Zaburi 18
1 Nakupenda, Yahwe, nguvu yangu.
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 Yahwe ni mwamba wangu, ngome yangu, yeye ambaye aniwekae kweye usalama; yeye ni Mungu wangu, mwamba wangu; ninapata kimbilio kwake. Yeye ni ngao yangu, pembe ya wokovu wangu, na ngome yangu.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, deliverer, my God, my rock, where I take refuge, my shield, my defender, my tower.
3 Nitamuita Yahwe kwa sababu anastahili kusifiwa, na nitaokolewa kutoka kwa adui zangu.
Worthy of praise is the Lord whom I call on, he rescues me from all my foes.
4 Kamba za mauti zilinizunguka, na mafuriko yakimbiayo yalinielemea.
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 dhiki yangu nilimuita Yahwe; Niliita msaada kwa Mungu. Naye alisikia sauti yangu kutoka hekaluni mwake; kuita kwangu msaada kulienda mpaka uweponi mwake; na kuingia masikioni pake.
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 Kisha nchi ikatikisika na kutetemeka; misingi ya milima pia ilitetemeka na kutikiswa kwa sababu Mungu alikuwa amekasirika.
Then the earth shook and quaked, mountains trembled to their foundations, and quaked because of his wrath.
8 Moshi ulifuka kutoka kwenye pua zake, na moto mkali ulitokea mdomoni mwake. Makaa yaliwashwa kwa moto huo.
Smoke went up from his nostrils, devouring fire from his mouth, coals were kindled by it.
9 Yeye alizifunua mbingu na alishuka chini, na giza nene lilikuwa chini ya miguu yake.
Then he bent the sky and came down, thick darkness was under his feet.
10 Alipanda kwenye kerubi na akaruka; alinyiririka kwenye mabawa ya upepo.
He rode on a cherub and flew, darting on wings of wind,
11 Yahwe alilifanya giza kuwa hema likimzunguka yeye, wingu la mvua zito katika mbingu.
with his screen of darkness about him, in thick dark clouds of water.
12 Mawe ya barafu na makaa ya moto yalianguka kutoka katika mwangaza kabla yake.
At the radiance before him there passed hailstones and coals of fire.
13 Yahwe aliongea katika mbingu! Sauti ya aliye juu ilisikika.
The Lord thundered from heaven, the Most High uttered his voice.
14 Yeye aliifyatua mishale yake na kuwatawanya adui zake; na radi nyingi zenye mwanga alizitawanya katika maeneo tofauti tofauti.
He shot his arrows and scattered them, flashed lightnings, and routed them.
15 Ndipo mifereji ya maji ilitokea; misingi ya dunia ikadhihirishwa kwa mlio wa pigo lako, Yahwe kwa sauti ya pumzi ya pua zako.
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 Yeye alishuka chini kutokea juu; akanishikilia mimi! Akanivuta nje ya maji yafurikayo.
He stretched from on high, he seized me, drew me up from the mighty waters,
17 Aliniokoa kutoka kwa maadui zangu wenye nguvu, kutoka kwa wale ambao walinichukia mimi, kwa kuwa walikuwa na nguvu sana kuliko mimi.
and saved me from those who hated me – fierce foes, too mighty for me.
18 Wao walikuja kinyume na mimi katika siku ile ya dhiki yangu lakini Mungu alikuwa msaada wangu!
In my day of distress they assailed me, but the Lord proved my support.
19 Yeye aliniweka huru katika eneo pana la wazi; yeye aliniokoa kwa sababu alipenezwa nami.
To a spacious place he brought me, and, for love of me, he saved me.
20 Yahwe amenitunuku mimi kwa sababu ya haki yangu; yeye amenirejesha mimi kwa sababu mikono yangu ilikuwa misafi.
The Lord repays my innocence, he rewards my cleanness of hands.
21 Kwa kuwa nimezitunza njia za Yahwe na sijafanya uovu wa kumgeuka Mungu wangu.
For I kept the ways of the Lord, nor have wickedly strayed from my God.
22 Kwa kuwa amri zake zote za haki zimekuwa mbele yangu; kama asemavyo, sijaenda kinyume nazo.
His commandments were all before me, his statutes I put not away.
23 Pia nimekuwa sina hatia mbele zake, na nimejiweka mwenyewe mbali na dhambi.
And I was blameless before him, guarding myself from sin.
24 Hivyo Yahwe amenirejesha kwa sababu ya haki yangu, na kwa sababu mikono yangu ilikuwa safi mbele ya macho yake.
So the Lord repaid my innocence, my cleanness of hands in his sight.
25 Kwa yeyote aliye mwaminifu, jionyeshe wenyewe kuwa mwaminifu; kwa mtu asiye na lawama, jionyeshe mwenyewe kuwa usiye na lawama.
With the loyal you are loyal, and with the blameless blameless.
26 Kwa yeyote aliye msafi, jionyeshe mwenyewe safi; bali ni mjanja kwa yeyote aliye geuzwa.
With the pure you show yourself pure, but shrewd with the devious.
