18 I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.

13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.

15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.

19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.

23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

24 Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.

28 For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

31 For who is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our God?

32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.

38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.

39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.

41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the Lord, but he answered them not.

42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.

43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.

44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.

45 The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.

46 The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.

48 He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.

50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.

Psalm 18[a]

For the music leader. Of David the Lord’s servant, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord after the Lord delivered him from the power of all his enemies and from Saul.

18 He said: I love you, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my solid rock,
    my fortress, my rescuer.
My God is my rock—
I take refuge in him!—
        he’s my shield,
        my salvation’s strength,
        my place of safety.
Because he is praiseworthy,[b]
    I cried out to the Lord,
    and I was saved from my enemies.
Death’s cords were wrapped around me;
    rivers of wickedness terrified me.
The cords of the grave[c] surrounded me;
    death’s traps held me tight.
In my distress I cried out to the Lord;
    I called to my God for help.
God heard my voice from his temple;
    I called to him for help,
    and my call reached his ears.

The earth rocked and shook;
    the bases of the mountains trembled and reeled
    because of God’s anger.
Smoke went up from God’s nostrils;
    out of his mouth came a devouring fire;
    flaming coals blazed out in front of him!
God parted the skies and came down;
    thick darkness was beneath his feet.
10 God mounted the heavenly creatures and flew;
    he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 God made darkness cloak him;
    his covering was dark water and dense cloud.
12 God’s clouds went ahead
    of the brightness before him;
    hail and coals of fire went too.
13 The Lord thundered in heaven;
    the Most High made his voice heard
    with hail and coals of fire.
14 God shot his arrows, scattering the enemy;
    he sent the lightning and threw them into confusion.
15 The seabeds were exposed;
    the earth’s foundations were laid bare
        at your rebuke, Lord,
        at the angry blast of air coming from your nostrils.

16 From on high God reached down and grabbed me;
    he took me out of all that water.
17 God saved me from my powerful enemy,
    saved me from my foes,
    who were too much for me.
18 They came at me on the very day of my distress,
    but the Lord was my support.
19 He brought me out to wide-open spaces;
    he pulled me out safe
    because he is pleased with me.
20 The Lord rewarded me for my righteousness;
    he restored me because my hands are clean,
21     because I have kept the Lord’s ways.
    I haven’t acted wickedly against my God.
22 All his rules are right in front of me;
    I haven’t turned away from any of his laws.
23 I have lived with integrity before him;
    I’ve kept myself from wrongdoing.
24 And so the Lord restored me for my righteousness
    because my hands are clean in his eyes.

25 You deal faithfully with the faithful;
    you show integrity
        toward the one who has integrity.
26 You are pure toward the pure,
    but toward the crooked, you are tricky.
27 You are the one who saves people who suffer
    and brings down those with proud eyes.
28 You are the one who lights my lamp—
    the Lord my God illumines my darkness.
29 With you I can charge into battle;
    with my God I can leap over a wall.
30 God! His way is perfect;
    the Lord’s word is tried and true.
He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

31 Now really, who is divine except the Lord?
    And who is a rock but our God?
32 Only God! The God who equips me with strength
    and makes my way perfect,
33     who makes my step as sure as the deer’s,
    who lets me stand securely on the heights,
34     who trains my hands for war
    so my arms can bend a bronze bow.
35 You’ve given me the shield of your salvation;
    your strong hand has supported me;
    your help has made me great.
36 You’ve let me walk fast and safe,
    without even twisting an ankle.
37 I chased my enemies and caught them!
    I didn’t come home until I finished them off.
38 I struck them down;
    they couldn’t get up again;
    they fell under my feet.
39 You equipped me with strength for war;
    you brought my adversaries down underneath me.
40 You made my enemies turn tail from me;
    I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help,
        but there was no one to save them.
    They cried for help to the Lord,
        but he wouldn’t answer them.
42 I crushed them
        like dust blown away by the wind;
    I threw them out
        like mud dumped in the streets.
43 You delivered me from struggles with many people;
    you appointed me the leader of many nations.
        Strangers come to serve me.
44 After hearing about me, they obey me;
    foreigners grovel before me.
45 Foreigners lose their nerve;
    they come trembling out of their fortresses.[d]

