Psalms 18
1 For the chief musician. A psalm of David, the servant of Yahweh, when he sang to Yahweh the words of this song on the day that Yahweh rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He sang: I love you, Yahweh, my strength.
Ngizakuthanda, Nkosi, mandla ami.
2 Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, the one who brings me to safety; he is my God, my rock; I take refuge in him. He is my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my stronghold.
INkosi ilidwala lami, lenqaba yami, lomkhululi wami; uNkulunkulu wami, idwala lami, engizaphephela kulo, isihlangu sami, lophondo losindiso lwami, inqaba yami ephakemeyo.
3 I will call on Yahweh who is worthy to be praised, and I will be saved from my enemies.
Ngizabiza iNkosi edumisekayo, ngakho ngizasindiswa ezitheni zami.
4 The cords of death surrounded me, and the rushing waters of worthlessness overwhelmed me.
Izibopho zokufa zangizingelezela, lezikhukhula zobubi zangethusa.
Izibopho zesihogo zangigombolozela, imijibila yokufa yayiphambi kwami. (Sheol h7585)
6 In my distress I called to Yahweh; I called for help to my God. He heard my voice from his temple; my call for help went into his presence; it went into his ears.
Ekuhluphekeni kwami ngayibiza iNkosi, ngakhala kuNkulunkulu wami; walizwa ilizwi lami esethempelini lakhe, lokukhala kwami kweza phambi kwakhe, endlebeni zakhe.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the mountains also trembled and were shaken because God was angry.
Khona umhlaba wazamazama, wanyikinyeka, lezisekelo zezintaba zaqhaqhazela, zazamazama, ngoba wayethukuthele.
8 Smoke went up from out of his nostrils, and blazing fire came out of his mouth. Coals were ignited by it.
Kwenyuka intuthu emakhaleni akhe, lomlilo ophuma emlonyeni wakhe waqothula; amalahle avuthiswa yiwo.
9 He opened the heavens and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.
Wasekhothamisa amazulu, wehlela phansi, lomnyama onzima wawungaphansi kwenyawo zakhe.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew; he glided on the wings of the wind.
Wasegada ikherubhi, waphapha, wandiza phezu kwempiko zomoya.
11 He made darkness a tent around him, heavy rainclouds in the skies.
Wamisa umnyama waba yindawo yakhe yensitha, idumba lakhe inhlangothi zonke zakhe, amanzi amnyama, amayezi amnyama omkhathi.
12 Hailstones and coals of fire fell from the lightning before him.
Ekukhazimuleni okuphambi kwakhe amayezi akhe amnyama edlula, isiqhotho lamalahle omlilo.
13 Yahweh thundered in the heavens! The voice of the Most High shouted.
INkosi yasiduma emazulwini, oPhezukonke wazwakalisa ilizwi lakhe, isiqhotho lamalahle omlilo.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; many lightning bolts dispersed them.
Yasithuma imitshoko yayo, yabachitha; lemibane eminengi, yabaphaphathekisa.
15 Then the water channels appeared; the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
Khona kwabonakala imisele yamanzi, kwembulwa izisekelo zomhlaba ekusoleni kwakho, Nkosi, ekuvutheleni komoya wamakhala akho.
16 He reached down from above; he took hold of me! He pulled me out of the surging water.
Yathuma iphezulu, yangibamba, yangenyula emanzini amanengi.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
Yangophula esitheni sami esilamandla, lakibo abangizondayo, ngoba babelamandla kulami.
18 They came against me on the day of my distress but Yahweh was my support!
Babephambi kwami osukwini lwenhlupheko yami, kodwa iNkosi yaba yisisekelo sami.
19 He set me free in a wide open place; he saved me because he was pleased with me.
Yangikhuphela endaweni ebanzi, yangikhulula ngoba yayithokoza ngami.
20 Yahweh has rewarded me because of my righteousness; he has restored me because my hands were clean.
INkosi yangivuza njengokulunga kwami; yangibuyisela njengokuhlanzeka kwezandla zami.
21 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh and have not wickedly turned away from my God.
Ngoba ngizilondolozile indlela zeNkosi, kangisukanga kuNkulunkulu wami ngenkohlakalo.
22 For all his righteous decrees have been before me; as for his statutes, I have not turned away from them.
Ngoba zonke izahlulelo zayo zaziphambi kwami, lezimiso zayo kangiziphambulanga kimi.
23 I have also been innocent before him, and I have kept myself from sin.
Njalo ngangiqondile kuyo, ngizinqandile ebubini bami.
24 Therefore Yahweh has restored me because of my righteousness, because my hands were clean before his eyes.
Ngakho iNkosi ingibuyisele njengokulunga kwami, njengokuhlanzeka kwezandla zami phambi kwamehlo ayo.
25 To anyone who is faithful, you show yourself to be faithful; to a man who is blameless, you show yourself to be blameless.
