Psalms 18

1TO THE OVERSEER. BY A SERVANT OF YHWH, BY DAVID, WHO HAS SPOKEN TO YHWH THE WORDS OF THIS SONG IN THE DAY YHWH DELIVERED HIM FROM THE HAND OF ALL HIS ENEMIES, AND FROM THE HAND OF SAUL, AND HE SAYS: I love You, O YHWH, my strength.

2YHWH [is] my rock, and my bulwark, || And my deliverer, || My God [is] my rock, || I trust in Him: My shield, and the horn of my salvation, || My high tower.

3I call on YHWH, the Praised One, || And I am saved from my enemies.

4Cords of death have surrounded me, || And streams of the worthless make me afraid.

5Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, || Snares of death have been before me.

6In my adversity I call YHWH, || And I cry to my God. He hears my voice from His temple, || And My cry comes into His ears before Him.

7And the earth shakes and trembles, || And foundations of hills are troubled, || And they shake—because He has wrath.

8Smoke has gone up from His nostrils, || And fire from His mouth consumes, || Coals have been kindled by it.

9And He inclines the heavens, and comes down, || And thick darkness [is] under His feet.

10And He rides on a cherub, and flies, || And He flies on wings of wind.

11He makes darkness His secret place, || Around Him His dwelling place, || Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

12From the brightness before Him His thick clouds have passed on, || Hail and coals of fire.

13And YHWH thunders in the heavens, || And the Most High gives forth His voice, || Hail and coals of fire.

14And He sends His arrows and scatters them, || And much lightning, and crushes them.

15And the streams of waters are seen, || And foundations of the earth are revealed, || From Your rebuke, O YHWH, || From the breath of the wind of Your anger.

16He sends from above—He takes me, || He draws me out of many waters.

17He delivers me from my strong enemy, || And from those hating me, || For they have been stronger than I.

18They go before me in a day of my calamity || And YHWH is for a support to me.

19And He brings me forth to a large place, || He draws me out, because He delighted in me.

20YHWH repays me || According to my righteousness, || According to the cleanness of my hands, || He returns to me.

21For I have kept the ways of YHWH, || And have not done wickedly against my God.

22For all His judgments [are] before me, || And I do not turn His statutes from me.

23And I am perfect with Him, || And I keep myself from my iniquity.

24And YHWH returns to me, || According to my righteousness, || According to the cleanness of my hands, || Before His eyes.

25With the kind You show Yourself kind, || With a perfect man You show Yourself perfect.

26With the pure You show Yourself pure, || And with the perverse You show Yourself a wrestler,

27For You save a poor people, || And cause the eyes of the high to fall.

28For You light my lamp, || My God YHWH enlightens my darkness.

29For by You I run [against] a troop! And by my God I leap a wall.

30God—perfect [is] His way, || The saying of YHWH is tried, || He [is] a shield to all those trusting in Him.

31For who [is] God besides YHWH? And who [is] a rock except our God?

32God—who is girding me [with] strength, || And He makes my way perfect.

33Making my feet like does, || And on my high places causes me to stand.

34Teaching my hands for battle, || And a bow of bronze was brought down by my arms.

35And You give to me the shield of Your salvation, || And Your right hand supports me, || And Your lowliness makes me great.

36You enlarge my step under me, || And my ankles have not slipped.

37I pursue my enemies, and overtake them, || And do not turn back until they are consumed.

38I strike them, and they are not able to rise, || They fall under my feet,

39And You gird me [with] strength for battle, || You cause my withstanders to bow under me.

40As for my enemies—You have given to me the neck, || As for those hating me—I cut them off.

41They cry, and there is no savior, || On YHWH, and He does not answer them.

42And I beat them as dust before wind, || I empty them out as mire of the streets.

43You deliver me || From the strivings of the people, || You place me for a head of nations, || A people I have not known serve me.

44At the hearing of the ear they listen to me, || Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me,

45Sons of a stranger fade away, || And are slain out of their close places.

46YHWH lives—and blessed [is] my rock, || And exalted is the God of my salvation.

47God—who is giving vengeance to me, || And He subdues peoples under me,

48My deliverer from my enemies, || You raise me above my withstanders, || Deliver me from a man of violence.

49Therefore I confess You among nations, O YHWH, || And I sing praise to Your Name,

50Magnifying the salvation of His king, || And doing kindness to His anointed, || To David, and to his seed—for all time!