46 The Lord lives! Bless God, my rock!
    Let the God of my salvation be lifted high!
47 This is the God who avenges on my behalf,
    who subdues people before me,
48     who delivers me from my enemies.
Yes, you lifted me high above my adversaries;
        you delivered me from violent people.
49     That’s why I thank you, Lord,
        in the presence of the nations.
    That’s why I sing praises to your name.
50 You are the one who gives great victories to your king,
    who shows faithful love to your anointed one—
    to David and to his descendants forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 18:1 This poem also occurs in 2 Sam 22 with some variations.
  2. Psalm 18:3 Heb uncertain
  3. Psalm 18:5 Heb Sheol
  4. Psalm 18:45 Or prisons

大衛的勝利之歌

耶和華的僕人大衛的詩,交給樂長。當時耶和華從眾仇敵和掃羅手中拯救了他,他向耶和華吟唱此詩。

18 耶和華啊,你是我的力量,
我愛你。
耶和華是我的磐石,我的堡壘,我的拯救者;
我的上帝是保護我的磐石,
我的盾牌,
是拯救我的力量,我的堡壘。
我求告當受頌讚的耶和華,
祂救我脫離仇敵。
死亡的鎖鏈曾纏住我,
罪惡的狂流曾淹沒我。
陰間的繩索曾捆綁我,
死亡的陷阱曾威脅我。
在苦難中我呼求耶和華,
向我的上帝求助。
祂從殿中垂聽我的呼求,
我的聲音達到祂耳中。
祂一發怒,大地震動,
山的根基搖晃。
祂的鼻孔冒煙,
口噴烈焰和火炭。
祂撥開雲天,腳踩密雲,
親自降臨。
10 祂乘著基路伯天使飛翔,
乘著風的翅膀疾馳。
11 祂藏身於黑暗中,
四圍以密雲作幔幕。
12 從祂面前的榮光中,
冰雹和火炭衝破雲層。
13 耶和華在天上打雷,
至高者發出的聲音響徹在冰雹和火炭中。
14 祂射出利箭驅散仇敵,
發出閃電擊潰他們。
15 耶和華啊,你斥責一聲,
鼻孔一吹氣,海底就顯現,
大地也露出根基。

16 祂從高天伸手抓住我,
從深淵中把我拉上來。
17 祂救我脫離強敵,
脫離我無法戰勝的仇敵。
18 他們在我危難之時攻擊我,
但耶和華扶持我。
19 祂拯救我,領我到寬闊之地,
因為祂喜悅我。
20 耶和華因我公義而善待我,
因我清白而賞賜我,
21 因為我堅守祂的道,
沒有作惡背棄我的上帝。
22 我遵守祂的一切法令,
沒有把祂的律例棄置一旁。
23 我在祂面前純全無過,
沒有沾染罪惡。
24 耶和華因我公義、
在祂面前清白而獎賞我。

25 仁慈的人,你以仁慈待他;
純全的人,你以純全待他;
26 純潔的人,你以純潔待他;
心術不正的人,你以計謀待他。
27 你搭救謙卑的人,
貶抑眼目高傲的人。
28 我的上帝耶和華啊,
你是我的明燈,
你使我的黑暗變為光明。
29 我倚靠你的力量迎戰敵軍,
靠著我的上帝躍過牆垣。

