< 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 Jehovah, by David, who hath spoken to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, and he saith: — I 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 bulwark, And my deliverer, My God [is] my rock, I trust in Him: My shield, and a 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.
The 'Praised One' I call Jehovah, And from my enemies I am saved.
4 The meshes of death encompassed me, The torrents of perdition, made me afraid;
Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid.
5 The meshes of hades, had surrounded me, The snares of death, had confronted me, (Sheol )
Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death. (Sheol )
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 mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh 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.
And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake — because He hath wrath.
8 There went up smoke in his nostrils, and, a fire out of his mouth, devoured, Live coals, were kindled from it:
Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, 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 inclineth the heavens, and cometh 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 rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And He flieth on wings of wind.
11 Made darkness his hiding-place, Round about him—his pavilion, Darkness of waters, clouds of vapours.
He maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, 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 over-against 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 thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth 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 sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth 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 seen are the streams of waters, And revealed are foundations of the earth. From Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of Thine anger.
16 He sent from on high, he took me, —he drew me out of many waters.
He sendeth from above — He taketh me, He draweth 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 delivereth 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 Jehovah 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 bringeth me forth to a large place, He draweth 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;
Jehovah doth recompense me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return 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 Jehovah, 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 His statutes I turn not 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 mine iniquity.
24 Yahweh therefore repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the pureness of my hands, before his eyes.
And Jehovah doth return to me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, Over-against his eyes.
25 With the loving, thou didst show thyself loving, —With the blameless man, thou didst show thyself blameless;
With the kind Thou showest Thyself kind, With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect.
26 With the pure, thou didst show thyself pure, But, with the perverse, thou didst show thyself ready to contend.
With the pure Thou showest Thyself pure, And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler,
27 For, as for thee, an oppressed people, thou didst save, but, looks that were lofty, layedst thou low;
For Thou a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall.
28 For, thou, didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God, enlightened my darkness;
For Thou — Thou lightest my lamp, 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 run — 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 Jehovah is tried, A shield [is] He 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 Jehovah? And who [is] a rock save 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 maketh perfect my way.
33 Planting my feet like hinds’ [feet], yea, on my high places, he caused me to stand:
Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth 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 brass 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 Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy right hand doth support me, And Thy lowliness maketh me great.
36 Thou didst widen my stepping-places under me, so that, mine ankles, faltered not.
Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.
37 I pursued my foes, and overtook them, and returned not, till they were consumed:
I pursue mine enemies, and overtake them, And turn back not till they are consumed.
38 I crushed them, and they were unable to rise, They fell under my feet.
I smite 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 Thou girdest me [with] strength for battle, Causest 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 to mine enemies — Thou hast given to me the neck, As to 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 saviour, On Jehovah, and He doth 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, As mire of the streets I empty them out.
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 dost deliver me From the strivings of the people, Thou placest me for a head of nations, A people I have not known do 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 hearken 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:
Jehovah liveth — 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 subdueth 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 mine enemies, Above my withstanders Thou raisest me, From a man of violence dost deliver me.
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 Thee among nations, O Jehovah, And to Thy name I sing praise,
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 — unto the age!