Psalm 18

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"YHWH fights my battles"

Purpose: To express confidence in YHWH as the strength and deliverer of his loyal ones.

Content: YHWH shows his loyalty toward David (v. 50) by being perfectly just (vv. 26-27). David shows his love towards YHWH (v. 2) by being righteous and faithful (vv. 21-250. That's why YHWH delivers David by strengthening him (vv. 31-43) and fighting cosmic forces on his behalf (vv. 8-20).

Message: YHWH treats people according to their loyalty.

Author: David

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Translation

Click 'Expand' to the right to see our Close-but-Clear translation of Psalm 18.

1. For the director By YHWH’s servant, David,
who recited
the words of this song to YHWH
when YHWH had rescued him out of the palm of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said,
2.“I shall keep loving you, YHWH, my strength.
YHWH is my cleft and my fortress and my rescuer.
3. My God is my rock, in him do I seek protection,
my shield and the horn of my deliverance,
my fortified tower and my refuge,
my deliverer, who delivers me from violence.
4. I cry out to YHWH, since he is praiseworthy,
and I am delivered from my enemies.
5. The breaker waves of Death surrounded me.
And the torrents of Beliya’al began to overwhelm me.
6. The cords of Sheol entangled me.
Death’s traps rushed upon me.
7. In my distress I cry out to YHWH.
and to my God do I cry for help.
He hears my cry from his temple.
And my cry for help before him comes into his ears.
8. And the earth quivered and quaked.
And the mountains’ foundations began to shake.
And they trembled. For he had become angry.
9. Smoke went up because of his snarl.
And a fire from his mouth began to consume.
Coals burned from him.
10. And he bent down the heavens and descended.
And a dark smog was beneath his feet.
11. And he mounted a Cherub and began to fly.
And he flew swiftly upon the wings of the wind.
12. He made darkness his cover.
[He made darkness] his canopy around him,
the sieve of water, thick clouds of the skies.
13. Because of the brightness before him,
hail and coals of fire passed.
14. And YHWH thundered in the heavens.
And the Most High began to raise his voice.
15. And he shot his arrows, and dispersed them.
And [he shot his] his glittering arrows, and routed them.
16. And the ocean floor appeared.
And the foundations of the world were revealed
because of your rebuke, YHWH,
because of the blast of the wind of your anger.
17. He stretched forth [his hand] from on high and took me.
He pulled me out from many waters.
18. He rescued me from my strong enemy.
And [he rescued me] from those who hate me. For they were too powerful for me.
19. They rushed upon me at the time of my calamity.
And YHWH was the one in whom I trusted.
20. And he brought me out into relief.
He delivered me. For he is pleased with me.
21. YHWH deals well with me according to my righteousness.
He repays me according to the cleanliness of my hands.
22. For I have kept the ways of YHWH.
And I have not turned away from my God towards wicked ways.
23. For all of his rules are before me.
And I will not turn his decrees away from me.
24. And I have become blameless before him.
And I have kept myself from committing iniquity.
25. And YHWH has repaid me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanliness of my hands before his eyes.
26. You act faithfully with a faithful person.
You act blamelessly with a blameless person.
27. You act with purity with one who purifies himself.
And with a twisted person you act wittily.
28. For you save a humble people
And you bring down eyes that look down on others.
29. For you light my lamp, YHWH.
My God gives light to my darkness.
30. For by you I can route an army.
and by my God I can scale a wall.
31. God—His way is perfect.
The sayings of YHWH are true.
He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
32. For who is God besides YHWH?
And who is a rock besides our God,
33. the God who arms me with strength
and makes my endeavour secure?
34. He makes my feet like those of deer
And he causes me to stand upon my heights.
35. He trains my hands for war.
And he strengthens my arms with a bow of bronze.
36. And you give me the shield of your victory.
And your right hand supports me.
And your help makes me great.
37. You enlarged my steps underneath me.
And my ankles did not falter.
38. I chased my enemies and I overtook them.
and I would not relent until their destruction.
39. I violently beat them. And they could not stand.
They fell beneath my feet.
40. And you equipped me with strength for war.
You make those who rise up against me kneel underneath me.
41. And you have made my enemies retreat from me.
And as for those who hate me, I wipe them out.
42. They cry out for help and there is no rescuer.
[They cry out for help] to YHWH, and he has not answered them.
43. And I crush them like the dust on the road.
I beat them like the mud of the streets.
44. You will deliver me from people’s indictments.
You will make me head of nations.
A people I do not know will serve me.
45. As soon as they hear the rumors of me they will show obedience to me.
Foreigners will submit to me.
46. Foreigners will lose heart.
and tremble from their fortresses.
47. YHWH lives! And my rock is blessed!
And the God of my rescue is exalted!
48. God—who gives me vengeance,
and subdues peoples underneath me.
49. You who deliver me from my enemies
will indeed exalt me over those who rise up against me.
You will rescue me from the violent man.
50. Therefore, I shall praise you among the nations, YHWH!
And I shall sing praise to your name,
51. you who makes the deliverance of his king spectacular,
and performs acts of loyalty for his anointed one,
for David, and for his seed, forever.”



The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources.

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Guardian: Joseph Habib