Psalms 18

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 [For the choirmaster Of David, the servant of Yahweh, who addressed the words of this song toYahweh when Yahweh had delivered him from all his enemies and from the clutches of Saul. He said:] I loveyou, Yahweh, my strength (my Saviour, you have saved me from violence).	1 For the leader. Of David, the servant of the LORD, who sang to the LORD the words of this song after the LORD had rescued him from the clutches of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
2 Yahweh is my rock and my fortress, my deliverer is my God. I take refuge in him, my rock, my shield,my saving strength, my stronghold, my place of refuge.	2 He said: I love you, LORD, my strength,
3 I call to Yahweh who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my foes.	3 LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, my saving horn, my stronghold!
4 With Death's breakers closing in on me, Belial's torrents ready to swal ow me,	4 Praised be the LORD, I exclaim! I have been delivered from my enemies.
5 Sheol's snares every side of me, Death's traps lying ahead of me,	5 The breakers of death surged round about me; the menacing floods terrified me.
6 I called to Yahweh in my anguish, I cried for help to my God; from his Temple he heard my voice, mycry came to his ears.	6 The cords of Sheol tightened; the snares of death lay in wait for me.
7 Then the earth quaked and rocked, the mountains' foundations shuddered, they quaked at his blazinganger.	7 In my distress I called out: LORD! I cried out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry to him reached his ears.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils, from his mouth devouring fire (coals were kindled at it).	8 The earth rocked and shook; the foundations of the mountains trembled; they shook as his wrath flared up.
9 He parted the heavens and came down, a storm-cloud underneath his feet;	9 Smoke rose in his nostrils, a devouring fire poured from his mouth; it kindled coals into flame.
10 riding one of the winged creatures, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.	10 He parted the heavens and came down, a dark cloud under his feet.
11 His covering he made the darkness, his pavilion dark waters and dense cloud.	11 Mounted on a cherub he flew, borne along on the wings of the wind.
12 A brightness lit up before him, hail and blazing fire.	12 He made darkness the cover about him; his canopy, heavy thunderheads.
13 Yahweh thundered from the heavens, the Most High made his voice heard.	13 Before him scudded his clouds, hail and lightning too.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them, he hurled his lightning and routed them.	14 The LORD thundered from heaven; the Most High made his voice resound.
15 The very springs of ocean were exposed, the world's foundations were laid bare, at your roaring,Yahweh, at the blast of breath from your nostrils!	15 He let fly his arrows and scattered them; shot his lightning bolts and dispersed them.
16 He reached down from on high, snatched me up, pulled me from the watery depths,	16 Then the bed of the sea appeared; the world's foundations lay bare, At the roar of the LORD, at the storming breath of his nostrils.
17 rescued me from my mighty foe, from my enemies who were stronger than I.	17 He reached down from on high and seized me; drew me out of the deep waters.
18 They assailed me on my day of disaster but Yahweh was there to support me;	18 He rescued me from my mighty enemy, from foes too powerful for me.
19 he freed me, set me at large, he rescued me because he loves me.	19 They attacked me on a day of distress, but the LORD came to my support.
20 Yahweh rewards me for my uprightness, as my hands are pure, so he repays me,	20 He set me free in the open; he rescued me because he loves me.
21 since I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and not fallen away from my God.	21 The LORD acknowledged my righteousness, rewarded my clean hands.
22 His judgements are al before me, his statutes I have not put away from me.	22 For I kept the ways of the LORD; I was not disloyal to my God.
23 I am blameless before him, I keep myself clear of evil.	23 His laws were all before me, his decrees I did not cast aside.
24 So Yahweh repaid me for acting uprightly because he could see I was pure.	24 I was honest toward him; I was on guard against sin.
25 You are faithful to the faithful, blameless with the blameless,	25 So the LORD rewarded my righteousness, the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26 sincere to the sincere, but cunning to the crafty,	26 Toward the faithful you are faithful; to the honest you are honest;
27 you save a people that is humble and humiliate those with haughty looks.	27 Toward the sincere, sincere; but to the perverse you are devious.
28 Yahweh, you yourself are my lamp, my God lights up my darkness;	28 Humble people you save; haughty eyes you bring low.
29 with you I storm the rampart, with my God I can scale any wal .	29 You, LORD, give light to my lamp; my God brightens the darkness about me.
30 This God, his way is blameless; the word of Yahweh is refined in the furnace, for he alone is theshield of al who take refuge in him.	30 With you I can rush an armed band, with my God to help I can leap a wall.
31 For who is God but Yahweh, who is a rock but our God?	31 God's way is unerring; the LORD'S promise is tried and true; he is a shield for all who trust in him.
32 This God who girds me with strength, who makes my way free from blame,	32 Truly, who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is the rock?
33 who makes me as swift as a deer and sets me firmly on the heights,	33 This God who girded me with might, kept my way unerring,
34 who trains my hands for battle, my arms to bend a bow of bronze.	34 Who made my feet swift as a deer's, set me safe on the heights,
35 You give me your invincible shield (your right hand upholds me) you never cease to listen to me,	35 Who trained my hands for war, my arms to bend even a bow of bronze.
36 you give me the strides of a giant, give me ankles that never weaken.	36 You have given me your protecting shield; your right hand has upheld me; you stooped to make me great.
37 I pursue my enemies and overtake them, not turning back til they are annihilated;	37 You gave me room to stride; my feet never stumbled.
38 I strike them down and they cannot rise, they fall, they are under my feet.	38 I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till I destroyed them.
39 You have girded me with strength for the fight, bent down my assailants beneath me,	39 I struck them down; they could not rise; they fell dead at my feet.
40 made my enemies retreat before me; and those who hate me I destroy.	40 You girded me with strength for war, subdued adversaries at my feet.
41 They cry out, there is no one to save; to Yahweh, but no answer comes.	41 My foes you put to flight before me; those who hated me I destroyed.
42 I crumble them like dust before the wind, trample them like the mud of the streets.	42 They cried for help, but no one saved them; cried to the LORD but got no answer.
43 You free me from the quarrels of my people, you place me at the head of the nations, a people I didnot know are now my servants;	43 I ground them fine as dust in the wind; like mud in the streets I trampled them down.
44 foreigners come wooing my favour, no sooner do they hear than they obey me;	44 You rescued me from the strife of peoples; you made me head over nations. A people I had not known became my slaves;
45 foreigners grow faint of heart, they come trembling out of their fastnesses.	45 as soon as they heard of me they obeyed. Foreigners cringed before me;
46 Life to Yahweh! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be the God of my salvation,	46 their courage failed; they came trembling from their fortresses.
47 the God who gives me vengeance, and subjects whole peoples to me,	47 The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, my savior!
48 who rescues me from my raging enemies. You lift me high above those who attack me, you deliverme from the man of violence.	48 O God who granted me vindication, made peoples subject to me,
49 For this I wil praise you, Yahweh, among the nations, and sing praise to your name.	49 and preserved me from my enemies, Truly you have exalted me above my adversaries, from the violent you have rescued me.
50 He saves his king time after time, displays his faithful love for his anointed, for David and his heirs forever.	50 Thus I will proclaim you, LORD, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.
	51 You have given great victories to your king, and shown kindness to your anointed, to David and his posterity forever.