30 上帝的道完美,
耶和華的話純全,
祂是投靠祂之人的盾牌。
31 除了耶和華以外,誰是上帝呢?
除了我們的上帝,誰是磐石呢?
32 是上帝賜我力量,
使我行為純全。
33 祂使我的腳如母鹿的蹄,
穩踏在高處。
34 祂訓練我,
使我的手能爭戰、
我的臂膀能拉開銅弓。
35 耶和華啊,你是拯救我的盾牌,
你的右手扶持我,
你的垂顧使我強大。
36 你使我腳下的道路寬闊,
不致滑倒。
37 我追趕仇敵直到追上,
不消滅他們決不回頭。
38 我打垮他們,
使他們倒在我的腳下,
再也站不起來。
39 你賜我征戰的能力,
使我的仇敵降服在我腳下。
40 你使我的仇敵狼狽而逃,
我殲滅了恨我的人。
41 他們高聲求救,卻無人搭救;
他們呼求耶和華,祂也不應允。
42 我把他們打得粉碎,
如同風中的灰塵;
我把他們倒掉,
如同街上的泥土。
43 你救我脫離我百姓的攻擊,
立我做列國的元首。
素不認識的民族也歸順我。
44 他們望風而降,
外族人對我俯首稱臣。
45 外族人聞風喪膽,
戰戰兢兢地走出他們的城池。
46 耶和華永遠活著,
保護我的磐石當受頌讚,
拯救我的上帝當受尊崇。
47 祂是為我伸冤的上帝,
祂使列邦臣服於我。
48 祂救我脫離仇敵,
使我勝過強敵,
拯救我脫離殘暴之徒。
49 因此,耶和華啊,
我要在列邦中讚美你,
歌頌你的名。
50 你使你立的王大獲全勝,
向你膏立的大衛及其後代廣施慈愛,直到永遠。

Psalm 18[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

I love you, Lord, my strength.(B)

The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(F)
    my shield[b](G) and the horn[c] of my salvation,(H) my stronghold.

I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(I)
    and I have been saved from my enemies.(J)
The cords of death(K) entangled me;
    the torrents(L) of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death(M) confronted me.

In my distress(N) I called to the Lord;(O)
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;(P)
    my cry came(Q) before him, into his ears.
The earth trembled(R) and quaked,(S)
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;(T)
    they trembled because he was angry.(U)
Smoke rose from his nostrils;(V)
    consuming fire(W) came from his mouth,
    burning coals(X) blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;(Y)
    dark clouds(Z) were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim(AA) and flew;
    he soared(AB) on the wings of the wind.(AC)
11 He made darkness his covering,(AD) his canopy(AE) around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence(AF) clouds advanced,
    with hailstones(AG) and bolts of lightning.(AH)
13 The Lord thundered(AI) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.[d]
14 He shot his arrows(AJ) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning(AK) he routed them.(AL)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations(AM) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,(AN) Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.(AO)

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.(AP)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,(AQ)
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.(AR)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,(AS)
    but the Lord was my support.(AT)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;(AU)
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.(AV)

20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(AW)
    according to the cleanness of my hands(AX) he has rewarded me.(AY)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;(AZ)
    I am not guilty of turning(BA) from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;(BB)
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless(BC) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(BD)
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25 To the faithful(BE) you show yourself faithful,(BF)
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure(BG) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(BH)
27 You save the humble(BI)
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.(BJ)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp(BK) burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.(BL)
29 With your help(BM) I can advance against a troop[e];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect:(BN)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;(BO)
    he shields(BP) all who take refuge(BQ) in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(BR)
    And who is the Rock(BS) except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength(BT)
    and keeps my way secure.(BU)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(BV)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.(BW)
34 He trains my hands for battle;(BX)
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains(BY) me;
    your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path(BZ) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.(CA)

37 I pursued my enemies(CB) and overtook them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them(CC) so that they could not rise;(CD)
    they fell beneath my feet.(CE)
39 You armed me with strength(CF) for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries(CG) before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs(CH) in flight,
    and I destroyed(CI) my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them(CJ)
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.(CK)
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;(CL)
    I trampled them[f] like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
    you have made me the head of nations.(CM)
People I did not know(CN) now serve me,
44     foreigners(CO) cower before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;(CP)
    they come trembling(CQ) from their strongholds.(CR)

46 The Lord lives!(CS) Praise be to my Rock!(CT)
    Exalted be God(CU) my Savior!(CV)
47 He is the God who avenges(CW) me,
    who subdues nations(CX) under me,
48     who saves(CY) me from my enemies.(CZ)
You exalted me above my foes;
    from a violent man(DA) you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;(DB)
    I will sing(DC) the praises of your name.(DD)

50 He gives his king great victories;
    he shows unfailing love to his anointed,(DE)
    to David(DF) and to his descendants forever.(DG)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
  2. Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
  3. Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  4. Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning
  5. Psalm 18:29 Or can run through a barricade
  6. Psalm 18:42 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac and Targum (see also 2 Samuel 22:43); Masoretic Text I poured them out