Psalms 18
1 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.
Kumqondisi wokuhlabela. ElikaDavida inceku kaThixo Wahlabelela uJehova amazwi alelihubo lapho uJehova wamsindisa esandleni sezitha zakhe zonke lasesandleni sikaSawuli. Wathi: Ngiyakuthanda, Oh Thixo, Mandla ami.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, deliverer, my God, my rock, where I take refuge, my shield, my defender, my tower.
UThixo ulidwala lami, inqaba yami, lomsindisi wami; uNkulunkulu wami ulidwala lami, lapho engiphephela khona, isihlangu sami lophondo lokusindiswa kwami, inqaba yami.
3 Worthy of praise is the Lord whom I call on, he rescues me from all my foes.
Ngakhuleka kuThixo ofanele ukudunyiswa njalo ngikhululwe ezitheni zami.
4 The waves of death broke about me, fearful floods of chaos.
Izibopho zokufa zangihilela; lezikhukhula zokubhubhisa zangikhulela.
Izibopho zengcwaba zangithandela; imijibila yokufa yangijamela. (Sheol h7585)
6 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.
Ekukhathazekeni kwami ngakhuleka kuThixo; ngakhala kuNkulunkulu wami ngicela usizo. Walizwa ilizwi lami esethempelini lakhe; ukukhala kwami kwafinyelela kuye, ezindlebeni zakhe.
7 Then the earth shook and quaked, mountains trembled to their foundations, and quaked because of his wrath.
Umhlaba wagedezela wazamazama, izisekelo zezintaba zanyikinyeka; zagedezela ngoba wayethukuthele.
8 Smoke went up from his nostrils, devouring fire from his mouth, coals were kindled by it.
Intuthu yalanquka emakhaleni Akhe umlilo ohangulayo waphuma emlonyeni wakhe, amalahle avuthayo alavuka ephuma kuwo.
9 Then he bent the sky and came down, thick darkness was under his feet.
Waqhekeza amazulu wehlela phansi; amayezi amnyama ayengaphansi kwezinyawo zakhe
10 He rode on a cherub and flew, darting on wings of wind,
Wagada amakherubhi waphapha; wantweza phezu kwamaphiko omoya.
11 with his screen of darkness about him, in thick dark clouds of water.
Wenza umnyama isembeso sakhe, isigubuzelo esimhanqileyo, amayezi ezulu amnyama asemkhathini.
12 At the radiance before him there passed hailstones and coals of fire.
Phakathi kokukhazimula kobukhona bakhe kwaqubuka amayezi, kulesiqhotho lezikhatha zombane.
13 The Lord thundered from heaven, the Most High uttered his voice.
UThixo wakhwaza esezulwini; ilizwi loPhezukonke lanqenqetha.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them, flashed lightnings, and routed them.
Waciba imitshoko wazihlakaza izitha, ngembane eminengi waziqothula.
15 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.
Izigodi zolwandle zambulwa lezisekelo zomhlaba zavezwa obala ekukhuzeni kwakho Thixo, ngomfutho wokuphefumula kwamakhala akho.
16 He stretched from on high, he seized me, drew me up from the mighty waters,
Welula isandla Sakhe esezulwini wangibamba wangihlenga enzikini yamanzi.
17 and saved me from those who hated me – fierce foes, too mighty for me.
Wangihlenga esitheni sami esilamandla, ezitheni zami ezazingigabhela ngamandla.
18 In my day of distress they assailed me, but the Lord proved my support.
Zangijamela mhla ngisebunzimeni, kodwa uThixo waba yinsika yami.
19 To a spacious place he brought me, and, for love of me, he saved me.
Wangikhupha wangibeka endaweni ebanzi wangihlenga ngoba wayethokoza ngami.
20 The Lord repays my innocence, he rewards my cleanness of hands.
UThixo ungenzele okulingene ukulunga kwami; wanginika umvuzo ngokufanele ukuhlanzeka kwezandla zami.
21 For I kept the ways of the Lord, nor have wickedly strayed from my God.
Ngoba ngizigcinile izindlela zikaThixo; angenzanga okubi ngokufulathela uNkulunkulu wami.
22 His commandments were all before me, his statutes I put not away.
Yonke imithetho yakhe ibiphambi kwami; angizifulathelanga izimiso zakhe.
23 And I was blameless before him, guarding myself from sin.
Ngibe ngilokhu ngimsulwa phambi kwakhe njalo ngisixwayile isono.
24 So the Lord repaid my innocence, my cleanness of hands in his sight.
UThixo unginike umvuzo ngokufanele ukulunga kwami, ngokufanele ukuhlanzeka kwezandla zami phambi Kwakhe.
25 With the loyal you are loyal, and with the blameless blameless.
Kwabathembekileyo lawe uthembekile, kwabamsulwa lawe umsulwa.
