Amahubo 18
1 Ngizakuthanda, Nkosi, mandla ami.
“To the chief musician, by the servant of the Lord, by David, who spoke unto the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the power of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul; And he said,” I ever love thee, O Lord, my strength.
2 INkosi ilidwala lami, lenqaba yami, lomkhululi wami; uNkulunkulu wami, idwala lami, engizaphephela kulo, isihlangu sami, lophondo losindiso lwami, inqaba yami ephakemeyo.
The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I trust; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 Ngizabiza iNkosi edumisekayo, ngakho ngizasindiswa ezitheni zami.
Praised, I cried, be the Lord, and from my enemies was I saved.
4 Izibopho zokufa zangizingelezela, lezikhukhula zobubi zangethusa.
The bonds of death encompassed me, and the floods of destruction made me afraid.
The bonds of hell encircled me: the snares of death seized on me. (Sheol h7585)
6 Ekuhluphekeni kwami ngayibiza iNkosi, ngakhala kuNkulunkulu wami; walizwa ilizwi lami esethempelini lakhe, lokukhala kwami kweza phambi kwakhe, endlebeni zakhe.
[When] in my distress I called upon the Lord, and unto my God I cried: he heard from his temple my voice, and my complaint came before him, even into his ears.
7 Khona umhlaba wazamazama, wanyikinyeka, lezisekelo zezintaba zaqhaqhazela, zazamazama, ngoba wayethukuthele.
Then shook and trembled the earth; and the foundations of the mountains were moved; and they were shaken, because he was wroth.
8 Kwenyuka intuthu emakhaleni akhe, lomlilo ophuma emlonyeni wakhe waqothula; amalahle avuthiswa yiwo.
Smoke went up in his anger and consuming fire out of his mouth: coals flamed forth from him.
9 Wasekhothamisa amazulu, wehlela phansi, lomnyama onzima wawungaphansi kwenyawo zakhe.
And he bent the heavens, and came down: and thick darkness was under his feet:
10 Wasegada ikherubhi, waphapha, wandiza phezu kwempiko zomoya.
And he rode upon a cherub, and flew along, and he flitted by upon the wings of the wind.
11 Wamisa umnyama waba yindawo yakhe yensitha, idumba lakhe inhlangothi zonke zakhe, amanzi amnyama, amayezi amnyama omkhathi.
He made darkness his hiding-place, round about him as his pavilion, dark waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 Ekukhazimuleni okuphambi kwakhe amayezi akhe amnyama edlula, isiqhotho lamalahle omlilo.
From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed away, [with] hail-stones and coals of fire.
13 INkosi yasiduma emazulwini, oPhezukonke wazwakalisa ilizwi lakhe, isiqhotho lamalahle omlilo.
And the Lord thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered forth his voice, [with] hail-stones and coals of fire.
14 Yasithuma imitshoko yayo, yabachitha; lemibane eminengi, yabaphaphathekisa.
And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 Khona kwabonakala imisele yamanzi, kwembulwa izisekelo zomhlaba ekusoleni kwakho, Nkosi, ekuvutheleni komoya wamakhala akho.
And then were seen the channels of the waters, and there were laid open the foundations of the world, through thy rebuke, O Lord, through the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 Yathuma iphezulu, yangibamba, yangenyula emanzini amanengi.
He stretched out from above [his hand], he took me; he drew me out from mighty waters.
17 Yangophula esitheni sami esilamandla, lakibo abangizondayo, ngoba babelamandla kulami.
He delivered me from my enemy, the strong, and from those that hated me, when they were too mighty for me.
18 Babephambi kwami osukwini lwenhlupheko yami, kodwa iNkosi yaba yisisekelo sami.
They overcame me on the day of my calamity; but the Lord became my stay.
19 Yangikhuphela endaweni ebanzi, yangikhulula ngoba yayithokoza ngami.
And he brought me forth into a large space; he delivered me, because he had delight in me.
20 INkosi yangivuza njengokulunga kwami; yangibuyisela njengokuhlanzeka kwezandla zami.
The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the purity of my hands did he recompense me.
21 Ngoba ngizilondolozile indlela zeNkosi, kangisukanga kuNkulunkulu wami ngenkohlakalo.
For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 Ngoba zonke izahlulelo zayo zaziphambi kwami, lezimiso zayo kangiziphambulanga kimi.
For all his ordinances were before me, and his statutes had I not put away from me.
23 Njalo ngangiqondile kuyo, ngizinqandile ebubini bami.
I was also upright with him, and I guarded myself against my iniquity.
24 Ngakho iNkosi ingibuyisele njengokulunga kwami, njengokuhlanzeka kwezandla zami phambi kwamehlo ayo.
Therefore did the Lord recompense me according to my righteousness, according to the purity of my hands before his eyes.
