Psalms 18

lamnatseakh le'eved Adonai ledavid asher dibber la-Adonai et-divre hashirah hazzot beyom hitsil-Adonaioto mikkaf kol-oyevayw umiyyad sha'ul

For the leader. Of David, the servant of GOD, who addressed the words of this song to GOD after GOD had saved him from the hands of all his enemies and from the clutches of Saul.

vayyomar erkhomkha Adonai khizqi

He said: I adore you, O ETERNAL One, my strength,

Adonai sali umetsudati umefalti eli tsuri ekheseh-bbo maginni veqeren-yishi misgabbi

O ETERNAL One, my crag, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my rock in which I take shelter, my shield, my mighty champion, my haven.

mehullal eqra Adonai umin-oyevay ivvashea

All praise! I called on GOD and was delivered from my enemies.

afafuni khevle-mavet venakhale veliyya'al yeva'atuni

Ropes of Death encompassed me; torrents of Belial terrified me;

khevle she'ol sevavuni qiddemuni moqeshe mavet

ropes of Sheol encircled me; snares of Death confronted me.

batsar-li eqra Adonai ve'el-elohay ashavvea yishma mehekhalo qoli veshavati lefanayw tavo ve'oznayw

In my anguish I called on the ETERNAL, cried out to my God, who from a heavenly abode heard my voice, whose ears received my cry.

vattigash vattirash ha'arets umosede harim yirgazu vayyitga'ashu ki-kharah lo

Then the earth rocked and quaked; the foundations of the mountains shook— rocked by divine indignation;

alah ashan be'appo ve'esh-mippiv tokhel gekhalim ba'aru mimmennu

smoke went up from God’s nostrils, devouring fire from God’s mouth— live coals blazing forth.

vayyet shamayim vayyerad va'arafel takhat raglayw

[God] bent the sky and came down, thick cloud beneath divine feet.

vayyirkav al-keruv vayya'of vayyede al-kanfe-ruakh

[God] mounted a cherub and flew, gliding on the wings of the wind.

yashet-khoshekh sitro sevivotayw sukkato kheshkhat-mayim ave shekhaqim

[God] made darkness a screen— pavilions of dark thunderheads, dense clouds of the sky all around.

minnogah negdo avayw averu barad vegakhale-esh

In the divine brilliance, hail and fiery coals pierced those clouds.

vayyarem bashamayim Adonai ve'elyon yitten qolo barad vegakhale-esh

Then GOD thundered from heaven, the Most High gave forth voice— hail and fiery coals—

vayyishlakh khitsayw vayefitsem uveraqim rav vayehummem

letting shafts fly, and scattering them; discharging lightning, and routing them.

vayyera'u afiqe mayim vayyiggalu mosedot tevel migga'aratekha Adonai minnishmat ruakh appekha

The ocean bed was exposed; the foundations of the world were laid bare by Your mighty roaring, O ETERNAL One, at the blast of Your breath.

yishlakh mimmarom yiqqakheni yamsheni mimmayim rabbim

Reaching down from on high, [God] took me, drawing me out of the mighty waters—

yatsileni me'oyevi az umissone'ay ki-ametsu mimmenni

rescuing me from my fierce enemy, from foes too strong for me.

yeqaddemuni veyom-edi vayehi-Adonai lemishan li

They confronted me on the day of my calamity, but GOD was my support—

vayyotsi'eni lammerkhav yekhalletseni ki-khafets-bi

bringing me out to freedom, pleased with me enough to rescue me.

yigmeleni Adonai ketsidqi kevor yaday yashiv li

GOD rewarded me according to my merit— requiting the cleanness of my hands—

ki-shamarti darkhe Adonai velo-rashati me'elohay

for I have kept to the ways of GOD and have not been guilty before my God;

ki khol-mishpatayw lenegdi vekhuqqotayw lo-asir menni

for I am mindful of all God’s rules and have not disregarded God’s laws.

