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 you, 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 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 the LORD, 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.
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented 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: 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 angry.
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.
The LORD 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 humiliated 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 your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your 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 the LORD 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.
The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands has 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 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 has the LORD 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 you will show yourself merciful; with an upright man you will show yourself upright;
26 With the pure Thou showest Thyself pure, And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler,
With the pure you will show yourself pure; and with the perverse you will show yourself perverse.
27 For Thou a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall.
For you will save the afflicted people; but will bring down high looks.
28 For Thou — Thou lightest my lamp, Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
For you will light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by Thee I run — a troop! And by my God I leap a wall.
For by you 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 the LORD 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 the LORD? 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 girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect.
33 Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand.
He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places.
34 Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms.
He teaches 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.
You have also given me the shield of your salvation: and your right hand has held me up, and your gentleness has made me great.
36 Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.
You have 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 return 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 you have girded me with strength unto the battle: you have 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.
You have 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 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 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.
You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; and you have 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.
The LORD lives; 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 avenges me, and subdues 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 delivers me from mine enemies: yea, you lift me up above those that rise up against me: you have 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 you, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto your 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 gives he to his king; and shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
