Amahubo 18
1 Ngizakuthanda, Nkosi, mandla ami.
For the leader. Of David, the servant of the Lord, who recited the words of this song to the Lord after the Lord had saved him from the power of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love you, 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, my fortress, deliverer, my God, my rock, where I take refuge, my shield, my defender, my tower.
3 Ngizabiza iNkosi edumisekayo, ngakho ngizasindiswa ezitheni zami.
Worthy of praise is the Lord whom I call on, he rescues me from all my foes.
4 Izibopho zokufa zangizingelezela, lezikhukhula zobubi zangethusa.
The waves of death broke about me, fearful floods of chaos.
Sheol threw cords around me, snares of death came to meet me. (Sheol h7585)
6 Ekuhluphekeni kwami ngayibiza iNkosi, ngakhala kuNkulunkulu wami; walizwa ilizwi lami esethempelini lakhe, lokukhala kwami kweza phambi kwakhe, endlebeni zakhe.
In distress I cried to the Lord, and shouted for help to my God; in his temple he heard my voice, into his ears came my cry.
7 Khona umhlaba wazamazama, wanyikinyeka, lezisekelo zezintaba zaqhaqhazela, zazamazama, ngoba wayethukuthele.
Then the earth shook and quaked, mountains trembled to their foundations, and quaked because of his wrath.
8 Kwenyuka intuthu emakhaleni akhe, lomlilo ophuma emlonyeni wakhe waqothula; amalahle avuthiswa yiwo.
Smoke went up from his nostrils, devouring fire from his mouth, coals were kindled by it.
9 Wasekhothamisa amazulu, wehlela phansi, lomnyama onzima wawungaphansi kwenyawo zakhe.
Then he bent the sky and came down, thick darkness was under his feet.
10 Wasegada ikherubhi, waphapha, wandiza phezu kwempiko zomoya.
He rode on a cherub and flew, darting on wings of wind,
11 Wamisa umnyama waba yindawo yakhe yensitha, idumba lakhe inhlangothi zonke zakhe, amanzi amnyama, amayezi amnyama omkhathi.
with his screen of darkness about him, in thick dark clouds of water.
12 Ekukhazimuleni okuphambi kwakhe amayezi akhe amnyama edlula, isiqhotho lamalahle omlilo.
At the radiance before him there passed hailstones and coals of fire.
13 INkosi yasiduma emazulwini, oPhezukonke wazwakalisa ilizwi lakhe, isiqhotho lamalahle omlilo.
The Lord thundered from heaven, the Most High uttered his voice.
14 Yasithuma imitshoko yayo, yabachitha; lemibane eminengi, yabaphaphathekisa.
He shot his arrows and scattered them, flashed lightnings, and routed them.
15 Khona kwabonakala imisele yamanzi, kwembulwa izisekelo zomhlaba ekusoleni kwakho, Nkosi, ekuvutheleni komoya wamakhala akho.
The channels of the sea were revealed, the world was laid bare to its base, at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 Yathuma iphezulu, yangibamba, yangenyula emanzini amanengi.
He stretched from on high, he seized me, drew me up from the mighty waters,
17 Yangophula esitheni sami esilamandla, lakibo abangizondayo, ngoba babelamandla kulami.
and saved me from those who hated me – fierce foes, too mighty for me.
18 Babephambi kwami osukwini lwenhlupheko yami, kodwa iNkosi yaba yisisekelo sami.
In my day of distress they assailed me, but the Lord proved my support.
19 Yangikhuphela endaweni ebanzi, yangikhulula ngoba yayithokoza ngami.
To a spacious place he brought me, and, for love of me, he saved me.
20 INkosi yangivuza njengokulunga kwami; yangibuyisela njengokuhlanzeka kwezandla zami.
The Lord repays my innocence, he rewards my cleanness of hands.
21 Ngoba ngizilondolozile indlela zeNkosi, kangisukanga kuNkulunkulu wami ngenkohlakalo.
For I kept the ways of the Lord, nor have wickedly strayed from my God.
22 Ngoba zonke izahlulelo zayo zaziphambi kwami, lezimiso zayo kangiziphambulanga kimi.
His commandments were all before me, his statutes I put not away.
23 Njalo ngangiqondile kuyo, ngizinqandile ebubini bami.
And I was blameless before him, guarding myself from sin.
24 Ngakho iNkosi ingibuyisele njengokulunga kwami, njengokuhlanzeka kwezandla zami phambi kwamehlo ayo.
So the Lord repaid my innocence, my cleanness of hands in his sight.
