Psalms 18
1 Yahweh, I love you, the one who enables me to be strong.
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.
2 Yahweh is like an [overhanging] rock [DOU, MET] [under which I can hide from my enemies]; he is like a strong fortress, the one who protects me; he protects me like a shield [MET] [protects a soldier]; he is the one to whom I go (for refuge/to be protected/safe), and he defends me by his great power [IDM].
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.
3 I called out to Yahweh, who deserves to be praised, and he rescued me from my enemies.
I call for help from the Lord who should be praised, and he saves me from those who hate me.
4 All around me were dangerous situations in which I might be killed [PRS]; it was as though there were huge waves [MET] that almost crashed on me and killed me.
Ropes of death encircled me, surging waters of destruction flooded over me;
5 [It was as though] the place where dead people are had ropes that were wrapped around me, or [it was as though] there was a trap [MET] that would [seize and] kill me. (Sheol h7585)
The grave wound its ropes around me; death set snares for me. (Sheol h7585)
6 But when I was very distressed, I called out to Yahweh, and from his temple he heard me. He listened to me when I cried out [for help].
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.
7 Then the earth quaked/shook strongly [DOU]; the mountains shook very strongly from their centers [DOU] because Yahweh was angry.
The earth shook to and fro; the foundations of the mountains trembled, shaking because of his anger.
8 [It was as though] smoke poured out from his nostrils, and [as though] burning coals came out of his mouth.
Smoke came out of his nostrils, and fire came from his mouth; burning coals blazed before him.
9 He opened the sky and came down with a black cloud under his feet.
He parted the heavens and came down, with dark clouds beneath his feet.
10 He flew, riding on the back of a creature that had wings, traveling [fast], blown along by the wind.
Riding on an angel he flew, swooping on the wings of the wind.
11 Darkness was all around him [like a blanket] [MET]; dark clouds, full of moisture, covered him [MET].
He hid himself in darkness, covering himself with black thunderclouds.
12 Hailstones and flashes of lightning were around him; hail and burning coals fell from the sky.
Hailstones and burning coals flew out from his brightness, passing through his thick clouds.
13 Then Yahweh [spoke in a loud voice] from the sky, and [his enemies] heard his voice that sounded like thunder.
The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High sounded among the hailstones and burning coals.
14 He shot his arrows at them and caused them to scatter; His flashes of lightning caused them to become very confused (OR, to run away).
He fired his arrows, scattering his enemies; he routed them with his lightning bolts.
15 The bottom of the ocean became visible, and the foundations of the earth were uncovered, when Yahweh rebuked his enemies when he snorted.
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.
16 [It was as though] he reached down from heaven and grabbed me and pulled me up out of the deep ocean.
He reached down his hand from above and grabbed hold of me. He pulled me out of the deep water.
17 He rescued me from my strong enemies who hated me; they were very strong, with the result that I [could not defeat them].
He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and who were much stronger than me.
18 When I (was distressed/had troubles), they attacked me, but Yahweh defended/protected me.
They came at me at my worst possible moment, but the Lord supported me.
19 He led me to a place where I was safe; he rescued me because he was pleased with me.
He set me free, he rescued me because he's my friend.
20 Yahweh has rewarded me because I do what is right; he has blessed me because I (am innocent/have not done things that are wrong).
The Lord rewarded me because I do what's right; he repaid me because I am innocent.
21 I have obeyed Yahweh’s laws; I have not abandoned him.
For I have followed the Lord's ways; I have not sinned by turning away from my God.
22 My behavior was directed by his rules; I have not stopped obeying them.
I have kept all his laws in mind; I have not ignored his commandments.
23 He knows that I have not done what is wrong; I have kept myself from sinning.
I am blameless in his sight; I keep myself from sinning.
24 So he rewards me because I do what is right; he knows that I [SYN] have not committed sins.
The Lord rewarded me for doing what's right. I am innocent in his sight.
25 Yahweh, you are faithful to those who faithfully [do what you tell them to do]; you always do what is good/right to those who do what you want them to do.
