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.
To the chief Musician. Of the servant of Yahweh, of David, —who spake unto Yahweh the words of this song, —in the day when Yahweh had rescued him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul; and he said: — I will love thee, O Yahweh 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.
Yahweh, was my mountain crag and my stronghold, and my deliverer: My GOD, was my rock, I sought refuge in him, My shield, and my horn of salvation, my high tower.
3 I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies.
As one worthy to be praised, called I on Yahweh, —And, from my foes, was I saved.
4 The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The meshes of death encompassed me, The torrents of perdition, made me afraid;
The meshes of hades, had surrounded me, The snares of death, had confronted 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, called I on Yahweh, And, unto my God, made outcry for help, He heard, out of his temple, my voice, And my outcry for help came before him—entered 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 did the earth shake and quake, Even, the foundations of the mountains, were deeply moved, Yea they did shake, because he was angry.
8 Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
There went up smoke in his nostrils, and, a fire out of his mouth, devoured, Live coals, were kindled from it:
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
Then he stretched out the heaven, and came down, —and, thick gloom, was under his feet;
10 He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
Then he rode on a cherub, and flew, and darted on the wings of the wind;
11 He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
Made darkness his hiding-place, Round about him—his pavilion, Darkness of waters, clouds of vapours.
12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire.
Out of the brightness before him, his clouds rolled along, hail, and live coals of fire.
13 The LORD also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire.
Then did Yahweh thunder in the heavens, and the Highest uttered his voice, —hail, and live coals of fire.
14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts.
And he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, yea, lightnings, he shot out, and confused 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 appeared the channels of waters, were uncovered the foundations of the world, —At thy rebuke O Yahweh, 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 on high, 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 rescued me from my foe, in his might, and from them who hated me, because they were too strong for me:
18 They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
They confronted me, in the day of my necessity, Then became Yahweh my stay:
19 He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
And brought me out, 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.
Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, he repaid me;
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For I had kept the ways of Yahweh, and not broken away from my God;
22 For all his ordinances were before me. I didn’t put away his statutes from me.
For, all his regulations, were before me, and, his statutes, did I not put from me:
23 I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
So became I blameless with him, and 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.
Yahweh therefore repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the pureness of my hands, before his eyes.
25 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.
With the loving, thou didst show thyself loving, —With the blameless man, thou didst show thyself blameless;
26 With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
With the pure, thou didst show thyself pure, But, with the perverse, thou didst show thyself ready to contend.
27 For you will save the afflicted people, but the arrogant eyes you will bring down.
For, as for thee, an oppressed people, thou didst save, but, looks that were lofty, layedst thou low;
28 For you will light my lamp, LORD. My God will light up my darkness.
For, thou, didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God, enlightened my darkness;
29 For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.
For, by thee, I ran through a troop, and, by my God, I leapt 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, blameless is his way, The speech of Yahweh hath been proved, A shield, he is to all who seek refuge in him.
31 For who is God, except the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God,
For who is a GOD, save Yahweh? And who is a Rock, save our God?
32 the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
The GOD who girded me with strength, and set forth, as blameless, my way:
33 He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places.
Planting my feet like hinds’ [feet], yea, on my high places, he caused me to stand:
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
Teaching my hands to war, —so that a bow of bronze was bent 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.
Thus didst thou grant me, as a shield, thy salvation, —and, thy right hand, sustained me, and, thy condescension, made me great.
36 You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
Thou didst widen my stepping-places under me, so that, mine ankles, faltered not.
37 I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed.
I pursued my foes, and overtook them, and returned not, 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 crushed them, and they were unable to rise, They fell 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.
Thus didst thou gird me with strength, for the battle, Thou subduedst mine assailants under me.
40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
As for my foes, thou didst give me their neck, and, as for them who hated me, I destroyed them.
41 They cried, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them.
They cried out, but there was none to save, unto Yahweh, 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 in pieces, like dust on the face of the wind. Like the mire in the lanes, did I scatter them.
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.
Thus didst thou rescue me from the contentions of a people, —didst appoint me to be the head of nations, A people I had not known, served me:
44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
At the hearing of the ear, they submitted to me, the sons of the foreigner, came cringing unto me:
45 The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
The sons of the foreigner, lost heart, and came quaking out of their fortresses.
46 The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
Yahweh liveth and, blessed, be my Rock, yea, exalted, be the God of my salvation:
47 even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
The GOD, who hath avenged me, —and subjugated peoples 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.
Who hath delivered me from my foes, —Yea, from mine assailants, hast thou set me on high, From the man of violence, hast thou rescued me.
49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name.
For this cause, will I praise thee among the nations, O Yahweh, and, to thy Name, will I sweep the strings: —
50 He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.
Who hath made great the victories of his King, —and shown lovingkindness to his Anointed One, To David and to his Seed, Unto times age-abiding.