25 Kolesihawu uzaziveza ulesihawu; koqotho uzaziveza uqotho;
With the loyal you are loyal, and with the blameless blameless.
26 kohlanzekileyo uzaziveza uhlanzekile; lakophambukileyo uzaziveza uphambukile.
With the pure you show yourself pure, but shrewd with the devious.
27 Ngoba wena uzabasindisa abantu abahlutshwayo; kodwa amehlo aphakemeyo uzawehlisela phansi.
For the lowly people you save, but haughty eyes you abase.
28 Ngoba wena uzalumathisa isibane sami; iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wami, izakhanyisa ubumnyama bami.
You are my lamp, Lord, my God who enlightens my darkness.
29 Ngoba ngawe ngigijimile ngadabula phakathi kwebutho, langoNkulunkulu wami ngeqe umthangala.
With you I can storm a rampart, with my God I can leap 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 pure. He is shield to all who take refuge in him.
31 Ngoba ngubani onguNkulunkulu ngaphandle kweNkosi? Njalo ngubani olidwala ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu wethu?
For who is God but the Lord? And who is a rock but our God?
32 NguNkulunkulu ongibhincisa amandla, owenza indlela yami iphelele.
The God who arms me with strength, who cleared and smoothed my way.
33 Owenza inyawo zami zibe njengezezimpala, wangimisa ezingqongeni zami.
He made my feet like hinds’ feet, and set me up on the heights.
34 Ofundisela izandla zami impi, ukuze idandili lethusi ligotshiswe zingalo zami.
He taught my hands how to fight, and my arms how to bend a bronze bow.
35 Unginikile lesihlangu sosindiso lwakho, lesandla sakho sokunene singisekele, lobumnene bakho bungikhulisile.
The shield of your help you gave me, your right hand supports me, you stoop down to make me great.
36 Wenze zaba banzi izinyathelo zami ngaphansi kwami, ukuze inyawo zami zingatsheleli.
In your strength I took giant strides, and my feet never slipped.
37 Ngixotshene lezitha zami, ngazifica, kangibuyanga ngaze ngaziqeda.
So I chased the foe till I caught them, and turned not, till I made an end of them.
38 Ngazigwaza, zaze zehluleka ukuvuka, zawa ngaphansi kwenyawo zami.
I smashed them, they could not rise, they fell beneath my feet.
39 Ngoba ungibhincise amandla kusenzelwa impi, wabakhothamisela phansi kwami abangivukelayo.
You did arm me with strength for war, you did bow my assailants beneath me.
40 Unginike intamo yezitha zami, labo abangizondayo ngababhubhisa.
You made my foes turn their back to me, and those who did hate me I finished.
41 Bakhala, kodwa engekho umsindisi; eNkosini, kodwa kayibaphendulanga.
They cried for help, but none saved them; to the Lord, but he answered them not.
42 Ngasengibacholisisa njengothuli phambi komoya, ngabachitha njengodaka lwezitalada.
I beat them like dust of the market-place, stamped them like mud of the streets.
43 Wangikhulula ekuphikiseni kwabantu, wangimisa ngaba yinhloko yezizwe; abantu engangingabazi bangisebenzela.
From the strife of the peoples you saved me, you made me head of the nations, peoples I knew not did serve me.
44 Bangenela ukuzwa ngendlebe bazangilalela, abezizweni bazazithoba kimi ngokuzenzisa.
On the instant they hear, they obey me, foreigners come to me cringing.
45 Abezizweni bazabuna, baphume ezinqabeni zabo bethuthumela.
Foreigners lose courage, and come out of their strongholds trembling.
46 INkosi iyaphila; njalo kalidunyiswe idwala lami, kaphakanyiswe uNkulunkulu wosindiso lwami.
The Lord is alive! Blest be my rock! Exalted be God, my protector!
47 UNkulunkulu onginika impindiselo, lowehlisela izizwe ngaphansi kwami;
The God who gave me revenge, and brought down nations beneath me,
48 ongikhulula ezitheni zami; yebo, phezu kwabangivukelayo wangiphakamisa, emuntwini wodlakela wangikhulula.
who saved me from angry foes, and set me above my assailants, safe from the violent.
49 Ngenxa yalokhu ngizakudumisa, Nkosi, phakathi kwezizwe, ngihlabelele ibizo lakho indumiso.
For this I will praise you among the nations, making music, O Lord, to your name:
50 Iyanika inkosi yayo usindiso olukhulu, isenzela ogcotshiweyo wayo umusa, kuDavida, lenzalweni yakhe kuze kube nininini.
for great triumphs he grants to his king, and faithful love he shows his anointed, to David and his seed evermore.
