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 love thee, 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.
Jehovah is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I trust; My shield, my strong defence, and my high tower.
3 As one worthy to be praised, called I on Yahweh, —And, from my foes, was I saved.
I called upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And was delivered from my enemies.
4 The meshes of death encompassed me, The torrents of perdition, made me afraid;
The snares of death encompassed me; The floods of destruction filled me with dismay;
The snares of the underworld surrounded me, And the nets of death seized upon 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, And cried unto my God; He heard my voice from his palace, 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 quaked and trembled; The foundations of the mountains rocked and were shaken, Because his wrath was kindled.
8 There went up smoke in his nostrils, and, a fire out of his mouth, devoured, Live coals, were kindled from it:
A smoke went up from his nostrils, And fire from his mouth devoured; Burning coals shot forth from him.
9 Then he stretched out the heaven, and came down, —and, thick gloom, was under his feet;
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 did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11 Made darkness his hiding-place, Round about him—his pavilion, Darkness of waters, clouds of vapours.
And he made darkness his covering; His pavilion round about him was 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 before him, his thick clouds passed away; Then came 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 from heaven, And the Most High uttered his voice, Amid 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 forth his arrows, and scattered them; Continual 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.
Then the channels of the deep were seen, And the foundations of the earth were laid bare At thy rebuke, O LORD! 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 stretched forth his hand from above; he took me, And 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 delivered me from my strong enemy; From my adversaries, who were too powerful for me.
18 They confronted me, in the day of my necessity, Then became Yahweh my stay:
They fell upon 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 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 hath rewarded me according to my righteous; 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 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 laws were in my sight; I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 So became I blameless with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.
I was upright 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.
Therefore hath the LORD rewarded 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;
To the merciful thou showest thyself merciful; To the upright thou showest thyself upright;
26 With the pure, thou didst show thyself pure, But, with the perverse, thou didst show thyself ready to contend.
To the pure thou showest thyself pure, And to the perverse thou showest thyself perverse.
27 For, as for thee, an oppressed people, thou didst save, but, looks that were lofty, layedst thou low;
For thou savest the afflicted people, But the haughty countenance thou bringest down.
28 For, thou, didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God, enlightened my darkness;
Thou causest 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 through thee I have broken through troops; Through my God I have leaped over walls.
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.
The ways of God are just and true; His word is pure, tried in the fire; He is a shield to all who put their trust in him.
31 For who is a GOD, save Yahweh? And who is a Rock, save our God?
Who, then, is God, save Jehovah? And 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 girded me with strength, And made my way plain.
33 Planting my feet like hinds’ [feet], yea, on my high places, he caused me to stand:
He made my feet like the hind's, And set me in my high places;
34 Teaching my hands to war, —so that a bow of bronze was bent by mine arms.
He taught my hands to war, So that my arm bent the 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.
Thou gavest me the shield of thy protection; Thy right hand held me up, And thy goodness made me great.
36 Thou didst widen my stepping-places under me, so that, mine ankles, faltered not.
Thou didst make a wide path for my steps, So that my feet did not stumble.
37 I pursued my foes, and overtook them, and returned not, till they were consumed:
I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And turned not back till I had destroyed them.
38 I crushed them, and they were unable to rise, They fell under my feet.
I smote them, so that they could not rise; They fell under my feet.
39 Thus didst thou gird me with strength, for the battle, Thou subduedst mine assailants under me.
Thou didst gird me with strength for the battle; Thou didst cast down my adversaries under me.
40 As for my foes, thou didst give me their neck, and, as for them who hated me, I destroyed them.
Thou didst cause my enemies to turn their backs, So that I destroyed them that hated 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 help; To Jehovah, 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.
I beat them small, like dust before the wind; I cast them out as the dirt 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 assaults of the nations; Thou hast made me the head of the kingdoms. Nations whom I knew not serve me;
44 At the hearing of the ear, they submitted to me, the sons of the foreigner, came cringing unto me:
They who have only heard of me obey me; Yea, men of a strange land submit themselves to me;
45 The sons of the foreigner, lost heart, and came quaking out of their fortresses.
Men of a strange land fade away, like a leaf, And come trembling from their strongholds.
46 Yahweh liveth and, blessed, be my Rock, yea, exalted, be the God of my salvation:
Jehovah is the living God; blessed be my rock; Exalted be the God of my salvation!
47 The GOD, who hath avenged me, —and subjugated peoples under me:
It is God who hath given me vengeance, And subdued the nations 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 delivered me from my enemies; Yea, thou hast lifted me up above my adversaries; Thou hast saved 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 thee, O LORD! among the nations, And sing praises 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.
Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth mercy to his anointed, —To David and to his posterity for ever.