25 Kolesihawu uzaziveza ulesihawu; koqotho uzaziveza uqotho;
With the kind thou wilt show thyself kind; with the upright man thou wilt show thyself upright;
26 kohlanzekileyo uzaziveza uhlanzekile; lakophambukileyo uzaziveza uphambukile.
With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt wage a contest.
27 Ngoba wena uzabasindisa abantu abahlutshwayo; kodwa amehlo aphakemeyo uzawehlisela phansi.
For thou wilt indeed save the afflicted people; but haughty eyes wilt thou bring down.
28 Ngoba wena uzalumathisa isibane sami; iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wami, izakhanyisa ubumnyama bami.
For thou wilt cause my light to shine: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 Ngoba ngawe ngigijimile ngadabula phakathi kwebutho, langoNkulunkulu wami ngeqe umthangala.
For [aided] by thee I run through a troop; and [helped] by my God I leap over a wall.
30 UNkulunkulu, indlela yakhe iphelele; ilizwi leNkosi lihloliwe; uyisihlangu kubo bonke abaphephela kuye.
As for God, —his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a shield to all those that trust in him.
31 Ngoba ngubani onguNkulunkulu ngaphandle kweNkosi? Njalo ngubani olidwala ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu wethu?
For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock beside our God?
32 NguNkulunkulu ongibhincisa amandla, owenza indlela yami iphelele.
He is the God that girdeth me with strength, and rendereth my way unobstructed.
33 Owenza inyawo zami zibe njengezezimpala, wangimisa ezingqongeni zami.
He maketh my feet like those of the hinds, and upon my high-places he causeth me to stand.
34 Ofundisela izandla zami impi, ukuze idandili lethusi ligotshiswe zingalo zami.
He teacheth my hands for the war, so that a brazen bow is bent by my arms.
35 Unginikile lesihlangu sosindiso lwakho, lesandla sakho sokunene singisekele, lobumnene bakho bungikhulisile.
And thou gavest me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand supported me: and thy meekness hath made me great.
36 Wenze zaba banzi izinyathelo zami ngaphansi kwami, ukuze inyawo zami zingatsheleli.
Thou enlargest my steps under me, so that my joints do not slip.
37 Ngixotshene lezitha zami, ngazifica, kangibuyanga ngaze ngaziqeda.
I pursue my enemies, and overtake them; and I return not again till I have made an end of them.
38 Ngazigwaza, zaze zehluleka ukuvuka, zawa ngaphansi kwenyawo zami.
I crush them that they are not able to rise: they fall under my feet.
39 Ngoba ungibhincise amandla kusenzelwa impi, wabakhothamisela phansi kwami abangivukelayo.
For thou hast girded me with strength for the war: thou subduest my opponents under me.
40 Unginike intamo yezitha zami, labo abangizondayo ngababhubhisa.
And my enemies thou causest to turn their back to me; and those that hate me, —that I may destroy them.
41 Bakhala, kodwa engekho umsindisi; eNkosini, kodwa kayibaphendulanga.
They cry, but there is none to help; unto the Lord, —but he answereth them not.
42 Ngasengibacholisisa njengothuli phambi komoya, ngabachitha njengodaka lwezitalada.
And I beat them small as the dust before the wind: like the dirt in the streets do I cast them out.
43 Wangikhulula ekuphikiseni kwabantu, wangimisa ngaba yinhloko yezizwe; abantu engangingabazi bangisebenzela.
Thou deliverest me from the contests of the people; thou appointest me to be the head of nations: a people that I know not shall serve me.
44 Bangenela ukuzwa ngendlebe bazangilalela, abezizweni bazazithoba kimi ngokuzenzisa.
As soon as their ear heareth they shall be obedient to me: the children of the stranger shall utter flattery unto me.
45 Abezizweni bazabuna, baphume ezinqabeni zabo bethuthumela.
The children of the stranger shall fade away, and come forth trembling out of their close places.
46 INkosi iyaphila; njalo kalidunyiswe idwala lami, kaphakanyiswe uNkulunkulu wosindiso lwami.
The Lord liveth, and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation;
47 UNkulunkulu onginika impindiselo, lowehlisela izizwe ngaphansi kwami;
The God that granteth me vengeance, and subdueth nations under me;
48 ongikhulula ezitheni zami; yebo, phezu kwabangivukelayo wangiphakamisa, emuntwini wodlakela wangikhulula.
That delivereth me from my enemies: also above my opponents thou liftest me up; thou deliverest me from the man of violence.
49 Ngenxa yalokhu ngizakudumisa, Nkosi, phakathi kwezizwe, ngihlabelele ibizo lakho indumiso.
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee among the nations, O Lord, and unto thy name will I sing praises, —
50 Iyanika inkosi yayo usindiso olukhulu, isenzela ogcotshiweyo wayo umusa, kuDavida, lenzalweni yakhe kuze kube nininini.
[To him] that maketh great the salvation of his king, and who sheweth kindness to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for ever.
