Psalms 18
1 Yahweh, I love you, the one who enables me to be strong.
“To the chief musician, by the servant of the Lord, by David, who spoke unto the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the power of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul; And he said,” I ever love thee, O Lord, 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, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I trust; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 I called out to Yahweh, who deserves to be praised, and he rescued me from my enemies.
Praised, I cried, be the Lord, and from my enemies was I saved.
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.
The bonds of death encompassed me, and the floods of destruction made me afraid.
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 bonds of hell encircled me: the snares of death seized on 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].
[When] in my distress I called upon the Lord, and unto my God I cried: he heard from his temple my voice, and my complaint came before him, even into his ears.
7 Then the earth quaked/shook strongly [DOU]; the mountains shook very strongly from their centers [DOU] because Yahweh was angry.
Then shook and trembled the earth; and the foundations of the mountains were moved; and they were shaken, because he was wroth.
8 [It was as though] smoke poured out from his nostrils, and [as though] burning coals came out of his mouth.
Smoke went up in his anger and consuming fire out of his mouth: coals flamed forth from him.
9 He opened the sky and came down with a black cloud under his feet.
And he bent the heavens, and came down: and thick darkness was under his feet:
10 He flew, riding on the back of a creature that had wings, traveling [fast], blown along by the wind.
And he rode upon a cherub, and flew along, and he flitted by upon the wings of the wind.
11 Darkness was all around him [like a blanket] [MET]; dark clouds, full of moisture, covered him [MET].
He made darkness his hiding-place, round about him as his pavilion, dark waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 Hailstones and flashes of lightning were around him; hail and burning coals fell from the sky.
From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed away, [with] hail-stones and coals of fire.
13 Then Yahweh [spoke in a loud voice] from the sky, and [his enemies] heard his voice that sounded like thunder.
And the Lord thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered forth his voice, [with] hail-stones and coals of fire.
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).
And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 The bottom of the ocean became visible, and the foundations of the earth were uncovered, when Yahweh rebuked his enemies when he snorted.
And then were seen the channels of the waters, and there were laid open the foundations of the world, through thy rebuke, O Lord, through the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 [It was as though] he reached down from heaven and grabbed me and pulled me up out of the deep ocean.
He stretched out from above [his hand], he took me; he drew me out from mighty waters.
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 delivered me from my enemy, the strong, and from those that hated me, when they were too mighty for me.
18 When I (was distressed/had troubles), they attacked me, but Yahweh defended/protected me.
They overcame me on the day of my calamity; but the Lord became my stay.
19 He led me to a place where I was safe; he rescued me because he was pleased with me.
And he brought me forth into a large space; he delivered me, because he had delight in me.
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 according to my righteousness; according to the purity of my hands did he recompense me.
21 I have obeyed Yahweh’s laws; I have not abandoned him.
For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 My behavior was directed by his rules; I have not stopped obeying them.
For all his ordinances were before me, and his statutes had I not put away from me.
23 He knows that I have not done what is wrong; I have kept myself from sinning.
I was also upright with him, and I guarded myself against my iniquity.
24 So he rewards me because I do what is right; he knows that I [SYN] have not committed sins.
Therefore did the Lord recompense me according to my righteousness, according to the purity of my hands before his eyes.
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.
With the kind thou wilt show thyself kind; with the upright man thou wilt show thyself upright;
26 You are kind to those who are kind to others, but you act wisely toward those who (act perversely/do bad things).
With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt wage a contest.
27 You save those who are humble, but you cause those who are proud to be humiliated/ashamed.
For thou wilt indeed save the afflicted people; but haughty eyes wilt thou bring down.
28 You give light to my [soul/spirit]; you take away the darkness of my soul.
For thou wilt cause my light to shine: the Lord my God will enlighten 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].
For [aided] by thee I run through a troop; and [helped] by my God I leap over a 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.
As for God, —his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a shield to all those that trust in him.
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 save the Lord? or who is a rock beside 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.
He is the God that girdeth me with strength, and rendereth my way unobstructed.
33 He enables me to [walk swiftly without stumbling], like a deer walks/runs in the mountains.
He maketh my feet like those of the hinds, and upon my high-places he causeth me to stand.
34 He teaches me how to use a strong/metal bow in order that I can use it to fight in battles.
He teacheth my hands for the war, so that a brazen bow is bent by my arms.
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.
And thou gavest me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand supported me: and thy meekness hath made me great.
36 You have cleared the road for me, with the result that now I do not slip/stumble.
Thou enlargest my steps under me, so that my joints do not slip.
37 I have pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until I had defeated/killed them all.
I pursue my enemies, and overtake them; and I return not again till I have made an end of them.
38 When I strike them, they are not able to get up again; they lie on the ground, defeated.
I crush them that they are not able to rise: they fall under my feet.
39 You have enabled me to be strong in order that I can fight battles and defeat my enemies.
For thou hast girded me with strength for the war: thou subduest my opponents under 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.
And my enemies thou causest to turn their back to me; and those that hate me, —that I may destroy them.
41 They called out for someone to help them, but no one saved them.
They cry, but there is none to help; unto the Lord, —but he answereth them not.
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.
And I beat them small as the dust before the wind: like the dirt in the streets do I cast them out.
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].
Thou deliverest me from the contests of the people; thou appointest me to be the head of nations: a people that I know not shall serve me.
44 When foreigners hear about me, they (cringe/bow low before me) and they obey me.
As soon as their ear heareth they shall be obedient to me: the children of the stranger shall utter flattery unto me.
45 They are no longer courageous, and from their forts [where they were hiding] they come [to me] trembling.
The children of the stranger shall fade away, and come forth trembling out of their close places.
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 liveth, and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation;
47 He enables me to get revenge on my enemies; he causes me to defeat nations and to rule over them,
The God that granteth me vengeance, and subdueth nations 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].
That delivereth me from my enemies: also above my opponents thou liftest me up; thou deliverest me from the man of violence.
49 So I praise him [and I tell] the nations [the great things that he has done].
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee among the nations, O Lord, and unto thy name will I sing praises, —
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.
[To him] that maketh great the salvation of his king, and who sheweth kindness to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for ever.
