Amahubo 18
1 Ngizakuthanda, Nkosi, mandla ami.
For the Chief Musician. By David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said, I love you, 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, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
3 Ngizabiza iNkosi edumisekayo, ngakho ngizasindiswa ezitheni zami.
I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies.
4 Izibopho zokufa zangizingelezela, lezikhukhula zobubi zangethusa.
The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death came on 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 on the LORD, and cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry before him came into his ears.
7 Khona umhlaba wazamazama, wanyikinyeka, lezisekelo zezintaba zaqhaqhazela, zazamazama, ngoba wayethukuthele.
Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
8 Kwenyuka intuthu emakhaleni akhe, lomlilo ophuma emlonyeni wakhe waqothula; amalahle avuthiswa yiwo.
Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
9 Wasekhothamisa amazulu, wehlela phansi, lomnyama onzima wawungaphansi kwenyawo zakhe.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
10 Wasegada ikherubhi, waphapha, wandiza phezu kwempiko zomoya.
He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared 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 his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 Ekukhazimuleni okuphambi kwakhe amayezi akhe amnyama edlula, isiqhotho lamalahle omlilo.
At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire.
13 INkosi yasiduma emazulwini, oPhezukonke wazwakalisa ilizwi lakhe, isiqhotho lamalahle omlilo.
The LORD also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire.
14 Yasithuma imitshoko yayo, yabachitha; lemibane eminengi, yabaphaphathekisa.
He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts.
15 Khona kwabonakala imisele yamanzi, kwembulwa izisekelo zomhlaba ekusoleni kwakho, Nkosi, ekuvutheleni komoya wamakhala akho.
Then the channels of waters appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 Yathuma iphezulu, yangibamba, yangenyula emanzini amanengi.
He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.
17 Yangophula esitheni sami esilamandla, lakibo abangizondayo, ngoba babelamandla kulami.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
18 Babephambi kwami osukwini lwenhlupheko yami, kodwa iNkosi yaba yisisekelo sami.
They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
19 Yangikhuphela endaweni ebanzi, yangikhulula ngoba yayithokoza ngami.
He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 INkosi yangivuza njengokulunga kwami; yangibuyisela njengokuhlanzeka kwezandla zami.
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands, he has recompensed 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. I didn’t put away his statutes from me.
23 Njalo ngangiqondile kuyo, ngizinqandile ebubini bami.
I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
24 Ngakho iNkosi ingibuyisele njengokulunga kwami, njengokuhlanzeka kwezandla zami phambi kwamehlo ayo.
Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 Kolesihawu uzaziveza ulesihawu; koqotho uzaziveza uqotho;
With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.
26 kohlanzekileyo uzaziveza uhlanzekile; lakophambukileyo uzaziveza uphambukile.
With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
27 Ngoba wena uzabasindisa abantu abahlutshwayo; kodwa amehlo aphakemeyo uzawehlisela phansi.
For you will save the afflicted people, but the arrogant eyes you will bring down.
28 Ngoba wena uzalumathisa isibane sami; iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wami, izakhanyisa ubumnyama bami.
For you will light my lamp, LORD. My God will light up my darkness.
29 Ngoba ngawe ngigijimile ngadabula phakathi kwebutho, langoNkulunkulu wami ngeqe umthangala.
For by you, I advance through a troop. 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 LORD’s word is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
31 Ngoba ngubani onguNkulunkulu ngaphandle kweNkosi? Njalo ngubani olidwala ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu wethu?
For who is God, except the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God,
32 NguNkulunkulu ongibhincisa amandla, owenza indlela yami iphelele.
the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
33 Owenza inyawo zami zibe njengezezimpala, wangimisa ezingqongeni zami.
He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places.
34 Ofundisela izandla zami impi, ukuze idandili lethusi ligotshiswe zingalo zami.
He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
35 Unginikile lesihlangu sosindiso lwakho, lesandla sakho sokunene singisekele, lobumnene bakho bungikhulisile.
You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.
36 Wenze zaba banzi izinyathelo zami ngaphansi kwami, ukuze inyawo zami zingatsheleli.
You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
37 Ngixotshene lezitha zami, ngazifica, kangibuyanga ngaze ngaziqeda.
I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed.
38 Ngazigwaza, zaze zehluleka ukuvuka, zawa ngaphansi kwenyawo zami.
I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet.
39 Ngoba ungibhincise amandla kusenzelwa impi, wabakhothamisela phansi kwami abangivukelayo.
For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40 Unginike intamo yezitha zami, labo abangizondayo ngababhubhisa.
You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
41 Bakhala, kodwa engekho umsindisi; eNkosini, kodwa kayibaphendulanga.
They cried, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them.
42 Ngasengibacholisisa njengothuli phambi komoya, ngabachitha njengodaka lwezitalada.
Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets.
43 Wangikhulula ekuphikiseni kwabantu, wangimisa ngaba yinhloko yezizwe; abantu engangingabazi bangisebenzela.
You have delivered me from the strivings of the people. You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
44 Bangenela ukuzwa ngendlebe bazangilalela, abezizweni bazazithoba kimi ngokuzenzisa.
As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
45 Abezizweni bazabuna, baphume ezinqabeni zabo bethuthumela.
The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
46 INkosi iyaphila; njalo kalidunyiswe idwala lami, kaphakanyiswe uNkulunkulu wosindiso lwami.
The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
47 UNkulunkulu onginika impindiselo, lowehlisela izizwe ngaphansi kwami;
even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
48 ongikhulula ezitheni zami; yebo, phezu kwabangivukelayo wangiphakamisa, emuntwini wodlakela wangikhulula.
He rescues me from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.
49 Ngenxa yalokhu ngizakudumisa, Nkosi, phakathi kwezizwe, ngihlabelele ibizo lakho indumiso.
Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name.
50 Iyanika inkosi yayo usindiso olukhulu, isenzela ogcotshiweyo wayo umusa, kuDavida, lenzalweni yakhe kuze kube nininini.
He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.