You show trust to those who trust; you show integrity to those with integrity,
26 You are kind to those who are kind to others, but you act wisely toward those who (act perversely/do bad things).
You show yourself pure to those who are pure, but you show yourself smart to those who are crafty.
27 You save those who are humble, but you cause those who are proud to be humiliated/ashamed.
You save the humble, but you bring down the proud.
28 You give light to my [soul/spirit]; you take away the darkness of my soul.
You light my lamp! Lord, my God, you light up my darkness!
29 You enable me to be strong, with the result that I can run and attack a line of enemy soldiers; with your help I can (scale/climb up) the walls [that surround my enemies’ cities].
With you, I can charge down a troop of soldiers; with you, my God, I can climb a fortress wall.
30 Everything that Yahweh my God does is perfect. We can depend on him to do what he promises. He is like a shield [MET] to protect all those who go to him for refuge.
God's way is absolutely right. What the Lord says is trustworthy. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
31 Yahweh is [RHQ] the only one who is God; only he is like an [overhanging] rock [under which we can be safe].
For who is God except the Lord? Who is the rock, except our God?
32 God is the one who enables me to be strong and who keeps me safe on the roads that I walk on.
God makes me strong and keeps me safe.
33 He enables me to [walk swiftly without stumbling], like a deer walks/runs in the mountains.
He makes me surefooted like the deer, able to walk the heights in safety.
34 He teaches me how to use a strong/metal bow in order that I can use it to fight in battles.
He teaches me how to fight in battle; he gives me the strength to draw a bronze bow.
35 Yahweh, you protect and save me with your shield; you have made me safe by your power [MTY]. I have become (strong/a great [king]) because you have helped me.
You protect me with the shield of your salvation; you support me with your powerful right hand; your help has made me great.
36 You have cleared the road for me, with the result that now I do not slip/stumble.
You gave me space in which to walk, and prevented my feet from slipping.
37 I have pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until I had defeated/killed them all.
I chased my enemies, and caught up with them. I did not turn around until I had destroyed them.
38 When I strike them, they are not able to get up again; they lie on the ground, defeated.
I struck them down—they couldn't get up. They fell at my feet.
39 You have enabled me to be strong in order that I can fight battles and defeat my enemies.
You made me strong for battle; you made those who rose up against me kneel down before me.
40 You caused my enemies to run away (OR, you enabled me to put my foot on my enemies’ necks [after I captured them and forced them to lie on the ground]); I have gotten rid of all those who hated me.
You made my enemies run away; I destroyed all my enemies.
41 They called out for someone to help them, but no one saved them.
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.
42 I pulverize them, with the result that they become like [MET] the dust that the wind [blows away]; I throw them out like [SIM] [people throw] dirt out into the streets.
I ground them into dust, like dust in the wind. I threw them out like mud in the street.
43 You enabled me to defeat those who fought against me, and appointed me to be the ruler of [many]; people whom I did not know about previously are now slaves [in my kingdom].
You rescued me from rebellious people; you made me ruler over nations—people I didn't know now serve me.
44 When foreigners hear about me, they (cringe/bow low before me) and they obey me.
As soon as they hear of me, they obey; foreigners cringe before me.
45 They are no longer courageous, and from their forts [where they were hiding] they come [to me] trembling.
They lose heart, and come trembling in surrender from their strongholds.
46 Yahweh is alive! Praise the one who is like an [overhanging] rock [MET] [under which I am safe] Exalt the God who saves me!
The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock! May the God who saves me be praised!
47 He enables me to get revenge on my enemies; he causes me to defeat nations and to rule over them,
God avenges me, he subdues peoples under me,
48 and he rescues me from my enemies. He has lifted me up high so that violent men could not reach me [and harm me].
he rescues me from those who hate me. You keep me safe from those who rebel against me, you save me from violent men.
49 So I praise him [and I tell] the nations [the great things that he has done].
That's why I will praise you among the nations, Lord; I will sing praises about who you are.
50 He has enabled me, his king, to powerfully defeat my enemies; he faithfully loves me, David, the one he has chosen [to be king], and he will faithfully love my descendants forever.
You have saved the king so often, showing your trustworthy love to David, your anointed, and to his descendants forever.
