Psalms 18
1 Yahweh, I love you, the one who enables me to be strong.
I 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].
Jehovah is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I trust; My shield, my strong defence, and my high tower.
3 I called out to Yahweh, who deserves to be praised, and he rescued me from my enemies.
I called upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, And was delivered 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 snares of death encompassed me; The floods of destruction filled me with dismay;
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 snares of the underworld surrounded me, And the nets of death seized upon 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 distress I called upon the LORD, And cried unto my God; He heard my voice from his palace, And my cry came before him 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 quaked and trembled; The foundations of the mountains rocked and were shaken, Because his wrath was kindled.
8 [It was as though] smoke poured out from his nostrils, and [as though] burning coals came out of his mouth.
A smoke went up from his nostrils, And fire from his mouth devoured; Burning coals shot forth from him.
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 rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11 Darkness was all around him [like a blanket] [MET]; dark clouds, full of moisture, covered him [MET].
And he made darkness his covering; His pavilion round about him was 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.
At the brightness before him, his thick clouds passed away; Then came hailstones 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 Most High uttered his voice, Amid hailstones 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).
He sent forth his arrows, and scattered them; Continual lightnings, and discomfited 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 channels of the deep were seen, And the foundations of the earth were laid bare At thy rebuke, O LORD! At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 [It was as though] he reached down from heaven and grabbed me and pulled me up out of the deep ocean.
He stretched forth his hand from above; he took me, And drew me out of deep 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 strong enemy; From my adversaries, who were too powerful for me.
18 When I (was distressed/had troubles), they attacked me, but Yahweh defended/protected me.
They fell upon me in the day of my calamity; But the LORD was my stay.
19 He led me to a place where I was safe; he rescued me because he was pleased with me.
He brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted 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 hath rewarded me according to my righteous; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
21 I have obeyed Yahweh’s laws; I have not abandoned him.
For I have kept the ways 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 laws were in my sight; I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 He knows that I have not done what is wrong; I have kept myself from sinning.
I was upright before him, And kept myself from iniquity.
24 So he rewards me because I do what is right; he knows that I [SYN] have not committed sins.
Therefore hath the LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness, 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.
To the merciful thou showest thyself merciful; To the upright thou showest thyself upright;
26 You are kind to those who are kind to others, but you act wisely toward those who (act perversely/do bad things).
To the pure thou showest thyself pure, And to the perverse thou showest thyself perverse.
27 You save those who are humble, but you cause those who are proud to be humiliated/ashamed.
For thou savest the afflicted people, But the haughty countenance thou bringest down.
28 You give light to my [soul/spirit]; you take away the darkness of my soul.
Thou causest my lamp to shine; Jehovah, my God, enlighteneth 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 through thee I have broken through troops; Through my God I have leaped over walls.
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.
The ways of God are just and true; His word is pure, tried in the fire; He is a shield to all who put their 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].
Who, then, is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, save 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 girded me with strength, And made my way plain.
33 He enables me to [walk swiftly without stumbling], like a deer walks/runs in the mountains.
He made my feet like the hind's, And set me in my 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 taught my hands to war, So that my arm bent the bow of brass.
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.
Thou gavest me the shield of thy protection; Thy right hand held me up, And thy goodness made me great.
36 You have cleared the road for me, with the result that now I do not slip/stumble.
Thou didst make a wide path for my steps, So that my feet did not stumble.
37 I have pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until I had defeated/killed them all.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them, And turned not back till I had destroyed them.
38 When I strike them, they are not able to get up again; they lie on the ground, defeated.
I smote them, so that they could not rise; They fell under my feet.
39 You have enabled me to be strong in order that I can fight battles and defeat my enemies.
Thou didst gird me with strength for the battle; Thou didst cast down my adversaries under 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.
Thou didst cause my enemies to turn their backs, So that I 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 help; To Jehovah, but he answered 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.
I beat them small, like dust before the wind; I cast them out as the dirt 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].
Thou hast delivered me from the assaults of the nations; Thou hast made me the head of the kingdoms. Nations whom I knew not serve me;
44 When foreigners hear about me, they (cringe/bow low before me) and they obey me.
They who have only heard of me obey me; Yea, men of a strange land submit themselves to me;
45 They are no longer courageous, and from their forts [where they were hiding] they come [to me] trembling.
Men of a strange land fade away, like a leaf, And come trembling from their strongholds.
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!
Jehovah is the living God; blessed be my rock; Exalted be the God of my salvation!
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 hath given me vengeance, And 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].
He delivered me from my enemies; Yea, thou hast lifted me up above my adversaries; Thou hast saved me from the violent man!
49 So I praise him [and I tell] the nations [the great things that he has done].
Therefore I will give thanks to thee, O LORD! among the nations, And sing praises 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.
Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth mercy to his anointed, —To David and to his posterity for ever.
