Psalm 18:1-50
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:—
18 I will love thee, O Yahweh 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.
3 As one worthy to be praised called I on Yahweh,—And from my foes was I saved.
4 The meshes of death encompassed me, The torrents of perdition made me afraid;
5 The meshes of hades had surrounded me, The snares of death had confronted me,
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!
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.
8 There went up smoke in his nostrils And a fire out of his mouth devoured, Live coals were kindled from it:
9 Then he stretched out the heavens, and came down,—And thick gloom was under his feet;
10 Then he rode on a cherub and flew, And darted on the wings of the wind;
11 Made darkness his hiding-place Round about him—his pavilion, Darkness of waters, clouds of vapours.
12 Out of the brightness before him his clouds rolled along, Hail and live coals of fire.
13 Then did Yahweh thunder in the heavens And the Highest uttered his voice,—Hail and live coals of fire.
14 And he sent forth his arrows and scattered them, Yea lightnings he shot out, and confused 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.
16 He sent from on high, 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:
18 They confronted me in the day of my necessity, Then became Yahweh my stay:
19 And brought me out, 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;
21 For I had kept the ways of Yahweh, And not broken away from my God;
22 For all his regulations were before me, And his statutes did I not put from me:
23 So became I blameless with him, And kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 Yahweh therefore repaid me according to my righteousness, According to the pureness of my hands before his eyes.
25 With the loving thou didst shew thyself loving,—With the blameless man thou didst shew thyself blameless;
26 With the pure thou didst shew thyself pure, But with the perverse thou didst shew thyself ready to contend.
27 For as for thee an oppressed people thou didst save, But looks that were lofty layedst thou low;
28 For thou didst light up my lamp, Yahweh my God enlightened my darkness;
29 For by thee I ran through a troop, And by my God I leapt 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.
31 For who is a God, save Yahweh? And who is a Rock, save our God?
32 The God who girded me with strength, And set forth as blameless my way:
33 Planting my feet like hinds’ [feet], Yea on my high places he caused me to stand:
34 Teaching my hands to war,—So that a bow of bronze was bent 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.
36 Thou didst widen my stepping-places under me, So that mine ankles faltered not.
37 I pursued my foes and overtook them, And returned not till they were consumed:
38 I crushed them, and they were unable to rise, They fell under my feet.
39 Thus didst thou gird me with strength for the battle, Thou subduedst mine assailants under me.
40 As for my foes thou didst give me their neck, And as for them who hated me I destroyed them.
41 They cried out But there was none to save, Unto Yahweh 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.
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:
44 At the hearing of the ear they submitted to me, The sons of the foreigner came cringing unto me:
45 The sons of the foreigner lost heart, And came quaking out of their fortresses.
46 Yahweh liveth and blessed be my Rock, Yea exalted be the God of my salvation:
47 The God, who hath avenged me,—And subjugated peoples 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.
49 For this cause will I praise thee among the nations, O Yahweh, And to thy Name will I sweep the strings:—
50 Who hath made great the victories of his King,—And shewn lovingkindness to his Anointed One, To David and to his Seed, Unto times age-abiding.