Psalms 18

1 I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.

1To the Overseer. --By a servant of Jehovah, by David, who hath spoken to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, and he saith: --I love Thee, O Jehovah, my strength.

2Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.

2Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> my rock, and my bulwark, And my deliverer, My God <FI>is<Fi> my rock, I trust in Him: My shield, and a horn of my salvation, My high tower.

3I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies.

3The `Praised One' I call Jehovah, And from my enemies I am saved.

4The cords of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

4Compassed me have cords of death, And streams of the worthless make me afraid.

5The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me.

5Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death.

6In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry before him came into his ears.

6In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh into His ears.

7Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations also of the mountains quaked And were shaken, because he was wroth.

7And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake--because He hath wrath.

8There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it.

8Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.

9He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet.

9And He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness <FI>is<Fi> under His feet.

10And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind.

10And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And He flieth on wings of wind.

11He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion round about him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

11He maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

12At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire.

12From the brightness over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire.

13Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.

13And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire.

14And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.

14And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them.

15Then the channels of waters appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare, At thy rebuke, O Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

15And seen are the streams of waters, And revealed are foundations of the earth. From Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of Thine anger.

16He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters.

16He sendeth from above--He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.

17He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from them that hated me; for they were too mighty for me.

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

18They came upon me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay.

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

19He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.

19And He bringeth me forth to a large place, He draweth me out, because He delighted in me.

20Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

20Jehovah doth recompense me According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me.

21For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God.

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

22For all his ordinances were before me, And I put not away his statutes from me.

22For all His judgments <FI>are<Fi> before me, And His statutes I turn not from me.

23I was also perfect with him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity.

23And I am perfect with him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity.

24Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

24And Jehovah doth return to me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, Over-against his eyes.

25With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect;

25With the kind Thou showest Thyself kind, With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect.

26With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward.

26With the pure Thou showest Thyself pure, And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler,

27For thou wilt save the afflicted people; But the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down.

27For Thou a poor people savest, And the eyes of the high causest to fall.

28For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.

28For Thou--Thou lightest my lamp, Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.

29For by thee I run upon a troop; And by my God do I leap over a wall.

29For by Thee I run--a troop! And by my God I leap a wall.

30As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him.

30God! perfect <FI>is<Fi> His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield <FI>is<Fi> He to all those trusting in Him.

31For who is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, besides our God,

31For who <FI>is<Fi> God besides Jehovah? And who <FI>is<Fi> a rock save our God?

32The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect?

32God! who is girding me <FI>with<Fi> strength, And He maketh perfect my way.

33He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: And setteth me upon my high places.

33Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand.

34He teacheth my hands to war; So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.

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

35Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; And thy right hand hath holden me up, And thy gentleness hath made me great.

35And Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy right hand doth support me, And Thy lowliness maketh me great.

36Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.

36Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.

37I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them; Neither will I turn again till they are consumed.

37I pursue mine enemies, and overtake them, And turn back not till they are consumed.

38I will smite them through, so that they shall not be able to rise: They shall fall under my feet.

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

39For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

39And Thou girdest me <FI>with<Fi> strength for battle, Causest my withstanders to bow under me.

40Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me.

40As to mine enemies--Thou hast given to me the neck, As to those hating me--I cut them off.

41They cried, but there was none to save; Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not.

41They cry, and there is no saviour, On Jehovah, and He doth not answer them.

42Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.

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

43Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; Thou hast made me the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me.

43Thou dost deliver me From the strivings of the people, Thou placest me for a head of nations, A people I have not known do serve me.

44As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me; The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me.

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

45The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places.

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

46Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation,

46Jehovah liveth--and blessed <FI>is<Fi> my rock, And exalted is the God of my salvation.

47Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, And subdueth peoples under me.

47God--who is giving vengeance to me, And He subdueth peoples under me,

48He rescueth me from mine enemies; Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man.

48My deliverer from mine enemies, Above my withstanders Thou raisest me, From a man of violence dost deliver me.

49Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name.

49Therefore I confess Thee among nations, O Jehovah, And to Thy name I sing praise,

50Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore.

50Magnifying the salvation of His king, And doing kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed--unto the age!