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.
Yahweh, I love you, the one who enables me to be strong.
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.
Yahweh is like an [overhanging] rock [DOU, MET] [under which I can hide from my enemies]; he is like a strong fortress, the one who protects me; he protects me like a shield [MET] [protects a soldier]; he is the one to whom I go (for refuge/to be protected/safe), and he defends me by his great power [IDM].
3 The 'Praised One' I call Jehovah, And from my enemies I am saved.
I called out to Yahweh, who deserves to be praised, and he rescued me from my enemies.
4 Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid.
All around me were dangerous situations in which I might be killed [PRS]; it was as though there were huge waves [MET] that almost crashed on me and killed me.
[It was as though] the place where dead people are had ropes that were wrapped around me, or [it was as though] there was a trap [MET] that would [seize and] kill 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.
But when I was very distressed, I called out to Yahweh, and from his temple he heard me. He listened to me when I cried out [for help].
7 And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake — because He hath wrath.
Then the earth quaked/shook strongly [DOU]; the mountains shook very strongly from their centers [DOU] because Yahweh was angry.
8 Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.
[It was as though] smoke poured out from his nostrils, and [as though] burning coals came out of his mouth.
9 And He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet.
He opened the sky and came down with a black cloud under his feet.
10 And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And He flieth on wings of wind.
He flew, riding on the back of a creature that had wings, traveling [fast], blown along by the wind.
11 He maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
Darkness was all around him [like a blanket] [MET]; dark clouds, full of moisture, covered him [MET].
12 From the brightness over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire.
Hailstones and flashes of lightning were around him; hail and burning coals fell from the sky.
13 And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire.
Then Yahweh [spoke in a loud voice] from the sky, and [his enemies] heard his voice that sounded like thunder.
14 And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them.
He shot his arrows at them and caused them to scatter; His flashes of lightning caused them to become very confused (OR, to run away).
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.
The bottom of the ocean became visible, and the foundations of the earth were uncovered, when Yahweh rebuked his enemies when he snorted.
16 He sendeth from above — He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.
[It was as though] he reached down from heaven and grabbed me and pulled me up out of the deep ocean.
17 He delivereth me from my strong enemy, And from those hating me, For they have been stronger than I.
He rescued me from my strong enemies who hated me; they were very strong, with the result that I [could not defeat them].
18 They go before me in a day of my calamity And Jehovah is for a support to me.
When I (was distressed/had troubles), they attacked me, but Yahweh defended/protected me.
19 And He bringeth me forth to a large place, He draweth me out, because He delighted in me.
He led me to a place where I was safe; he rescued me because he was pleased with me.
20 Jehovah doth recompense me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me.
Yahweh has rewarded me because I do what is right; he has blessed me because I (am innocent/have not done things that are wrong).
21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not done wickedly against my God.
I have obeyed Yahweh’s laws; I have not abandoned him.
22 For all His judgments [are] before me, And His statutes I turn not from me.
My behavior was directed by his rules; I have not stopped obeying them.
23 And I am perfect with him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity.
He knows that I have not done what is wrong; I have kept myself from sinning.
24 And Jehovah doth return to me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, Over-against his eyes.
So he rewards me because I do what is right; he knows that I [SYN] have not committed sins.
25 With the kind Thou showest Thyself kind, With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect.
Yahweh, you are faithful to those who faithfully [do what you tell them to do]; you always do what is good/right to those who do what you want them to do.
26 With the pure Thou showest Thyself pure, And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler,
You are kind to those who are kind to others, but you act wisely toward those who (act perversely/do bad things).
27 For Thou a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall.
You save those who are humble, but you cause those who are proud to be humiliated/ashamed.
28 For Thou — Thou lightest my lamp, Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
You give light to my [soul/spirit]; you take away the darkness of my soul.
29 For by Thee I run — a troop! And by my God I leap a wall.
You enable me to be strong, with the result that I can run and attack a line of enemy soldiers; with your help I can (scale/climb up) the walls [that surround my enemies’ cities].
30 God! perfect [is] His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield [is] He to all those trusting in Him.
Everything that Yahweh my God does is perfect. We can depend on him to do what he promises. He is like a shield [MET] to protect all those who go to him for refuge.
31 For who [is] God besides Jehovah? And who [is] a rock save our God?
Yahweh is [RHQ] the only one who is God; only he is like an [overhanging] rock [under which we can be safe].
32 God! who is girding me [with] strength, And He maketh perfect my way.
God is the one who enables me to be strong and who keeps me safe on the roads that I walk on.
33 Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand.
He enables me to [walk swiftly without stumbling], like a deer walks/runs in the mountains.
34 Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms.
He teaches me how to use a strong/metal bow in order that I can use it to fight in battles.
35 And Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy right hand doth support me, And Thy lowliness maketh me great.
Yahweh, you protect and save me with your shield; you have made me safe by your power [MTY]. I have become (strong/a great [king]) because you have helped me.
36 Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.
You have cleared the road for me, with the result that now I do not slip/stumble.
37 I pursue mine enemies, and overtake them, And turn back not till they are consumed.
I have pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until I had defeated/killed them all.
38 I smite them, and they are not able to rise, They fall under my feet,
When I strike them, they are not able to get up again; they lie on the ground, defeated.
39 And Thou girdest me [with] strength for battle, Causest my withstanders to bow under me.
You have enabled me to be strong in order that I can fight battles and defeat my enemies.
40 As to mine enemies — Thou hast given to me the neck, As to those hating me — I cut them off.
You caused my enemies to run away (OR, you enabled me to put my foot on my enemies’ necks [after I captured them and forced them to lie on the ground]); I have gotten rid of all those who hated me.
41 They cry, and there is no saviour, On Jehovah, and He doth not answer them.
They called out for someone to help them, but no one saved them.
42 And I beat them as dust before wind, As mire of the streets I empty them out.
I pulverize them, with the result that they become like [MET] the dust that the wind [blows away]; I throw them out like [SIM] [people throw] dirt out into 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 enabled me to defeat those who fought against me, and appointed me to be the ruler of [many]; people whom I did not know about previously are now slaves [in my kingdom].
44 At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me, Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me,
When foreigners hear about me, they (cringe/bow low before me) and they obey me.
45 Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places.
They are no longer courageous, and from their forts [where they were hiding] they come [to me] trembling.
46 Jehovah liveth — and blessed [is] my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.
Yahweh is alive! Praise the one who is like an [overhanging] rock [MET] [under which I am safe] Exalt the God who saves me!
47 God — who is giving vengeance to me, And He subdueth peoples under me,
He enables me to get revenge on my enemies; he causes me to defeat nations and to rule over them,
48 My deliverer from mine enemies, Above my withstanders Thou raisest me, From a man of violence dost deliver me.
and he rescues me from my enemies. He has lifted me up high so that violent men could not reach me [and harm me].
49 Therefore I confess Thee among nations, O Jehovah, And to Thy name I sing praise,
So I praise him [and I tell] the nations [the great things that he has done].
50 Magnifying the salvation of His king, And doing kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed — unto the age!
He has enabled me, his king, to powerfully defeat my enemies; he faithfully loves me, David, the one he has chosen [to be king], and he will faithfully love my descendants forever.
