Psalms 18
1 For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, I love you, LORD, my strength.
I will love thee, O Yhwh, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
Yhwh is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies.
I will call upon Yhwh, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. (Sheol h7585)
6 In my distress I called on the LORD, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears.
In my distress I called upon Yhwh, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
8 Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire.
At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13 The LORD also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire.
Yhwh also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts.
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 Then the channels of waters appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Yhwh, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.
He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18 They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: But Yhwh was my stay.
19 He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands, he has recompensed me.
Yhwh rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For I have kept the ways of Yhwh, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his ordinances were before me. I didn’t put away his statutes from me.
For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
Therefore hath Yhwh recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.
With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
26 With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt shew thyself contrary.
27 For you will save the afflicted people, but the arrogant eyes you will bring down.
For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
28 For you will light my lamp, LORD. My God will light up my darkness.
For thou wilt light my candle: Yhwh my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.
For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect. The LORD’s word is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
As for God, his way is perfect: the word of Yhwh is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 For who is God, except the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God,
For who is God save Yhwh? or who is a rock save our God?
32 the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places.
He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
36 You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
37 I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed.
I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
38 I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet.
I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
39 For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
41 They cried, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them.
They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto Yhwh, but he answered them not.
42 Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets.
Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
45 The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
46 The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
Yhwh liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
48 He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.
He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name.
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Yhwh, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
50 He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.
Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
