Psalms 18
1 Yahweh, I love you, the one who enables me to be strong.
To the chief music-maker. Of the servant of the Lord, of David, who said the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord made him free from the hand of all his haters, and from the hand of Saul; and he said, I will give you my love, O Lord, my strength.
2 Yahweh is like an [overhanging] rock [DOU, MET] [under which I can hide from my enemies]; he is like a strong fortress, the one who protects me; he protects me like a shield [MET] [protects a soldier]; he is the one to whom I go (for refuge/to be protected/safe), and he defends me by his great power [IDM].
The Lord is my Rock, my walled town, and my saviour; my God, my Rock, in him will I put my faith; my breastplate, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 I called out to Yahweh, who deserves to be praised, and he rescued me from my enemies.
I will send up my cry to the Lord, who is to be praised; so will I be made safe from those who are against me.
4 All around me were dangerous situations in which I might be killed [PRS]; it was as though there were huge waves [MET] that almost crashed on me and killed me.
The cords of death were round me, and the seas of evil put me in fear.
5 [It was as though] the place where dead people are had ropes that were wrapped around me, or [it was as though] there was a trap [MET] that would [seize and] kill me. (Sheol h7585)
The cords of hell were round me: the nets of death came on me. (Sheol h7585)
6 But when I was very distressed, I called out to Yahweh, and from his temple he heard me. He listened to me when I cried out [for help].
In my trouble my voice went up to the Lord, and my cry to my God: my voice came to his hearing in his holy Temple, and my prayer came before him, even into his ears.
7 Then the earth quaked/shook strongly [DOU]; the mountains shook very strongly from their centers [DOU] because Yahweh was angry.
Then trouble and shock came on the earth; and the bases of the mountains were moved and shaking, because he was angry.
8 [It was as though] smoke poured out from his nostrils, and [as though] burning coals came out of his mouth.
There went up a smoke from his nose, and a fire of destruction from his mouth: flames were lighted by it.
9 He opened the sky and came down with a black cloud under his feet.
The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet.
10 He flew, riding on the back of a creature that had wings, traveling [fast], blown along by the wind.
And he went in flight through the air, seated on a storm-cloud: going quickly on the wings of the wind.
11 Darkness was all around him [like a blanket] [MET]; dark clouds, full of moisture, covered him [MET].
He made the dark his secret place; his tent round him was the dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 Hailstones and flashes of lightning were around him; hail and burning coals fell from the sky.
Before his shining light his dark clouds went past, raining ice and fire.
13 Then Yahweh [spoke in a loud voice] from the sky, and [his enemies] heard his voice that sounded like thunder.
The Lord made thunder in the heavens, and the voice of the Highest was sounding out: a rain of ice and fire.
14 He shot his arrows at them and caused them to scatter; His flashes of lightning caused them to become very confused (OR, to run away).
He sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled.
15 The bottom of the ocean became visible, and the foundations of the earth were uncovered, when Yahweh rebuked his enemies when he snorted.
Then the deep beds of the waters were seen, and the bases of the world were uncovered, because of your words of wrath, O Lord, because of the breath from your mouth.
16 [It was as though] he reached down from heaven and grabbed me and pulled me up out of the deep ocean.
He sent from on high, he took me, pulling me out of great waters.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemies who hated me; they were very strong, with the result that I [could not defeat them].
He made me free from my strong hater, and from those who were against me, because they were stronger than I.
18 When I (was distressed/had troubles), they attacked me, but Yahweh defended/protected me.
They came on me in the day of my trouble; but the Lord was my support.
19 He led me to a place where I was safe; he rescued me because he was pleased with me.
He took me out into a wide place; he was my saviour because he had delight in me.
20 Yahweh has rewarded me because I do what is right; he has blessed me because I (am innocent/have not done things that are wrong).
The Lord gives me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean before him.
21 I have obeyed Yahweh’s laws; I have not abandoned him.
For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not been turned away in sin from my God.
22 My behavior was directed by his rules; I have not stopped obeying them.
For all his decisions were before me, and I did not put away his laws from me.
23 He knows that I have not done what is wrong; I have kept myself from sinning.
And I was upright before him, and I kept myself from sin.
24 So he rewards me because I do what is right; he knows that I [SYN] have not committed sins.
Because of this the Lord has given me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean in his eyes.
25 Yahweh, you are faithful to those who faithfully [do what you tell them to do]; you always do what is good/right to those who do what you want them to do.
