Psalms 18
1 Yahweh, I love you, the one who enables me to be strong.
Unto the end, for David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. I will love thee, 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 firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector and the horn of my salvation, and my support.
3 I called out to Yahweh, who deserves to be praised, and he rescued me from my enemies.
Praising I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies.
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 sorrows of death surrounded me: and the torrents of iniquity troubled me.
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 sorrows of hell encompassed me: and the snares of death prevented 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 affliction I called upon the Lord, and I cried to my God: And he heard my voice from his holy temple: and my cry before him came into his ears.
7 Then the earth quaked/shook strongly [DOU]; the mountains shook very strongly from their centers [DOU] because Yahweh was angry.
The earth shook and trembled: the foundations of the mountains were troubled and were moved, because he was angry with them.
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 in his wrath: and a fire flamed from his face: coals were kindled by it.
9 He opened the sky and came down with a black cloud under his feet.
He bowed the heavens, and came down: and darkness was 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 ascended upon the cherubim, and he flew; he flew upon the wings of the winds.
11 Darkness was all around him [like a blanket] [MET]; dark clouds, full of moisture, covered him [MET].
And he made darkness his covert, his pavilion round about him: dark waters in the clouds of the air.
12 Hailstones and flashes of lightning were around him; hail and burning coals fell from the sky.
At the brightness that was before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire.
13 Then Yahweh [spoke in a loud voice] from the sky, and [his enemies] heard his voice that sounded like thunder.
And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the highest gave his voice: hail and coals of 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).
And he sent forth his arrows, and he scattered them: he multiplied lightnings, and troubled them.
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 fountains of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were discovered: At thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the spirit of thy wrath.
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, and took me: and received me out of many 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 delivered me from my strongest enemies, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18 When I (was distressed/had troubles), they attacked me, but Yahweh defended/protected me.
They prevented me in the day of my affliction: and the Lord became my protector.
19 He led me to a place where I was safe; he rescued me because he was pleased with me.
And he brought me forth into a large place: he saved me, because he was well pleased with 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).
And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and will repay me according to the cleanness of my hands:
21 I have obeyed Yahweh’s laws; I have not abandoned him.
Because I have kept the ways of the Lord; and have not done wickedly against my God.
22 My behavior was directed by his rules; I have not stopped obeying them.
For till his judgments are in my sight: and his justices I have not put away from me.
23 He knows that I have not done what is wrong; I have kept myself from sinning.
And I shall be spotless with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity.
24 So he rewards me because I do what is right; he knows that I [SYN] have not committed sins.
And the Lord will reward me according to my justice; and according to the cleanness of my hands before 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.
With the holy, thou wilt be holy; and with the innocent man thou wilt be innocent.
26 You are kind to those who are kind to others, but you act wisely toward those who (act perversely/do bad things).
And with the elect thou wilt be elect: and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted.
27 You save those who are humble, but you cause those who are proud to be humiliated/ashamed.
For thou wilt save the humble people; but wilt bring down the eyes of the proud.
28 You give light to my [soul/spirit]; you take away the darkness of my soul.
For thou lightest my lamp, O Lord: O my God enlighten my darkness.
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].
For by thee I shall be delivered from temptation; and through my God I shall go 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 my God, his way is undefiled: the words of the Lord are fire tried: he is the protector of all that trust 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 God 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 who hath girt me with strength; and made my way blameless.
33 He enables me to [walk swiftly without stumbling], like a deer walks/runs in the mountains.
Who hath made my feet like the feet of harts: and who setteth me upon high places.
34 He teaches me how to use a strong/metal bow in order that I can use it to fight in battles.
Who teacheth my hands to war: and thou hast made my arms like a brazen bow.
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.
And thou hast given me the protection of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath held me up: And thy discipline hath corrected me unto the end: and thy discipline, the same shall teach me.
36 You have cleared the road for me, with the result that now I do not slip/stumble.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; and my feet are not weakened.
37 I have pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until I had defeated/killed them all.
I will pursue after my enemies, and overtake them: and I will not turn again till they are consumed.
38 When I strike them, they are not able to get up again; they lie on the ground, defeated.
I will break them, and they shall not be able to stand: they shall fall under my feet.
39 You have enabled me to be strong in order that I can fight battles and defeat my enemies.
And thou hast girded me with strength unto battle; and hast subdued under me them that rose up 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.
And thou hast made my enemies turn their back upon me, and hast destroyed them that hated me.
41 They called out for someone to help them, but no one saved them.
They cried, but there was none to save them, to the Lord: but he heard them not.
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.
And I shall beat them as small as the dust before the wind; I shall bring them to nought, like the dirt in 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].
Thou wilt deliver me from the contradictions of the people: thou wilt make me head of the Gentiles.
44 When foreigners hear about me, they (cringe/bow low before me) and they obey me.
A people, which I knew not, hath served me: at the hearing of the ear they have obeyed me.
45 They are no longer courageous, and from their forts [where they were hiding] they come [to me] trembling.
The children that are strangers have lied to me, strange children have faded away, and have halted from their paths.
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 liveth, and blessed be my God, and let the God of my salvation be exalted:
47 He enables me to get revenge on my enemies; he causes me to defeat nations and to rule over them,
O God, who avengest me, and subduest the people under me, my deliverer from my enemies.
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].
And thou wilt lift me up above them that rise up against me: from the unjust man thou wilt deliver me.
49 So I praise him [and I tell] the nations [the great things that he has done].
Therefore will I give glory to thee, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing a psalm to thy 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.
Giving great deliverance to his king, and shewing mercy to David his anointed: and to his seed for ever.
