Psalms 18
1 Yahweh, I love you, the one who enables me to be strong.
For the end, [a Psalm] of David, the servant of the Lord; [the words] which he spoke to the Lord, [even] the words of this Song, in the day in which the Lord delivered him out the hand of all his enemies, and out the hand of Saul: and he said: I will love you, 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 firm support, and my refuge, and my deliverer; my God is my helper, I will hope in him; [he is] my defender, and the horn of my salvation, and my helper.
3 I called out to Yahweh, who deserves to be praised, and he rescued me from my enemies.
I will call upon the Lord with praises, and I shall be saved from mine 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 pangs of death compassed me, and the torrents of ungodliness troubled me exceedingly.
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 pangs of hell came round about me: 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].
And when I was afflicted I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: he heard my voice out of this holy temple, and my cry shall enter 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 the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains were disturbed, and were shaken, because God 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 fire burst into a flame at his presence: coals were kindled at it.
9 He opened the sky and came down with a black cloud under his feet.
And he bowed the heaven, and came down: and thick 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 mounted on cherubs and flew: he flew on the wings of winds.
11 Darkness was all around him [like a blanket] [MET]; dark clouds, full of moisture, covered him [MET].
And he made darkness his secret place: round about him was his tabernacle, [even] dark water 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 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.
The Lord also thundered from heaven, and the Highest uttered his voice.
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] weapons, and scattered them; and multiplied lightnings, and routed 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.
And the springs of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath of your 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, he drew me to himself 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 will deliver me from my mighty enemies, and from them that hate me; for they are stronger than I.
18 When I (was distressed/had troubles), they attacked me, but Yahweh defended/protected me.
They prevented me in the day of mine affliction: but the Lord was my stay against [them].
19 He led me to a place where I was safe; he rescued me because he was pleased with me.
And he brought me out into a wide place: he will deliver me, because he has pleasure 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).
And the Lord will recompense me according to my righteousness; even according to the purity of my hands will he recompense me.
21 I have obeyed Yahweh’s laws; I have not abandoned him.
For I have kept the way of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 My behavior was directed by his rules; I have not stopped obeying them.
For all his judgments were before me, and his ordinances departed not from me.
23 He knows that I have not done what is wrong; I have kept myself from sinning.
And I shall be blameless with hem, and shall keep myself from mine iniquity.
24 So he rewards me because I do what is right; he knows that I [SYN] have not committed sins.
And the Lord shall recompense me according to my righteousness, and according to the purity 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 you will be holy; and with the innocent man you will 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 excellent [man] you will be excellent; and with the perverse you will show frowardness.
27 You save those who are humble, but you cause those who are proud to be humiliated/ashamed.
For you will save the lowly people, and will humble the eyes of the proud.
28 You give light to my [soul/spirit]; you take away the darkness of my soul.
For you, O Lord, will light my lamp: my God, you will lighten 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 you shall I be delivered from a troop; and by my God I will pass 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 perfect: the oracles of the Lord are tried in the fire; he is a protector of all them that hope 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? and who is a God except 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.
[It is] God that girds me with strength, and has made my way blameless:
33 He enables me to [walk swiftly without stumbling], like a deer walks/runs in the mountains.
who strengthens my feet as hart's feet, and sets 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.
He instructs my hands for war: and you have made my arms [as] 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 you have made me secure in my salvation: and your right hand has helped me, and your correction has upheld me to the end; yes, your correction itself shall instruct me.
36 You have cleared the road for me, with the result that now I do not slip/stumble.
You has made room for my goings under me, and by footsteps did not fail.
37 I have pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until I had defeated/killed them all.
I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them; and I will not turn back until they are consumed.
38 When I strike them, they are not able to get up again; they lie on the ground, defeated.
I will dash them to pieces 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.
For you have girded me with strength for war: you have beaten down under me all 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 you has made mine enemies turn their backs before me; and you have destroyed them that hated me.
41 They called out for someone to help them, but no one saved them.
They cried, but there was no deliverer: [even] to the Lord, but he listened not to them.
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.
I will grind them as the mud of the streets: and I will beat them small as dust before the wind.
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].
Deliver me from the gain sayings of the people: you shall make me head of the Gentiles: a people whom I knew not served me,
44 When foreigners hear about me, they (cringe/bow low before me) and they obey me.
at the hearing of the ear they obeyed me: the strange children lied to me.
45 They are no longer courageous, and from their forts [where they were hiding] they come [to me] trembling.
The strange children waxed old, and fell away from their paths through lameness.
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 lives; 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,
[It is] God that avenges me, and has subdued the nations under me;
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].
my deliverer from angry enemies: you shall set me on high above them that rise up against me: you shall deliver me from the unrighteous man.
49 So I praise him [and I tell] the nations [the great things that he has done].
Therefore will I confess to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing 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.
[God] magnifies the deliverances of his king; and deals mercifully with David his anointed, and his seed, for ever.
