God I leap 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.
God—perfect [is] His way, The saying of YHWH is tried, He [is] a shield to all those trusting in Him.
31 For who is a GOD, save Yahweh? And who is a Rock, save our God?
For who [is] God besides YHWH? And who [is] a rock except our God?
32 The GOD who girded me with strength, and set forth, as blameless, my way:
God—who is girding me [with] strength, And He makes my way perfect.
33 Planting my feet like hinds’ [feet], yea, on my high places, he caused me to stand:
Making my feet like does, And on my high places causes me to stand.
34 Teaching my hands to war, —so that a bow of bronze was bent by mine arms.
Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of bronze was brought down 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.
And You give to me the shield of Your salvation, And Your right hand supports me, And Your lowliness makes me great.
36 Thou didst widen my stepping-places under me, so that, mine ankles, faltered not.
You enlarge my step under me, And my ankles have not slipped.
37 I pursued my foes, and overtook them, and returned not, till they were consumed:
I pursue my enemies, and overtake them, And do not turn back until they are consumed.
38 I crushed them, and they were unable to rise, They fell under my feet.
I strike them, and they are not able to rise, They fall under my feet,
39 Thus didst thou gird me with strength, for the battle, Thou subduedst mine assailants under me.
And You gird me [with] strength for battle, You cause my withstanders to bow under me.
40 As for my foes, thou didst give me their neck, and, as for them who hated me, I destroyed them.
As for my enemies—You have given to me the neck, As for those hating me—I cut them off.
41 They cried out, but there was none to save, unto Yahweh, but he answered them not.
They cry, and there is no savior, On YHWH, and He does 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.
And I beat them as dust before wind, I empty them out as 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 deliver me From the strivings of the people, You place me for a head of nations, A people I have not known 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 listen to me, Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me,
45 The sons of the foreigner, lost heart, and came quaking out of their fortresses.
Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places.
46 Yahweh liveth and, blessed, be my Rock, yea, exalted, be the God of my salvation:
YHWH lives—and blessed [is] my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.
47 The GOD, who hath avenged me, —and subjugated peoples under me:
God—who is giving vengeance to me, And He 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.
My deliverer from my enemies, You raise me above my withstanders, Deliver me from a man of violence.
49 For this cause, will I praise thee among the nations, O Yahweh, and, to thy Name, will I sweep the strings: —
Therefore I confess You among nations, O YHWH, And I sing praise 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.
Magnifying the salvation of His king, And doing kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed—for all time!
