Psalms 18
1 Yahweh, I love you, the one who enables me to be strong.
For the leader. Of David, the servant of the Lord, who recited the words of this song to the Lord after the Lord had saved him from the power of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I 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 rock, my fortress, deliverer, my God, my rock, where I take refuge, my shield, my defender, my tower.
3 I called out to Yahweh, who deserves to be praised, and he rescued me from my enemies.
Worthy of praise is the Lord whom I call on, he rescues me from all my foes.
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 waves of death broke about me, fearful floods of chaos.
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)
Sheol threw cords around me, snares of death came to meet 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 distress I cried to the Lord, and shouted for help to my God; in his temple he heard my voice, into his ears came my cry.
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, mountains trembled to their foundations, and quaked because of his wrath.
8 [It was as though] smoke poured out from his nostrils, and [as though] burning coals came out of his mouth.
Smoke went up from his nostrils, devouring fire from his mouth, coals were kindled by it.
9 He opened the sky and came down with a black cloud under his feet.
Then he bent the sky and came down, 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.
He rode on a cherub and flew, darting on wings of wind,
11 Darkness was all around him [like a blanket] [MET]; dark clouds, full of moisture, covered him [MET].
with his screen of darkness about him, in thick dark clouds of water.
12 Hailstones and flashes of lightning were around him; hail and burning coals fell from the sky.
At the radiance before him there passed 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 thundered from heaven, the Most High 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).
He shot his arrows and scattered them, flashed 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.
The channels of the sea were revealed, the world was laid bare to its base, at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your 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 from on high, he seized me, drew me up from the mighty 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].
and saved me from those who hated me – fierce foes, too mighty for me.
18 When I (was distressed/had troubles), they attacked me, but Yahweh defended/protected me.
In my day of distress they assailed me, but the Lord proved my support.
19 He led me to a place where I was safe; he rescued me because he was pleased with me.
To a spacious place he brought me, and, for love of me, he saved 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 repays my innocence, he rewards my cleanness of hands.
21 I have obeyed Yahweh’s laws; I have not abandoned him.
For I kept the ways of the Lord, nor have wickedly strayed from my God.
22 My behavior was directed by his rules; I have not stopped obeying them.
His commandments were all before me, his statutes I put not away.
23 He knows that I have not done what is wrong; I have kept myself from sinning.
And I was blameless before him, guarding myself from sin.
24 So he rewards me because I do what is right; he knows that I [SYN] have not committed sins.
So the Lord repaid my innocence, my cleanness of hands in his sight.
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 loyal you are loyal, and with the blameless blameless.
26 You are kind to those who are kind to others, but you act wisely toward those who (act perversely/do bad things).
With the pure you show yourself pure, but shrewd with the devious.
27 You save those who are humble, but you cause those who are proud to be humiliated/ashamed.
For the lowly people you save, but haughty eyes you abase.
28 You give light to my [soul/spirit]; you take away the darkness of my soul.
You are my lamp, Lord, my God who enlightens 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].
With you I can storm a rampart, with my God I can leap 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 perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. He is shield to all who take refuge 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 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.
The God who arms me with strength, who cleared and smoothed my way.
33 He enables me to [walk swiftly without stumbling], like a deer walks/runs in the mountains.
He made my feet like hinds’ feet, and set me up on the heights.
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 how to fight, and my arms how to bend a bronze 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.
The shield of your help you gave me, your right hand supports me, you stoop down to make me great.
36 You have cleared the road for me, with the result that now I do not slip/stumble.
In your strength I took giant strides, and my feet never slipped.
37 I have pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until I had defeated/killed them all.
So I chased the foe till I caught them, and turned not, till I made an end of them.
38 When I strike them, they are not able to get up again; they lie on the ground, defeated.
I smashed them, they could not rise, they fell beneath my feet.
39 You have enabled me to be strong in order that I can fight battles and defeat my enemies.
You did arm me with strength for war, you did bow my assailants beneath 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.
You made my foes turn their back to me, and those who did hate me I finished.
41 They called out for someone to help them, but no one saved them.
They cried for help, but none saved them; to the Lord, 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 like dust of the market-place, stamped them like mud 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].
From the strife of the peoples you saved me, you made me head of the nations, peoples I knew not did serve me.
44 When foreigners hear about me, they (cringe/bow low before me) and they obey me.
On the instant they hear, they obey me, foreigners come to me cringing.
45 They are no longer courageous, and from their forts [where they were hiding] they come [to me] trembling.
Foreigners lose courage, and come out of their strongholds trembling.
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 alive! Blest be my rock! Exalted be God, my protector!
47 He enables me to get revenge on my enemies; he causes me to defeat nations and to rule over them,
The God who gave me revenge, and brought down nations beneath 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].
who saved me from angry foes, and set me above my assailants, safe from the violent.
49 So I praise him [and I tell] the nations [the great things that he has done].
For this I will praise you among the nations, making music, O Lord, 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.
for great triumphs he grants to his king, and faithful love he shows his anointed, to David and his seed evermore.