On him who has mercy you will have mercy; to the upright you will be upright;
26 You are kind to those who are kind to others, but you act wisely toward those who (act perversely/do bad things).
He who is holy will see that you are holy; but to the man whose way is not straight you will be a hard judge.
27 You save those who are humble, but you cause those who are proud to be humiliated/ashamed.
For you are the saviour of those who are in trouble; but eyes full of pride will be made low.
28 You give light to my [soul/spirit]; you take away the darkness of my soul.
You, O Lord, will be my light; by you, my God, the dark will be made bright for me.
29 You enable me to be strong, with the result that I can run and attack a line of enemy soldiers; with your help I can (scale/climb up) the walls [that surround my enemies’ cities].
By your help I have made a way through the wall which was shutting me in; by the help of my God I have gone over a wall.
30 Everything that Yahweh my God does is perfect. We can depend on him to do what he promises. He is like a shield [MET] to protect all those who go to him for refuge.
As for God, his way is completely good; the word of the Lord is tested; he is a breastplate for all those who put their faith in him.
31 Yahweh is [RHQ] the only one who is God; only he is like an [overhanging] rock [under which we can be safe].
For who is God but the Lord? or who is a Rock but our God?
32 God is the one who enables me to be strong and who keeps me safe on the roads that I walk on.
God puts a strong band about me, guiding me in a straight way.
33 He enables me to [walk swiftly without stumbling], like a deer walks/runs in the mountains.
He makes my feet like roes' feet, and puts me on high places.
34 He teaches me how to use a strong/metal bow in order that I can use it to fight in battles.
He makes my hands expert in war, so that a bow of brass is bent by my arms.
35 Yahweh, you protect and save me with your shield; you have made me safe by your power [MTY]. I have become (strong/a great [king]) because you have helped me.
You have given me the breastplate of your salvation: your right hand has been my support, and your mercy has made me great.
36 You have cleared the road for me, with the result that now I do not slip/stumble.
You have made my steps wide under me, so that my feet are kept from slipping.
37 I have pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until I had defeated/killed them all.
I go after my haters and overtake them; not turning back till they are all overcome.
38 When I strike them, they are not able to get up again; they lie on the ground, defeated.
I will give them wounds, so that they are not able to get up: they are stretched under my feet.
39 You have enabled me to be strong in order that I can fight battles and defeat my enemies.
For I have been armed by you with strength for the fight: you have made low under me those who come out against me.
40 You caused my enemies to run away (OR, you enabled me to put my foot on my enemies’ necks [after I captured them and forced them to lie on the ground]); I have gotten rid of all those who hated me.
By you their backs are turned in flight, so that my haters are cut off.
41 They called out for someone to help them, but no one saved them.
They were crying out, but there was no one to come to their help: even to the Lord, but he gave them no answer.
42 I pulverize them, with the result that they become like [MET] the dust that the wind [blows away]; I throw them out like [SIM] [people throw] dirt out into the streets.
Then they were crushed as small as dust before the wind; they were drained out like the waste of the streets.
43 You enabled me to defeat those who fought against me, and appointed me to be the ruler of [many]; people whom I did not know about previously are now slaves [in my kingdom].
You have made me free from the fightings of the people; you have made me the head of the nations: a people of whom I had no knowledge will be my servants.
44 When foreigners hear about me, they (cringe/bow low before me) and they obey me.
From the time when my name comes to their ears they will be ruled by me: men of other countries will, with false hearts, put themselves under my authority.
45 They are no longer courageous, and from their forts [where they were hiding] they come [to me] trembling.
They will be wasting away, they will come out of their secret places shaking with fear.
46 Yahweh is alive! Praise the one who is like an [overhanging] rock [MET] [under which I am safe] Exalt the God who saves me!
The Lord is living; praise be to my Rock, and let the God of my salvation be honoured.
47 He enables me to get revenge on my enemies; he causes me to defeat nations and to rule over them,
It is God who sends punishment on my haters, and puts peoples under my rule.
48 and he rescues me from my enemies. He has lifted me up high so that violent men could not reach me [and harm me].
He makes me free from my haters; I am lifted up over those who come up against me: you have made me free from the violent man.
49 So I praise him [and I tell] the nations [the great things that he has done].
Because of this I will give you praise, O Lord, among the nations, and will make a song of praise to your name.
50 He has enabled me, his king, to powerfully defeat my enemies; he faithfully loves me, David, the one he has chosen [to be king], and he will faithfully love my descendants forever.
Great salvation does he give to his king; he has mercy on the king of his selection, David, and on his seed for ever.
