Psalms 18
1 To the music director. A psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who sang the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord saved him from all his enemies, and from Saul. He sang: I love you, Lord. You are my strength.
To the chief Musician. Of the servant of Yahweh, of David, —who spake unto Yahweh the words of this song, —in the day when Yahweh had rescued him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul; and he said: — I will love thee, O Yahweh my strength!
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my Savior. He is my God, my rock who protects me. He shields me from harm, his power protects me, he keeps me safe.
Yahweh, was my mountain crag and my stronghold, and my deliverer: My GOD, was my rock, I sought refuge in him, My shield, and my horn of salvation, my high tower.
3 I call for help from the Lord who should be praised, and he saves me from those who hate me.
As one worthy to be praised, called I on Yahweh, —And, from my foes, was I saved.
4 Ropes of death encircled me, surging waters of destruction flooded over me;
The meshes of death encompassed me, The torrents of perdition, made me afraid;
The meshes of hades, had surrounded me, The snares of death, had confronted me, (Sheol h7585)
6 In my despair I called on the Lord—I cried out to my God for help. He heard my voice from his Temple—my cry for help reached his ears.
In my distress, called I on Yahweh, And, unto my God, made outcry for help, He heard, out of his temple, my voice, And my outcry for help came before him—entered into his ears!
7 The earth shook to and fro; the foundations of the mountains trembled, shaking because of his anger.
Then did the earth shake and quake, Even, the foundations of the mountains, were deeply moved, Yea they did shake, because he was angry.
8 Smoke came out of his nostrils, and fire came from his mouth; burning coals blazed before him.
There went up smoke in his nostrils, and, a fire out of his mouth, devoured, Live coals, were kindled from it:
9 He parted the heavens and came down, with dark clouds beneath his feet.
Then he stretched out the heaven, and came down, —and, thick gloom, was under his feet;
10 Riding on an angel he flew, swooping on the wings of the wind.
Then he rode on a cherub, and flew, and darted on the wings of the wind;
11 He hid himself in darkness, covering himself with black thunderclouds.
Made darkness his hiding-place, Round about him—his pavilion, Darkness of waters, clouds of vapours.
12 Hailstones and burning coals flew out from his brightness, passing through his thick clouds.
Out of the brightness before him, his clouds rolled along, hail, and live coals of fire.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High sounded among the hailstones and burning coals.
Then did Yahweh thunder in the heavens, and the Highest uttered his voice, —hail, and live coals of fire.
14 He fired his arrows, scattering his enemies; he routed them with his lightning bolts.
And he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, yea, lightnings, he shot out, and confused them.
15 You roared, Lord, and by the wind from the breath of your nostrils the valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth were uncovered.
Then appeared the channels of waters, were uncovered the foundations of the world, —At thy rebuke O Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He reached down his hand from above and grabbed hold of me. He pulled me out of the deep water.
He sent from on high, he took me, —he drew me out of many waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and who were much stronger than me.
He rescued me from my foe, in his might, and from them who hated me, because they were too strong for me:
18 They came at me at my worst possible moment, but the Lord supported me.
They confronted me, in the day of my necessity, Then became Yahweh my stay:
19 He set me free, he rescued me because he's my friend.
And brought me out, into a large place, he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 The Lord rewarded me because I do what's right; he repaid me because I am innocent.
Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, he repaid me;
21 For I have followed the Lord's ways; I have not sinned by turning away from my God.
For I had kept the ways of Yahweh, and not broken away from my God;
22 I have kept all his laws in mind; I have not ignored his commandments.
For, all his regulations, were before me, and, his statutes, did I not put from me:
23 I am blameless in his sight; I keep myself from sinning.
So became I blameless with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 The Lord rewarded me for doing what's right. I am innocent in his sight.
Yahweh therefore repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the pureness of my hands, before his eyes.
