< 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.
I will love thee, O Yhwh, 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.
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 The 'Praised One' I call Jehovah, And from my enemies I am saved.
I will call upon Yhwh, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid.
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.
5 Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death. (Sheol )
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. (Sheol )
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 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 And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake — because He hath wrath.
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and 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.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
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 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 fly 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 secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and 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 that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones 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.
Yhwh also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14 And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them.
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out 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.
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 sendeth from above — He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.
He sent from above, 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 my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18 They go before me in a day of my calamity And Jehovah is for a support to me.
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: But Yhwh was my stay.
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.
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 Jehovah, And have not done wickedly against my God.
For I have kept the ways of Yhwh, 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 judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 And I am perfect with him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity.
I was also upright before 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 Yhwh recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 With the kind Thou showest Thyself kind, With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect.
With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
26 With the pure Thou showest Thyself pure, And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler,
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt shew thyself contrary.
27 For Thou a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall.
For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
28 For Thou — Thou lightest my lamp, Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
For thou wilt light my candle: Yhwh my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by Thee I run — a troop! And by my God I leap a wall.
For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over 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 Yhwh is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 For who [is] God besides Jehovah? And who [is] a rock save our God?
For who is God save Yhwh? or who is a rock save our God?
32 God! who is girding me [with] strength, And He maketh perfect my way.
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
33 Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand.
He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
34 Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms.
He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
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 the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
36 Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
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 again till they were consumed.
38 I smite them, and they are not able to rise, They fall under my feet,
I have wounded them that they were 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 given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy 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 them: even unto Yhwh, 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 dirt in 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 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 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 shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
45 Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places.
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
46 Jehovah liveth — and blessed [is] my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.
Yhwh liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 God — who is giving vengeance to me, And He subdueth peoples under me,
It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people 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 those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
49 Therefore I confess Thee among nations, O Jehovah, And to Thy name I sing praise,
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Yhwh, among the heathen, and 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 deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.