Amahubo 18
1 Ngizakuthanda, Nkosi, mandla ami.
For the chief musician. A psalm of David, the servant of Yahweh, when he sang to Yahweh the words of this song on the day that Yahweh rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He sang: I love you, Yahweh, my strength.
2 INkosi ilidwala lami, lenqaba yami, lomkhululi wami; uNkulunkulu wami, idwala lami, engizaphephela kulo, isihlangu sami, lophondo losindiso lwami, inqaba yami ephakemeyo.
Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, the one who brings me to safety; he is my God, my rock; I take refuge in him. He is my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my stronghold.
3 Ngizabiza iNkosi edumisekayo, ngakho ngizasindiswa ezitheni zami.
I will call on Yahweh who is worthy to be praised, and I will be saved from my enemies.
4 Izibopho zokufa zangizingelezela, lezikhukhula zobubi zangethusa.
The cords of death surrounded me, and the rushing waters of worthlessness overwhelmed me.
The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death trapped me. (Sheol h7585)
6 Ekuhluphekeni kwami ngayibiza iNkosi, ngakhala kuNkulunkulu wami; walizwa ilizwi lami esethempelini lakhe, lokukhala kwami kweza phambi kwakhe, endlebeni zakhe.
In my distress I called to Yahweh; I called for help to my God. He heard my voice from his temple; my call for help went into his presence; it went into his ears.
7 Khona umhlaba wazamazama, wanyikinyeka, lezisekelo zezintaba zaqhaqhazela, zazamazama, ngoba wayethukuthele.
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the mountains also trembled and were shaken because God was angry.
8 Kwenyuka intuthu emakhaleni akhe, lomlilo ophuma emlonyeni wakhe waqothula; amalahle avuthiswa yiwo.
Smoke went up from out of his nostrils, and blazing fire came out of his mouth. Coals were ignited by it.
9 Wasekhothamisa amazulu, wehlela phansi, lomnyama onzima wawungaphansi kwenyawo zakhe.
He opened the heavens and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.
10 Wasegada ikherubhi, waphapha, wandiza phezu kwempiko zomoya.
He rode on a cherub and flew; he glided on 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 a tent around him, heavy rainclouds in the skies.
12 Ekukhazimuleni okuphambi kwakhe amayezi akhe amnyama edlula, isiqhotho lamalahle omlilo.
Hailstones and coals of fire fell from the lightning before him.
13 INkosi yasiduma emazulwini, oPhezukonke wazwakalisa ilizwi lakhe, isiqhotho lamalahle omlilo.
Yahweh thundered in the heavens! The voice of the Most High shouted.
14 Yasithuma imitshoko yayo, yabachitha; lemibane eminengi, yabaphaphathekisa.
He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; many lightning bolts dispersed them.
15 Khona kwabonakala imisele yamanzi, kwembulwa izisekelo zomhlaba ekusoleni kwakho, Nkosi, ekuvutheleni komoya wamakhala akho.
Then the water channels appeared; the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 Yathuma iphezulu, yangibamba, yangenyula emanzini amanengi.
He reached down from above; he took hold of me! He pulled me out of the surging water.
17 Yangophula esitheni sami esilamandla, lakibo abangizondayo, ngoba babelamandla kulami.
He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
18 Babephambi kwami osukwini lwenhlupheko yami, kodwa iNkosi yaba yisisekelo sami.
They came against me on the day of my distress but Yahweh was my support!
19 Yangikhuphela endaweni ebanzi, yangikhulula ngoba yayithokoza ngami.
He set me free in a wide open place; he saved me because he was pleased with me.
20 INkosi yangivuza njengokulunga kwami; yangibuyisela njengokuhlanzeka kwezandla zami.
Yahweh has rewarded me because of my righteousness; he has restored me because my hands were clean.
21 Ngoba ngizilondolozile indlela zeNkosi, kangisukanga kuNkulunkulu wami ngenkohlakalo.
For I have kept the ways of Yahweh and have not wickedly turned away from my God.
22 Ngoba zonke izahlulelo zayo zaziphambi kwami, lezimiso zayo kangiziphambulanga kimi.
For all his righteous decrees have been before me; as for his statutes, I have not turned away from them.
23 Njalo ngangiqondile kuyo, ngizinqandile ebubini bami.
I have also been innocent before him, and I have kept myself from sin.
24 Ngakho iNkosi ingibuyisele njengokulunga kwami, njengokuhlanzeka kwezandla zami phambi kwamehlo ayo.
Therefore Yahweh has restored me because of my righteousness, because my hands were clean before his eyes.
