Psalms 18
1 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!
I will love thee, O YHWH, my strength.
2 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.
YHWH is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my El, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 As one worthy to be praised, called I on Yahweh, —And, from my foes, was I saved.
I will call upon YHWH, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The meshes of death encompassed me, The torrents of perdition, made me afraid;
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of destruction made me afraid.
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. (Sheol h7585)
6 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!
In my distress I called upon YHWH, and cried unto my Elohim: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
7 Then did the earth shake and quake, Even, the foundations of the mountains, were deeply moved, Yea they did shake, because he was angry.
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
8 There went up smoke in his nostrils, and, a fire out of his mouth, devoured, Live coals, were kindled from it:
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
9 Then he stretched out the heaven, and came down, —and, thick gloom, was under his feet;
He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
10 Then he rode on a cherub, and flew, and darted on the wings of the wind;
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11 Made darkness his hiding-place, Round about him—his pavilion, Darkness of waters, clouds of vapours.
He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 Out of the brightness before him, his clouds rolled along, hail, and live coals of fire.
At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13 Then did Yahweh thunder in the heavens, and the Highest uttered his voice, —hail, and live coals of fire.
YHWH also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, yea, lightnings, he shot out, and confused them.
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 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.
Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O YHWH, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, he took me, —he drew me out of many waters.
He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17 He rescued me from my foe, in his might, and from them who hated me, because they were too strong for me:
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me, in the day of my necessity, Then became Yahweh my stay:
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but YHWH was my stay.
19 And brought me out, into a large place, he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, he repaid me;
YHWH rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
21 For I had kept the ways of Yahweh, and not broken away from my God;
For I have kept the ways of YHWH, and have not wickedly departed from my Elohim.
22 For, all his regulations, were before me, and, his statutes, did I not put from me:
For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23 So became I blameless with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.
I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 Yahweh therefore repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the pureness of my hands, before his eyes.
Therefore hath YHWH recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 With the loving, thou didst show thyself loving, —With the blameless man, thou didst show thyself blameless;
With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
26 With the pure, thou didst show thyself pure, But, with the perverse, thou didst show thyself ready to contend.
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
27 For, as for thee, an oppressed people, thou didst save, but, looks that were lofty, layedst thou low;
For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
28 For, thou, didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God, enlightened my darkness;
For thou wilt light my candle: YHWH my Elohim will enlighten my darkness.
29 For, by thee, I ran through a troop, and, by my God, I leapt over a wall.
For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my Elohim have I leaped over a wall.
30 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.
As for El, his way is perfect: the word of YHWH is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 For who is a GOD, save Yahweh? And who is a Rock, save our God?
For who is Eloah save YHWH? or who is a rock save our Elohim?
32 The GOD who girded me with strength, and set forth, as blameless, my way:
It is El that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
33 Planting my feet like hinds’ [feet], yea, on my high places, he caused me to stand:
He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.
34 Teaching my hands to war, —so that a bow of bronze was bent by mine arms.
He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
35 Thus didst thou grant me, as a shield, thy salvation, —and, thy right hand, sustained me, and, thy condescension, made me great.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
36 Thou didst widen my stepping-places under me, so that, mine ankles, faltered not.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
37 I pursued my foes, and overtook them, and returned not, till they were consumed:
I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
38 I crushed them, and they were unable to rise, They fell under my feet.
I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
39 Thus didst thou gird me with strength, for the battle, Thou subduedst mine assailants under me.
For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
40 As for my foes, thou didst give me their neck, and, as for them who hated me, I destroyed them.
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
41 They cried out, but there was none to save, unto Yahweh, but he answered them not.
They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto YHWH, but he answered them not.
42 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.
Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
43 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:
Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
44 At the hearing of the ear, they submitted to me, the sons of the foreigner, came cringing unto me:
As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
45 The sons of the foreigner, lost heart, and came quaking out of their fortresses.
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.
46 Yahweh liveth and, blessed, be my Rock, yea, exalted, be the God of my salvation:
YHWH liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the Elohim of my salvation be exalted.
47 The GOD, who hath avenged me, —and subjugated peoples under me:
It is El that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
48 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.
He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
49 For this cause, will I praise thee among the nations, O Yahweh, and, to thy Name, will I sweep the strings: —
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O YHWH, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
50 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.
Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.
