Chap. 18
1 To the chief musician, by a servant of Jehovah, by David, who spoke unto 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.
2 And he said, I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
3 Jehovah [is] my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my rock, I will trust in him; my shield and horn of my salvation, my refuge.
4 Worthy to be praised will I call Jehovah, and from mine enemies shall I be delivered.
5 Pains of death encompassed me, and streams of wickedness terrify me.
6 Pains of Sheol surrounded me, snares of death fell upon me.
7 In my distress I call upon Jehovah, and unto my God do I cry for help; from his temple heareth he my voice, and my supplication before him cometh into his ears.
8 Then the earth shaketh and trembleth, and the foundations of mountains are moved; they are shaken because he was angry.
9 There went up a smoke in his anger, and fire from his mouth devoureth; coals were kindled by it.
10 And he boweth the heavens and cometh down, and darkness [is] under his feet.
11 And he rideth upon a cherub and flieth, yea, be flieth upon the wings of the wind.
12 He maketh darkness his covering, his tent round about him, darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
13 From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed away: hail, and coals of fire.
14 And Jehovah thundereth in the heavens, and the Most High giveth his voice; hail and coals of fire.
15 And be sendeth his arrows and scattereth them, and lightnings in abundance, and discomfiteth them.
16 And the channels of waters are seen, and the foundations of the world are made bare through thy rebuke, O Jehovah, through the breath of the wind of thy wrath,
17 He sendeth from on high, he taketh me, he draweth me out of great waters.
18 He delivereth me from my strong enemies and from my haters, for they were stronger than I.
19 They fell upon me in the day of my trouble; but Jehovah was for a stay to me.
20 And he bringeth me forth into the wide place; he delivereth me because he delighted in me.
21 Jehovah recompenseth me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he requiteth me.
22 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah and have not acted wickedly against my God.
23 For all his judgments [are] before me, and his statutes I will not put away from me.
24 And I am upright before him and keep myself from mine iniquity.
25 And Jehovah requiteth me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands before his eyes.
26 With the merciful thou showest thyself merciful, with the upright man thou showest thyself upright.
27 With the pure thou showest thyself pure, and with the perverse thou showest thyself perverse.
28 For thou savest an afflicted people, and lofty eyes thou bringest down.
29 For thou lightest my lamp; Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
30 For by thee I run [through] a troop, and by my God I leap [over] a wall.
31. [As for] God, his way [is] perfect; the word of Jehovah [is] tried; a shield [is] he to all those who trust in him.
32 For who [is] God besides Jehovah? and who [is] a rock except our God?
33 [It is] God that girdeth me with strength, and he maketh my way perfect.
34 He maketh my feet like hinds; and upon my high places he causeth me to stand,
35 Instructing my hands for the war; and a bow of brass is bent [by] mine arms.
36 And thou givest unto me a shield, thy salvation; and thy right hand upholdeth me, and thy meekness maketh me great.
37 Thou enlargest my steps under me, and my ancles have not slipped.
38 I pursue mine enemies and overtake them, and I turn not back until they are destroyed.
39 I break them in pieces and they are not able to rise; they fall under my feet.
40 And thou girdest me with strength for the battle, thou causest to bow down under me those that rise up against me.
41 And mine enemies, thou turnest their back to me; and my haters—I will destroy them.
42 They cry for help, but there is no deliverer—unto Jehovah, but be answereth them not.
43 And I bruise them as dust before the wind, and as mire of the streets I pour them out.
44 Thou deliverest me from the strivings of the people; thou placest me at the head of Gentiles: a people that I have not known serve me.
45 At the hearing of the ear they show themselves obedient to me; sons of a stranger feign submission to me.
46 Sons of a stranger fade away, and they tremble out of their enclosed places.
47 Jehovah liveth, and blessed [is] my rock and exalted the God of my salvation,
48 The God who giveth revenges unto me and subdueth peoples under me,
49 My deliverer from mine enemies yea, thou liftest me up from among those who rise up against me, from a man of violence thou deliverest me.
50 Therefore I give thanks to thee among the Gentiles, O Jehovah, and to thy name I sing praises,
51 That maketh great the deliverances of his king and showeth kindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed forever.