25 Kolesihawu uzaziveza ulesihawu; koqotho uzaziveza uqotho;
To anyone who is faithful, you show yourself to be faithful; to a man who is blameless, you show yourself to be blameless.
26 kohlanzekileyo uzaziveza uhlanzekile; lakophambukileyo uzaziveza uphambukile.
To anyone who is pure, you show yourself pure; but you are clever toward anyone who is twisted.
27 Ngoba wena uzabasindisa abantu abahlutshwayo; kodwa amehlo aphakemeyo uzawehlisela phansi.
For you save afflicted people, but you bring down those with proud, uplifted eyes!
28 Ngoba wena uzalumathisa isibane sami; iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wami, izakhanyisa ubumnyama bami.
For you give light to my lamp; Yahweh my God lights up my darkness.
29 Ngoba ngawe ngigijimile ngadabula phakathi kwebutho, langoNkulunkulu wami ngeqe umthangala.
For by you I can run over a barricade; by my God I can 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 Yahweh is pure! He is a shield to everyone who takes refuge in him.
31 Ngoba ngubani onguNkulunkulu ngaphandle kweNkosi? Njalo ngubani olidwala ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu wethu?
For who is God except Yahweh? Who is a rock except our God?
32 NguNkulunkulu ongibhincisa amandla, owenza indlela yami iphelele.
It is God who puts strength on me like a belt, who places the blameless person on his path.
33 Owenza inyawo zami zibe njengezezimpala, wangimisa ezingqongeni zami.
He makes my feet swift like a deer and places me on the heights!
34 Ofundisela izandla zami impi, ukuze idandili lethusi ligotshiswe zingalo zami.
He trains my hands for war and my arms to bend a bow of bronze.
35 Unginikile lesihlangu sosindiso lwakho, lesandla sakho sokunene singisekele, lobumnene bakho bungikhulisile.
You have given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand has supported me, and your favor has made me great.
36 Wenze zaba banzi izinyathelo zami ngaphansi kwami, ukuze inyawo zami zingatsheleli.
You have made a wide place for my feet beneath me so that my feet have not slipped.
37 Ngixotshene lezitha zami, ngazifica, kangibuyanga ngaze ngaziqeda.
I pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not turn back until they were destroyed.
38 Ngazigwaza, zaze zehluleka ukuvuka, zawa ngaphansi kwenyawo zami.
I smashed them so that they were unable to rise; they have fallen under my feet.
39 Ngoba ungibhincise amandla kusenzelwa impi, wabakhothamisela phansi kwami abangivukelayo.
For you put strength on me like a belt for battle; you put under me those who rise up against me.
40 Unginike intamo yezitha zami, labo abangizondayo ngababhubhisa.
You gave me the back of my enemies' necks; I annihilated those who hated me.
41 Bakhala, kodwa engekho umsindisi; eNkosini, kodwa kayibaphendulanga.
They called for help, but no one saved them; they called out to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.
42 Ngasengibacholisisa njengothuli phambi komoya, ngabachitha njengodaka lwezitalada.
I beat them into fine pieces like dust before the wind; I threw them out like mud in the streets.
43 Wangikhulula ekuphikiseni kwabantu, wangimisa ngaba yinhloko yezizwe; abantu engangingabazi bangisebenzela.
You rescued me from the disputes of people. You have made me the head over nations. People that I have not known serve me.
44 Bangenela ukuzwa ngendlebe bazangilalela, abezizweni bazazithoba kimi ngokuzenzisa.
As soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me; foreigners were forced to bow to me.
45 Abezizweni bazabuna, baphume ezinqabeni zabo bethuthumela.
The foreigners came trembling out of their strongholds.
46 INkosi iyaphila; njalo kalidunyiswe idwala lami, kaphakanyiswe uNkulunkulu wosindiso lwami.
Yahweh lives; may my rock be praised. May the God of my salvation be exalted.
47 UNkulunkulu onginika impindiselo, lowehlisela izizwe ngaphansi kwami;
He is the God who executes vengeance for me, who subdues the nations under me.
48 ongikhulula ezitheni zami; yebo, phezu kwabangivukelayo wangiphakamisa, emuntwini wodlakela wangikhulula.
I am set free from my enemies! Indeed, you lifted me above the ones who rose against me! You rescued me from violent men.
49 Ngenxa yalokhu ngizakudumisa, Nkosi, phakathi kwezizwe, ngihlabelele ibizo lakho indumiso.
Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name!
50 Iyanika inkosi yayo usindiso olukhulu, isenzela ogcotshiweyo wayo umusa, kuDavida, lenzalweni yakhe kuze kube nininini.
God gives great victory to his king, and he shows his covenant loyalty to his anointed one, to David and to his descendants forever.
