Psalms 18
1 To the chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David, the servant of Jehovah, who spoke to Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Saul. And he said, I will love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
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 Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I will trust; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
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 I will call upon Jehovah, who is to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; and I am saved from my enemies.
4 The bands of death encompassed me, and torrents of Belial made me afraid.
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 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, and I cried out to my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, into his ears.
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 Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled and shook, because he was wroth.
Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals burned forth from it.
Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
9 And he bowed the heavens, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub and did fly; yea, he flew fast upon the wings of the wind.
He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place, his tent round about him: darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed forth: hail and coals of fire.
At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire.
13 And Jehovah thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice: hail and coals of fire.
The LORD also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice: hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent his arrows, and scattered [mine enemies]; and he shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts.
15 And the beds of the waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered at thy rebuke, Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
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 He reached forth from above, he took me, he drew me out of great waters:
He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me; for they were mightier than I.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
18 They encountered me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my stay.
They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
19 And he brought me forth into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
He brought me out also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands, he has recompensed me.
21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his ordinances were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me;
For all his ordinances were before me. I didn’t put away his statutes from me.
23 And I was upright with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.
I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
24 And Jehovah hath recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 With the gracious thou dost shew thyself gracious; with the upright man thou dost shew thyself upright;
With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.
26 With the pure thou dost shew thyself pure; and with the perverse thou dost shew thyself contrary.
With the pure, you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
27 For it is thou that savest the afflicted people; but the haughty eyes wilt thou bring down.
For you will save the afflicted people, but the arrogant eyes you will bring down.
28 For it is thou that makest my lamp to shine: Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
For you will light my lamp, LORD. My God will light up my darkness.
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of Jehovah is tried: he is a shield to all that trust in him.
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 For who is God save Jehovah? and who is a rock if not our God?
For who is God, except the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God,
32 The God who girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect,
the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
33 Who maketh my feet like hinds' [feet], and setteth me upon my high places;
He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and sets me on my high places.
34 Who teacheth my hands to war, and mine arms bend a bow of brass;
He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
35 And thou didst give me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand held me up; and thy condescending gentleness hath made me great.
You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand sustains me. Your gentleness has made me great.
36 Thou didst enlarge my steps under me, and mine ankles have not wavered.
You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
37 I pursued mine enemies, and overtook them; and I turned not again till they were consumed.
I will pursue my enemies, and overtake them. I won’t turn away until they are consumed.
38 I crushed them, and they were not able to rise: they fell under my feet.
I will strike them through, so that they will not be able to rise. They shall fall under my feet.
39 And thou girdedst me with strength to battle; thou didst subdue under me those that rose up against me.
For you have armed me with strength to the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40 And mine enemies didst thou make to turn their backs unto me, and those that hated me I destroyed.
You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
41 They cried, and there was none to save; — unto Jehovah, and he answered them not.
They cried, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them.
42 And I did beat them small as dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.
Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind. I cast them out as the mire of the streets.
43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; thou hast made me the head of the nations: a people I knew not doth serve me.
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 At the hearing of the ear, they obey me: strangers come cringing unto me.
As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me. The foreigners shall submit themselves to me.
45 Strangers have faded away, and they come trembling forth from their close places.
The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
46 Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation,
The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
47 The God who hath avenged me, and hath subjected the peoples to me;
even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
48 Who hath delivered me from mine enemies: yea, thou hast lifted me up above them that rose up against me; from the man of violence hast thou delivered me.
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 Therefore will I give thanks to thee, Jehovah, among the nations, and will sing psalms to thy name.
Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name.
50 [It is he] who giveth great deliverances to his king, and sheweth loving-kindness to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.