Kolesihawu uzaziveza ulesihawu; koqotho uzaziveza uqotho;
26 To anyone who is pure, you show yourself pure; but you are clever toward anyone who is twisted.
kohlanzekileyo uzaziveza uhlanzekile; lakophambukileyo uzaziveza uphambukile.
27 For you save afflicted people, but you bring down those with proud, uplifted eyes!
Ngoba wena uzabasindisa abantu abahlutshwayo; kodwa amehlo aphakemeyo uzawehlisela phansi.
28 For you give light to my lamp; Yahweh my God lights up my darkness.
Ngoba wena uzalumathisa isibane sami; iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wami, izakhanyisa ubumnyama bami.
29 For by you I can run over a barricade; by my God I can leap over a wall.
Ngoba ngawe ngigijimile ngadabula phakathi kwebutho, langoNkulunkulu wami ngeqe umthangala.
30 As for God—his way is perfect! The word of Yahweh is pure! He is a shield to everyone who takes refuge in him.
UNkulunkulu, indlela yakhe iphelele; ilizwi leNkosi lihloliwe; uyisihlangu kubo bonke abaphephela kuye.
31 For who is God except Yahweh? Who is a rock except our God?
Ngoba ngubani onguNkulunkulu ngaphandle kweNkosi? Njalo ngubani olidwala ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu wethu?
32 It is God who puts strength on me like a belt, who places the blameless person on his path.
NguNkulunkulu ongibhincisa amandla, owenza indlela yami iphelele.
33 He makes my feet swift like a deer and places me on the heights!
Owenza inyawo zami zibe njengezezimpala, wangimisa ezingqongeni zami.
34 He trains my hands for war and my arms to bend a bow of bronze.
Ofundisela izandla zami impi, ukuze idandili lethusi ligotshiswe zingalo zami.
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand has supported me, and your favor has made me great.
Unginikile lesihlangu sosindiso lwakho, lesandla sakho sokunene singisekele, lobumnene bakho bungikhulisile.
36 You have made a wide place for my feet beneath me so that my feet have not slipped.
Wenze zaba banzi izinyathelo zami ngaphansi kwami, ukuze inyawo zami zingatsheleli.
37 I pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not turn back until they were destroyed.
Ngixotshene lezitha zami, ngazifica, kangibuyanga ngaze ngaziqeda.
38 I smashed them so that they were unable to rise; they have fallen under my feet.
Ngazigwaza, zaze zehluleka ukuvuka, zawa ngaphansi kwenyawo zami.
39 For you put strength on me like a belt for battle; you put under me those who rise up against me.
Ngoba ungibhincise amandla kusenzelwa impi, wabakhothamisela phansi kwami abangivukelayo.
40 You gave me the back of my enemies' necks; I annihilated those who hated me.
Unginike intamo yezitha zami, labo abangizondayo ngababhubhisa.
41 They called for help, but no one saved them; they called out to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
Bakhala, kodwa engekho umsindisi; eNkosini, kodwa kayibaphendulanga.
42 I beat them into fine pieces like dust before the wind; I threw them out like mud in the streets.
Ngasengibacholisisa njengothuli phambi komoya, ngabachitha njengodaka lwezitalada.
43 You rescued me from the disputes of people. You have made me the head over nations. People that I have not known serve me.
Wangikhulula ekuphikiseni kwabantu, wangimisa ngaba yinhloko yezizwe; abantu engangingabazi bangisebenzela.
44 As soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me; foreigners were forced to bow to me.
Bangenela ukuzwa ngendlebe bazangilalela, abezizweni bazazithoba kimi ngokuzenzisa.
45 The foreigners came trembling out of their strongholds.
Abezizweni bazabuna, baphume ezinqabeni zabo bethuthumela.
46 Yahweh lives; may my rock be praised. May the God of my salvation be exalted.
INkosi iyaphila; njalo kalidunyiswe idwala lami, kaphakanyiswe uNkulunkulu wosindiso lwami.
47 He is the God who executes vengeance for me, who subdues the nations under me.
UNkulunkulu onginika impindiselo, lowehlisela izizwe ngaphansi kwami;
48 I am set free from my enemies! Indeed, you lifted me above the ones who rose against me! You rescued me from violent men.
ongikhulula ezitheni zami; yebo, phezu kwabangivukelayo wangiphakamisa, emuntwini wodlakela wangikhulula.
49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name!
Ngenxa yalokhu ngizakudumisa, Nkosi, phakathi kwezizwe, ngihlabelele ibizo lakho indumiso.
50 God gives great victory to his king, and he shows his covenant loyalty to his anointed one, to David and to his descendants forever.
Iyanika inkosi yayo usindiso olukhulu, isenzela ogcotshiweyo wayo umusa, kuDavida, lenzalweni yakhe kuze kube nininini.