va'ehi tamim immo va'eshtammer me'avoni

I have been blameless toward [God], and have guarded myself against sinning;

vayyashev-Adonai li khetsidqi kevor yaday leneged enayw

and GOD has requited my merit, according to the evident cleanness of my hands.

im-khasid titkhassad im-gevar tamim tittammam

With the loyal, You deal loyally; with the blameless, blamelessly.

im-navar titbarar ve'im-iqqesh titpattal

With the pure, You act purely, and with the perverse, You are wily.

ki-attah am-ani toshia ve'enayim ramot tashpil

It is You who deliver lowly folk, but haughty eyes You humble.

ki-attah ta'ir neri Adonai elohay yaggiah khoshki

It is You who light my lamp; my ETERNAL God lights up my darkness.

ki-vekha aruts gedud uvelohay adalleg-shur

With You, I can rush a barrier; with my God, I can scale a wall.

ha'el tamim darko imrat-Adonai tserufah magen hu lekhol hakhosim bo

The way of God is perfect; the word of the ETERNAL is pure. [God] shields all who seek refuge.

ki mi eloah mibbalade Adonai umi tsur zulati elohenu

Truly, who is a god except the ETERNAL, who is a rock but our God?—

ha'el hame'azzereni khayil vayyitten tamim darki

the God who girded me with might, who made my way secure;

meshavveh raglay ka'ayyalot ve'al bamotay ya'amideni

who made my legs like a deer’s, and set me firmly on the heights;

melammed yaday lammilkhamah venikhatah qeshet-nekhushah zero'otay

who trained my hands for battle— my arms can bend a bow of bronze!

vattitten-li magen yishekha viminekha tisadeni ve'anvatkha tarbeni

You have granted me the shield of Your protection; Your right hand has sustained me, Your care has made me great.

tarkhiv tsa'adi takhtay velo ma'adu qarsullay

You have let me stride on freely; my feet have not slipped.

erdof oyevay ve'assigem velo-ashuv ad-kallotam

I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till I destroyed them.

emkhatsem velo-yukhlu qum yippelu takhat raglay

I struck them down, and they could rise no more; they lay at my feet.

vatte'azzereni khayil lammilkhamah takhria qamay takhtay

You have girded me with strength for battle, brought low my adversaries before me,

ve'oyevay natattah li oref umesanay atsmitem

made my enemies turn tail before me; I wiped out my foes.

yeshavve'u ve'en-moshia al-Adonai velo anam

They cried out, but there was none to deliver; to GOD, who did not answer them.

ve'eshkhaqem ke'afar al-pene-ruakh ketit khutsot ariqem

I ground them fine as windswept dust; I trod them flat like dirt of the streets.

tefalleteni merive am tesimeni lerosh goyim am lo-yadati ya'avduni

You have rescued me from the strife of people; You have set me at the head of nations; peoples I knew not must serve me.

leshema ozen yishame'u li bene-nekhar yekhakhashu-li

At the mere report of me they are submissive; foreign peoples cower before me.

bene-nekhar yibbolu veyakhregu mimmisgerotehem

Foreign peoples lose courage, and come trembling out of their strongholds.

khay-Adonai uvarukh tsuri veyarum elohe yishi

GOD lives! Blessed is my rock! Exalted be God, my deliverer,

ha'el hannoten neqamot li vayyadber ammim takhtay

the God who has vindicated me and made peoples subject to me,

mefalleti me'oyevay af min-qamay teromemeni me'ish khamas tatsileni

who rescued me from my enemies, who raised me clear of my adversaries, saved me from the lawless opposition!

al-ken odekha vaggoyim Adonai uleshimkha azammerah

For this I sing Your praise among the nations, ETERNAL One, and hymn Your name:

magdil yeshu'ot malko ve'oseh khesed limshikho ledavid ulezaro ad-olam

According great victories to Your king, keeping faith with Your anointed, with David and his offspring evermore.