25 You show trust to those who trust; you show integrity to those with integrity,
With the loving, thou didst show thyself loving, —With the blameless man, thou didst show thyself blameless;
26 You show yourself pure to those who are pure, but you show yourself smart to those who are crafty.
With the pure, thou didst show thyself pure, But, with the perverse, thou didst show thyself ready to contend.
27 You save the humble, but you bring down the proud.
For, as for thee, an oppressed people, thou didst save, but, looks that were lofty, layedst thou low;
28 You light my lamp! Lord, my God, you light up my darkness!
For, thou, didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God, enlightened my darkness;
29 With you, I can charge down a troop of soldiers; with you, my God, I can climb a fortress wall.
For, by thee, I ran through a troop, and, by my God, I leapt over a wall.
30 God's way is absolutely right. What the Lord says is trustworthy. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
As for GOD, blameless is his way, The speech of Yahweh hath been proved, A shield, he is to all who seek refuge in him.
31 For who is God except the Lord? Who is the rock, except our God?
For who is a GOD, save Yahweh? And who is a Rock, save our God?
32 God makes me strong and keeps me safe.
The GOD who girded me with strength, and set forth, as blameless, my way:
33 He makes me surefooted like the deer, able to walk the heights in safety.
Planting my feet like hinds’ [feet], yea, on my high places, he caused me to stand:
34 He teaches me how to fight in battle; he gives me the strength to draw a bronze bow.
Teaching my hands to war, —so that a bow of bronze was bent by mine arms.
35 You protect me with the shield of your salvation; you support me with your powerful right hand; your help has made me great.
Thus didst thou grant me, as a shield, thy salvation, —and, thy right hand, sustained me, and, thy condescension, made me great.
36 You gave me space in which to walk, and prevented my feet from slipping.
Thou didst widen my stepping-places under me, so that, mine ankles, faltered not.
37 I chased my enemies, and caught up with them. I did not turn around until I had destroyed them.
I pursued my foes, and overtook them, and returned not, till they were consumed:
38 I struck them down—they couldn't get up. They fell at my feet.
I crushed them, and they were unable to rise, They fell under my feet.
39 You made me strong for battle; you made those who rose up against me kneel down before me.
Thus didst thou gird me with strength, for the battle, Thou subduedst mine assailants under me.
40 You made my enemies run away; I destroyed all my enemies.
As for my foes, thou didst give me their neck, and, as for them who hated me, I destroyed them.
41 They cried out for help, but no one came to rescue them. They even called out to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
They cried out, but there was none to save, unto Yahweh, but he answered them not.
42 I ground them into dust, like dust in the wind. I threw them out like mud in the street.
Then did I beat them in pieces, like dust on the face of the wind. Like the mire in the lanes, did I scatter them.
43 You rescued me from rebellious people; you made me ruler over nations—people I didn't know now serve me.
Thus didst thou rescue me from the contentions of a people, —didst appoint me to be the head of nations, A people I had not known, served me:
44 As soon as they hear of me, they obey; foreigners cringe before me.
At the hearing of the ear, they submitted to me, the sons of the foreigner, came cringing unto me:
45 They lose heart, and come trembling in surrender from their strongholds.
The sons of the foreigner, lost heart, and came quaking out of their fortresses.
46 The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock! May the God who saves me be praised!
Yahweh liveth and, blessed, be my Rock, yea, exalted, be the God of my salvation:
47 God avenges me, he subdues peoples under me,
The GOD, who hath avenged me, —and subjugated peoples under me:
48 he rescues me from those who hate me. You keep me safe from those who rebel against me, you save me from violent men.
Who hath delivered me from my foes, —Yea, from mine assailants, hast thou set me on high, From the man of violence, hast thou rescued me.
49 That's why I will praise you among the nations, Lord; I will sing praises about who you are.
For this cause, will I praise thee among the nations, O Yahweh, and, to thy Name, will I sweep the strings: —
50 You have saved the king so often, showing your trustworthy love to David, your anointed, and to his descendants forever.
Who hath made great the victories of his King, —and shown lovingkindness to his Anointed One, To David and to his Seed, Unto times age-abiding.
