Psalms 18
1 To the Overseer. — By a servant of Jehovah, by David, who hath spoken to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, and he saith: — I love Thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
For the Leader. A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke unto 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; And he said: I love thee, O LORD, my strength.
2 Jehovah [is] my rock, and my bulwark, And my deliverer, My God [is] my rock, I trust in Him: My shield, and a horn of my salvation, My high tower.
The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in Him I take refuge; my shield, and my horn of salvation, my high tower.
3 The 'Praised One' I call Jehovah, And from my enemies I am saved.
Praised, I cry, is the LORD, and I am saved from mine enemies.
4 Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid.
The cords of Death compassed me, and the floods of Belial assailed me.
The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of Death confronted me. (Sheol h7585)
6 In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh into His ears.
In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God; out of His temple He heard my voice, and my cry came before Him unto His ears.
7 And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake — because He hath wrath.
Then the earth did shake and quake, the foundations also of the mountains did tremble; they were shaken, because He was wroth.
8 Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.
Smoke arose up in His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth did devour; coals flamed forth from Him.
9 And He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and thick darkness was under His feet.
10 And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And He flieth on wings of wind.
And He rode upon a cherub, and did fly; yea, He did swoop down upon the wings of the wind.
11 He maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
He made darkness His hiding-place, His pavilion round about Him; darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 From the brightness over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire.
At the brightness before Him, there passed through His thick clouds hailstones and coals of fire.
13 And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire.
The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave forth His voice; hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them.
And He sent out His arrows, and scattered them; and He shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 And seen are the streams of waters, And revealed are foundations of the earth. From Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of Thine anger.
And the channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare, at Thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Thy nostrils.
16 He sendeth from above — He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.
He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivereth me from my strong enemy, And from those hating me, For they have been stronger than I.
He delivered me from mine enemy most strong, and from them that hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
18 They go before me in a day of my calamity And Jehovah is for a support to me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity; but the LORD was a stay unto me.
19 And He bringeth me forth to a large place, He draweth me out, because He delighted in me.
He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me.
20 Jehovah doth recompense me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me.
The LORD 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 Jehovah, And have not done wickedly against my God.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all His judgments [are] before me, And His statutes I turn not from me.
For all His ordinances were before me, and I put not away His statutes from me.
23 And I am perfect with him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity.
And I was single-hearted with Him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 And Jehovah doth return to me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, Over-against his eyes.
Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.
25 With the kind Thou showest Thyself kind, With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect.
With the merciful Thou dost show Thyself merciful, with the upright man Thou dost show Thyself upright;
26 With the pure Thou showest Thyself pure, And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler,
With the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure; and with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself subtle.
27 For Thou a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall.
For Thou dost save the afflicted people; but the haughty eyes Thou dost humble.
28 For Thou — Thou lightest my lamp, Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
For Thou dost light my lamp; the LORD my God doth lighten my darkness.
29 For by Thee I run — a troop! And by my God I leap a wall.
For by Thee I run upon a troop; and by my God do I scale a wall.
30 God! perfect [is] His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield [is] He to all those trusting in Him.
As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in Him.
31 For who [is] God besides Jehovah? And who [is] a rock save our God?
For who is God, save the LORD? And who is a Rock, except our God?
32 God! who is girding me [with] strength, And He maketh perfect my way.
The God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way straight;
33 Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand.
Who maketh my feet like hinds', and setteth me upon my high places;
34 Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms.
Who traineth my hands for war, so that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.
35 And Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy right hand doth support me, And Thy lowliness maketh me great.
Thou hast also given me Thy shield of salvation, and Thy right hand hath holden me up; and Thy condescension hath made me great.
36 Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped.
37 I pursue mine enemies, and overtake them, And turn back not till they are consumed.
I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them; neither did I turn back till they were consumed.
38 I smite them, and they are not able to rise, They fall under my feet,
I have smitten them through, so that they are not able to rise; they are fallen under my feet.
39 And Thou girdest me [with] strength for battle, Causest my withstanders to bow under me.
For Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
40 As to mine enemies — Thou hast given to me the neck, As to those hating me — I cut them off.
Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, and I did cut off them that hate me.
41 They cry, and there is no saviour, On Jehovah, and He doth not answer them.
They cried, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but He answered them not.
42 And I beat them as dust before wind, As mire of the streets I empty them out.
Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.
43 Thou dost deliver me From the strivings of the people, Thou placest me for a head of nations, A people I have not known do serve me.
Thou hast delivered me from the contentions of the people; Thou hast made me the head of the nations; a people whom I have not known serve me.
44 At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me, Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me,
As soon as they hear of me, they obey me; the sons of the stranger dwindle away before me.
45 Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places.
The sons of the stranger fade away, and come trembling out of their close places.
46 Jehovah liveth — and blessed [is] my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.
The LORD liveth, and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation;
47 God — who is giving vengeance to me, And He subdueth peoples under me,
Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, and subdueth peoples under me.
48 My deliverer from mine enemies, Above my withstanders Thou raisest me, From a man of violence dost deliver me.
He delivereth me from mine enemies; yea, Thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man.
49 Therefore I confess Thee among nations, O Jehovah, And to Thy name I sing praise,
Therefore I will give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises unto Thy name.
50 Magnifying the salvation of His king, And doing kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed — unto the age!
Great salvation giveth He to His king; and showeth mercy to His anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore.
