Tehillim 18

1. (For the one directing. Of Dovid Eved Hashem who sang to Hashem the lyrics of this shirah on the day Hashem delivered him from the hand of all his oyevim and from the hand of Sha’ul; and he said) I will love Thee, Hashem, my strength.

2. (3) Hashem is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; Eli my Tzur (rock), in whom I take refuge; my mogen, and the keren of my salvation, and my misgav (high place as a refuge).

3. (4) I will call upon Hashem, Who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from mine oyevim.

4. (5) The chevlei mavet entangled me, and the floods of Beliya’al terrorized me.

5. (6) The chevlei Sheol snaked around me; the snares of mavet confronted me.

6. (7) In my distress I called upon Hashem, and cried unto Elohai; He heard my voice out of His Heikhal, and my cry came before Him, even into His ears.

7. (8) Ha’aretz shook and trembled; the foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, because He was angry.

8. (9) Smoke went up from His nostrils, and eish out of His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it.

9. (10) He parted Shomayim, and descended, and dark clouds were under His feet.

10. (11) And He rode upon a keruv (cherub), and did fly; yea, He soared upon the wings of the ruach.

11. (12) He made choshech His secret place; His sukkah round about Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

12. (13) Out of the brightness that was before Him there broke through barad (hailstones) and coals of eish out of His clouds.

13. (14) Hashem also thundered in Shomayim, and Elyon gave His voice amid barad and coals of eish.

14. (15) Yea, He sent out His khitzim (arrows), and scattered them; and He shot out great lightning bolts, and did put them to rout.

15. (16) Then the channels of waters were exposed, and the foundations of the tevel (world) were laid bare at Thy rebuke, Hashem, at the blast of the ruach of Thy nostrils.

16. (17) He sent from on high, He took hold of me, He drew me out of mayim rabbim (many waters).

17. (18) He delivered me from my strong oyev, and from them which hated me; for they were too strong for me.

18. (19) They confronted me in the day of my calamity; but Hashem was my stay.

19. (20) He brought me forth also into a place merkhav (spacious); He delivered me, because He delighted in me.

20. (21) Hashem dealt with me according to my tzedek; according to the cleanness of my hands hath He recompensed me.

21. (22) For I have been shomer regarding the Darkhei Hashem, and have not wickedly departed from Elohai.

22. (23) For all His mishpatim were before me, and I did not put away His chukkot from me.

23. (24) I was also tamim (blameless) before Him, and I kept myself from mine avon.

24. (25) Therefore hath Hashem recompensed me according to my tzedek, according to the cleanness of my hands before His eyes.

25. (26) With the chasid Thou wilt show Thyself chesed; with a perfect man Thou wilt show Thyself perfect;

26. (27) With the pure Thou wilt show Thyself pure; and with the ikesh (crooked, perverted, false) Thou wilt show Thyself shrewd.

27. (28) For Thou wilt save the ani (poor); but wilt bring down low haughty looks.

28. (29) For Thou wilt light my ner; Hashem Elohai will enlighten my choshech.

29. (30) For by Thee have I scattered a troop; and by Elohai have I leaped over a wall.

30. (31) As for El, His derech is tamim (perfect); the word of Hashem is tzerufah (tested and proved flawless, inerrant); He is a mogen to all those that take refuge in Him.

31. (32) For who is Elohim besides Hashem? Or who is Tzur but Eloheinu?

32. (33) It is El that armeth me with chayil, and maketh my derech tamim (perfect).

33. (34) He maketh my raglayim like deer feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

34. (35) He traineth my hands for milchamah, so that a keshet-nechushah mine arms can bend.

35. (36) Thou hast also given me the mogen of Thy salvation; and Thy right hand hath held me up, and Thy lowliness hath made me great.

36. (37) Thou hast made rakhav (broad) the place for my footsteps under me, that my ankles did not turn.

37. (38) I have pursued mine oyevim, and overtaken them; neither did I turn back till they were consumed.

38. (39) I have crushed them that they were not able to rise; they are fallen under my raglayim.

39. (40) For Thou hast armed me with chayil unto the milchamah; Thou hast made bow down under me those that rose up against me.

40. (41) Thou hast also given me the necks of mine oyevim; that I might destroy them that hate me.

41. (42) They cried for help, but there was no Moshi’a to save them, even unto Hashem, but He answered them not.

42. (43) Then did I beat them small as the dust before the ruach; I did empty them out as the dirt in the chutzot (streets).

43. (44) Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and Thou hast made me the Rosh (head) of the Goyim (nations); an Am (people) whom I have not known shall serve me.

44. (45) As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me; the Bnei Nekhar (foreigners) shall submit themselves unto me.

45. (46) The Bnei Nekhar shall fade away, and come forth trembling out of their misgerot (stongholds, fastnesses, secure places).

46. (47) Hashem chai; and baruch be my Tzur; and let the Elohei of my salvation be exalted.

47. (48) It is El that avengeth me, and subdueth the nations under me.

48. (49) He saveth me from mine oyevim; yea, Thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me; Thou hast delivered me from the ish chamas.

49. (50) Therefore will I give thanks unto Thee, Hashem, among the Goyim, and sing praises unto Shimecha.

50. (51) Great deliverance giveth He to His Melech; and showeth chesed to His Moshiach, to Dovid, and to his Zera ad olam.