Psalms 18
1 [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.
To the Overseer. — By a servant of Jehovah, by David, who hath spoken to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, and he saith: — I love Thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
2 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.
Jehovah [is] my rock, and my bulwark, And my deliverer, My God [is] my rock, I trust in Him: My shield, and a horn of my salvation, My high tower.
3 I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
The 'Praised One' I call Jehovah, And from my enemies I am saved.
4 The waves of death surrounded me, and the currents of ungodliness overwhelmed me.
Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid.
Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death. (Sheol h7585)
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried out to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry before him came into his ears.
In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh into His ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake — because He hath wrath.
8 Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
And He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet.
10 He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And He flieth on wings of wind.
11 He made darkness his hiding place, his canopy around him thick clouds dark with water.
He maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed on, with hailstones and coals of fire.
From the brightness over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire.
13 The LORD also thundered in the sky. The Most High uttered his voice.
And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out arrows and scattered them, and he shot lightning bolts and routed them.
And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them.
15 And the depths of the sea appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
And seen are the streams of waters, And revealed are foundations of the earth. From Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of Thine anger.
16 He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.
He sendeth from above — He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
He delivereth me from my strong enemy, And from those hating me, For they have been stronger than I.
18 They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
They go before me in a day of my calamity And Jehovah is for a support to me.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
And He bringeth me forth to a large place, He draweth me out, because He delighted in me.
20 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me.
Jehovah doth recompense me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not done wickedly against my God.
22 For all his ordinances were before me. I did not put away his statutes from me.
For all His judgments [are] before me, And His statutes I turn not from me.
23 I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
And I am perfect with him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity.
24 Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
And Jehovah doth return to me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, Over-against his eyes.
25 With the faithful you show yourself faithful. With the innocent you show yourself innocent.
With the kind Thou showest Thyself kind, With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect.
26 With the pure you show yourself pure. And with the crooked you show yourself tortuous.
With the pure Thou showest Thyself pure, And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler,
27 For you will save a humble people, but the eyes of the proud you will bring low.
For Thou a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall.
28 For you light my lamp. The LORD my God lights up my darkness.
For Thou — Thou lightest my lamp, Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
29 For by you, I advance through a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.
For by Thee I run — a troop! And by my God I leap a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect. The word of the LORD is pure. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
God! perfect [is] His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield [is] He to all those trusting in Him.
31 For who is God, except the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God,
For who [is] God besides Jehovah? And who [is] a rock save our God?
32 the God who girds me with strength, and makes my way blameless?
God! who is girding me [with] strength, And He maketh perfect my way.
33 He makes my feet like deer's feet, and sets me on my high places.
Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand.
34 He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms.
35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand holds me up, and your help has made me great.
And Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy right hand doth support me, And Thy lowliness maketh me great.
36 You have enlarged my steps under me, My feet have not slipped.
Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and I did not turn back until they were destroyed.
I pursue mine enemies, and overtake them, And turn back not till they are consumed.
38 I struck them through, so that they did not rise. They fell beneath my feet.
I smite them, and they are not able to rise, They fall under my feet,
39 For you have equipped me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
And Thou girdest me [with] strength for battle, Causest my withstanders to bow under me.
40 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
As to mine enemies — Thou hast given to me the neck, As to those hating me — I cut them off.
41 They cried, but there was none to save; even to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
They cry, and there is no saviour, On Jehovah, and He doth not answer them.
42 Then I ground them as fine as the dust on the surface of a path. Like the mud in the streets, I trampled them.
And I beat them as dust before wind, As mire of the streets I empty them out.
43 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;
Thou dost deliver me From the strivings of the people, Thou placest me for a head of nations, A people I have not known do serve me.
44 as soon as they hear of me they obey me. Foreigners come cringing to me;
At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me, Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me,
45 they are not bound in chains.
Sons of a stranger fade away, And are slain out of their close places.
46 The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
Jehovah liveth — and blessed [is] my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.
47 even the God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues peoples under me.
God — who is giving vengeance to me, And He subdueth peoples under me,
48 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.
My deliverer from mine enemies, Above my withstanders Thou raisest me, From a man of violence dost deliver me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name.
Therefore I confess Thee among nations, O Jehovah, And to Thy name I sing praise,
50 He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his descendants, until forever.
Magnifying the salvation of His king, And doing kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed — unto the age!
