Psalms Chapter 18

For the Choir Director. A Psalm of David,

Yahveh’s servant, who sang this song to him

when he delivered him from his enemies and from Saul

He said,

¹ “I love you, Yahveh, my strength;

² my fortress, my deliverer,

      my God, my Rock, my Refuge;

      my shield, the place that saves me, my stronghold.”

³ I called on him who deserves praise,

      and he saved me from my enemies.

⁴ The waves of death entangled me;

      the torrents of destruction flooded over me.

         ⁵the cords of Sheol tied me down;

      the snares of death had entrapped me.

⁶ In my desperation, I cried out to Yahveh,

      and he heard me in his Temple.                                       

Ps 18:1-6

⁷ Then the earth quaked and the mountains shook

      because he was angry.

⁸ Smoke poured out of his nostrils;

      consuming fire flared from his mouth;

      glowing coals erupted from him.                                     

⁹ He lowered the sky too

         and came down with dense darkness under his feet.

¹⁰ He rode on a cherub

      and came flying swiftly on the wings of the wind.

¹¹ He covered himself with darkness like a pavilion,

         with dark rain clouds veiling his advance

         ¹²and hiding the brightness around him, 

      while hailstones and lightning bolts broke through his clouds.

¹³ Yahveh thundered from the sky;

      the Most High raised his voice;

      hailstones and lightning bolts resounded.

¹⁴ He shot his arrows and scattered my enemies;

      lightning flashes routed them.

¹⁵ Then the water in the ocean receded;

      the seabed was exposed

            at his rebuke,

            at the blast from his nostrils.                                     

Ps 18:7-15

¹⁶ He reached down from on high and grabbed me                           

      and pulled me out of the path of the raging tsunami.

¹⁷ He delivered me from enemies

            that hated me,

            that were too strong for me.

¹⁸ They attacked me at a time of distress,

      but Yahveh was my buttress.

¹⁹ He brought me out to a safe place

      and rescued me because he delighted in me.

²⁰ Yahveh rewarded me for my goodness,

            for my innocence;

         ²¹I’d kept his ways

                  and hadn’t sinned by leaving him;

         ²²his ordinances all stayed with me;

            I hadn’t shoved any of his statutes away.

         ²³I stood blameless in his presence

            because I’d kept myself from sinning.

²⁴ So Yahveh rewarded me for my goodness,

      for my innocence.                                                           

Ps 18:16-24

²⁵ To the kind you’re kind;

      with the blameless you’re blameless;

         ²⁶with the pure you’re pure;

      with the treacherous you’re shrewd.

²⁷ You rescue the humble

      but bring down the haughty.

²⁸ You’re my lamp, Yahveh my God,

         and shine light into my darkness.

²⁹ With your help, I can crush a whole battalion

      I can scale any wall.                                                        

Ps 18:25-29

³⁰ God’s way is perfect;

      Yahveh’s promise proves true;

      he’s a shield for everyone that depends on his protection.

³¹ Who is God except Yahveh?

         Who is a rock but our God,

            ³² who wraps me in strength

            and makes my way safe?

³³ He makes my feet as surefooted a red deer’s hooves

      and stands me securely on high ground.

³⁴ He trains my hands for battle

      and strengthens my arms to draw a bronze bow.

³⁵ He’s given me his deliverance as a shield;

         his help has made me great.

³⁶ He’s widened the path where I step

      so my feet don’t slip.                                                       

Ps 18:30-36

³⁷ I chased my enemies and overtook them;

      I didn’t turn back till I’d eliminated them.

³⁸ I thrust them through so they couldn’t get up again;

            they fell under my feet

                  ³⁹because you wrapped me in strength for battle

                           and subdued my assailants.

⁴⁰ You’ve made my enemies retreat;

      I destroyed the ones that hated me.

⁴¹ They looked around for help, but there wasn’t any;

      they even cried out to Yahveh, but he didn’t answer.

⁴² I pulverized them like dust in the wind,

      emptied them out like dirt on the street.

⁴³ You delivered me from conflict with the people

      and placed me at the head of nations;

      people I didn’t know now serve me.

⁴⁴ Foreigners submit as soon as they hear me;

         ⁴⁵they lose heart and come cringing out of their fortresses.        

Ps 18:37-45

⁴⁶ Yahveh lives; praise be to my Rock;

      exalted be God that delivers me,

            ⁴⁷ that avenges me,

            that subdues nations under me.

                  ⁴⁸that rescues me from my enemies,

                  lifts me above my attackers,

                  and delivers me from violent people.

⁴⁹ So I’ll thank you among the nations, Yahveh,

      and sing your praises.

⁵⁰ You give victory for your king

      and show enduring love to your anointed one,

            to me [David] and my descendants forever.              

Ps 18:46-50