< 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!
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.
3 As one worthy to be praised, called I on Yahweh, —And, from my foes, was I saved.
4 The meshes of death encompassed me, The torrents of perdition, made me afraid;
5 The meshes of hades, had surrounded me, The snares of death, had confronted me, (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!
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.
8 There went up smoke in his nostrils, and, a fire out of his mouth, devoured, Live coals, were kindled from it:
9 Then he stretched out the heaven, and came down, —and, thick gloom, was under his feet;
10 Then he rode on a cherub, and flew, and darted on the wings of the wind;
11 Made darkness his hiding-place, Round about him—his pavilion, Darkness of waters, clouds of vapours.
12 Out of the brightness before him, his clouds rolled along, hail, and live coals of fire.
13 Then did Yahweh thunder in the heavens, and the Highest uttered his voice, —hail, and live coals of fire.
14 And he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, yea, lightnings, he shot out, and confused 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.
16 He sent from on high, 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:
18 They confronted me, in the day of my necessity, Then became Yahweh my stay:
19 And brought me out, 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;
21 For I had kept the ways of Yahweh, and not broken away from my God;
22 For, all his regulations, were before me, and, his statutes, did I not put from me:
23 So became I blameless 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.
25 With the loving, thou didst show thyself loving, —With the blameless man, thou didst show thyself blameless;
26 With the pure, thou didst show thyself pure, But, with the perverse, thou didst show thyself ready to contend.
27 For, as for thee, an oppressed people, thou didst save, but, looks that were lofty, layedst thou low;
28 For, thou, didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God, enlightened my darkness;
29 For, by thee, I ran through a troop, and, by my God, I leapt 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.
31 For who is a GOD, save Yahweh? And who is a Rock, save our God?
32 The GOD who girded me with strength, and set forth, as blameless, my way:
33 Planting my feet like hinds’ [feet], yea, on my high places, he caused me to stand:
34 Teaching my hands to war, —so that a bow of bronze was bent by mine arms.
35 Thus didst thou grant me, as a shield, thy salvation, —and, thy right hand, sustained me, and, thy condescension, made me great.
36 Thou didst widen my stepping-places under me, so that, mine ankles, faltered not.
37 I pursued my foes, and overtook them, and returned not, till they were consumed:
38 I crushed them, and they were unable to rise, They fell under my feet.
39 Thus didst thou gird me with strength, for the battle, Thou subduedst mine assailants under me.
40 As for my foes, thou didst give me their neck, and, as for them who hated me, I destroyed them.
41 They cried out, but there was none to save, unto Yahweh, 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.
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:
44 At the hearing of the ear, they submitted to me, the sons of the foreigner, came cringing unto me:
45 The sons of the foreigner, lost heart, and came quaking out of their fortresses.
46 Yahweh liveth and, blessed, be my Rock, yea, exalted, be the God of my salvation:
47 The GOD, who hath avenged me, —and subjugated 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.
49 For this cause, will I praise thee among the nations, O Yahweh, and, to thy Name, will I sweep the strings: —
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.