27 Kwa kuwa wewe huwaokoa watu walio taabishwa, lakini wewe huwashusha chini wale wenye majivuno, yaani macho yaliyo jinua!
For the lowly people you save, but haughty eyes you abase.
28 Kwa kuwa wewe huipa mwanga taa yangu; Yahwe Mungu wangu hutia mwanga giza langu.
You are my lamp, Lord, my God who enlightens my darkness.
29 Kwa kuwa kwa kupitia wewe ninaweza kuruka juu ya kiwazo kilichowekwa; kupitia Mungu ninaweza kuruka juu ya ukuta.
With you I can storm a rampart, with my God I can leap a wall.
30 Kama kwa Mungu: njia yake ni kamilifu. Neno la Yahwe ni safi! Yeye ni ngao kwa yeyote anaye kimbilia katika yeye.
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 Kwa kuwa nani ni Mungu ispokuwa Yahwe? Nani ndiye mwamba ispokuwa Mungu wetu?
For who is God but the Lord? And who is a rock but our God?
32 Ni Mungu anitiaye nguvu ndani yangu kama vile mkanda, ambaye humweka mtu mwenye lawama katika njia yake.
The God who arms me with strength, who cleared and smoothed my way.
33 Yeye hunifanya miguu yangu kuwa myepesi kama mbawala na kuniweka mahali pa juu!
He made my feet like hinds’ feet, and set me up on the heights.
34 Yeye hufunza viganja vyangu kwa ajili ya vita na mikono yangu kupiga upinde wa shaba.
He taught my hands how to fight, and my arms how to bend a bronze bow.
35 Wewe umenipa mimi ngao ya wokovu. Mkono wako wa kuume umenisaidia, na neema yako imenifanya kuwa mkubwa.
The shield of your help you gave me, your right hand supports me, you stoop down to make me great.
36 Wewe umetengeneza nafasi pana kwa ajili ya miguu yangu ili miguu yangu isiteleze.
In your strength I took giant strides, and my feet never slipped.
37 Ninawashawishi adui zangu na kuwakamata; nami sikurudi nyuma mpaka walipo haribiwa.
So I chased the foe till I caught them, and turned not, till I made an end of them.
38 Niliwashambulia hata hawakuweza kuamka; nao wameangukia chini ya miguu yangu.
I smashed them, they could not rise, they fell beneath my feet.
39 Kwa kuwa unanitia nguvu kama mshipi kwa ajili ya vita; wewe unawaweka chini yangu wale ambao wanainuka kinyume na mimi.
You did arm me with strength for war, you did bow my assailants beneath me.
40 Wewe ulinipa visogo vya maadui zangu; niliwaagamiza wale walio nichukia.
You made my foes turn their back to me, and those who did hate me I finished.
41 Wao waliita msaada lakini hakuna aliye wasaidia; walimuita Yahwe, lakini hakuwaitikia.
They cried for help, but none saved them; to the Lord, but he answered them not.
42 Niliwapiga wao katika vipande vidogo vidogo kama vile vumbi mbele ya upepo; niliwatupa nje kama udongo mtaani.
I beat them like dust of the market-place, stamped them like mud of the streets.
43 Wewe uliniokoa mimi kutoka katika migogoro ya watu. wewe umenifanya kichwa juu ya mataifa. Watu ambao sikuwahi kuwafahamu huntumikia.
From the strife of the peoples you saved me, you made me head of the nations, peoples I knew not did serve me.
44 Pindi tu waliposikia kuhusu mimi, wao walinitii; wageni walilazimishwa kunisujudu.
On the instant they hear, they obey me, foreigners come to me cringing.
45 Wageni walitoka kwenye ngome yao wakitetemeka.
Foreigners lose courage, and come out of their strongholds trembling.
46 Yahwe anaishi; mwamba wangu usifiwe. Ainuliwe Mungu wa wokovu wangu.
The Lord is alive! Blest be my rock! Exalted be God, my protector!
47 Yeye ni Mungu ambaye hutelekeza visasi kwa ajili yangu, ambaye huwatiisha mataifa chini yangu.
The God who gave me revenge, and brought down nations beneath me,
48 Nimewekwa huru kutoka kwa adui zangu! wewe uliniinua juu ya wale walioinuka kunyume na mimi! Wewe uliniokoa kutoka kwa watu wenye vurugu.
who saved me from angry foes, and set me above my assailants, safe from the violent.
49 Kwa hiyo nitakushukuru wewe, Yahwe, kati ya mataifa; Nitaliimbia sifa jina lako!
For this I will praise you among the nations, making music, O Lord, to your name:
50 Mungu hutoa ushindi mkuu kwa mfalme wake, na yeye huonyesha uaminifu wa agano lake kwa mpakwa mafuta wake, kwa Daudi na ukoo wake milele.
for great triumphs he grants to his king, and faithful love he shows his anointed, to David and his seed evermore.