26 With the pure you show yourself pure, but shrewd with the devious.
Kwabahlanzekileyo uziveza uhlanzekile kodwa kwabangaqondanga uziveza ukhaliphile.
27 For the lowly people you save, but haughty eyes you abase.
Uyabasindisa abathobekileyo; kodwa uyabehlisela phansi labo abamehlo asesiphundu.
28 You are my lamp, Lord, my God who enlightens my darkness.
Wena, Oh Thixo, gcina isibane sami sibhebha; uNkulunkulu wami uguqula umnyama wami ube yikukhanya.
29 With you I can storm a rampart, with my God I can leap a wall.
Ngosizo lwakho ngingaphuma ngimelane lebutho lempi; ngoNkulunkulu wami ngingaweqa umduli.
30 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. He is shield to all who take refuge in him.
Izindlela zikaNkulunkulu uqobo lwakhe ziphelele; ilizwi likaThixo kalilasici. Ulihawu labo bonke abaphephela kuye.
31 For who is God but the Lord? And who is a rock but our God?
Ngoba ngubani uNkulunkulu ngaphandle kukaThixo? Njalo ngubani oliDwala ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu wethu na?
32 The God who arms me with strength, who cleared and smoothed my way.
NguNkulunkulu ongihlomisa amandla enze indlela yami iphelele.
33 He made my feet like hinds’ feet, and set me up on the heights.
Wenza inyawo zami zibe njengezempala; ungenza ngime ezingqongweni
34 He taught my hands how to fight, and my arms how to bend a bronze bow.
Ufundisa izandla zami ukulwa impi; izingalo zami zingaligobisa idandili lethusi.
35 The shield of your help you gave me, your right hand supports me, you stoop down to make me great.
Wena uyanginika isihlangu sakho sokunqoba, lesandla sakho sokunene siyangiqinisa; uyazehlisela phansi ukuze ungenze ngibe mkhulu.
36 In your strength I took giant strides, and my feet never slipped.
Uqhelisa indlela enginyathela kuyo, ukuze inqagala zami zingapheci.
37 So I chased the foe till I caught them, and turned not, till I made an end of them.
Ngaxotshana lezitha zami ngazifica; kangiphendukanga ngingakazibhubhisi zonke.
38 I smashed them, they could not rise, they fell beneath my feet.
Ngazichoboza, zazingeke zisavuka; zawela ngaphansi kwezinyawo zami
39 You did arm me with strength for war, you did bow my assailants beneath me.
Wangihlomisa ngamandla okulwa impi; wenza abaxabana lami bakhothama ezinyaweni zami.
40 You made my foes turn their back to me, and those who did hate me I finished.
Wenza izitha zami zafulathela zabaleka, njalo ngazibhubhisa izitha zami.
41 They cried for help, but none saved them; to the Lord, but he answered them not.
Bakhala becela uncedo, kodwa wayengekho owayengabalamulela kuThixo, kodwa kaphendulanga.
42 I beat them like dust of the market-place, stamped them like mud of the streets.
Ngabatshaya bacholeka njengothuli luphetshulwa ngumoya; ngabathulula njengodaka ezindleleni.
43 From the strife of the peoples you saved me, you made me head of the nations, peoples I knew not did serve me.
Ungikhulule ekuhlaselweni yilababantu; usungenze ngaba yinhloko yezizwe; abantu engangingabazi sebebuswa yimi.
44 On the instant they hear, they obey me, foreigners come to me cringing.
Bathi bengizwa nje ngendaba, bangilalele; abezizweni bayatshotshobala phambi kwami.
45 Foreigners lose courage, and come out of their strongholds trembling.
Bonke badelile; beza bethuthumela bevela ezinqabeni zabo.
46 The Lord is alive! Blest be my rock! Exalted be God, my protector!
Uthixo uyaphila! Alidunyiswe iDwala lami! Kaphakanyiswe uNkulunkulu uMsindisi wami!
47 The God who gave me revenge, and brought down nations beneath me,
UnguNkulunkulu ongiphindiselelayo, onqoba izizwe zibe ngaphansi kwami,
48 who saved me from angry foes, and set me above my assailants, safe from the violent.
ongisindisayo ezitheni zami. Wena wangikhuphula ngaphezu kwezitha zami; wangihlenga ebantwini bodlakela.
49 For this I will praise you among the nations, making music, O Lord, to your name:
Ngakho ngizakudumisa phakathi kwezizwe, Oh Thixo; ngizahlabelela indumiso yebizo lakho.
50 for great triumphs he grants to his king, and faithful love he shows his anointed, to David and his seed evermore.
Upha inkosi yakhe ukunqoba okukhulu; utshengisa umusa wakhe ongaphuthiyo kogcotshiweyo wakhe, kuDavida kanye lezizukulwane zakhe kuze kube nininini.
