Chapter 18

1For the leader. Of David, the servant of Hashem, who addressed the words of this song to Hashem after Hashem had saved him from the hands of all his enemies and from the clutches of Shaul.

אלַמְנַצֵּחַ לְעֶבֶד יְהֹוָה לְדָוִד אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לַיהֹוָה אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת בְּיוֹם הִצִּיל־יְהֹוָה אוֹתוֹ מִכַּף כָּל־אֹיְבָיו וּמִיַּד שָׁאוּל׃

2He said: I adore you, Hashem, my strength,

בוַיֹּאמַר אֶרְחָמְךָ יְהֹוָה חִזְקִי׃

3Hashem, my crag, my fortress, my rescuer, my God, my rock in whom I seek refuge, my shield, my mighty Champion, my haven.

גיְהֹוָה סַלְעִי וּמְצוּדָתִי וּמְפַלְטִי אֵלִי צוּרִי אֶחֱסֶה־בּוֹ מָגִנִּי וְקֶרֶן־יִשְׁעִי מִשְׂגַּבִּי׃

4All praise! I called on Hashem and was delivered from my enemies.

דמְהֻלָּל אֶקְרָא יְהֹוָה וּמִן־אֹיְבַי אִוָּשֵׁעַ׃

5Ropes of Death encompassed me; torrents of Belial terrified me;

האֲפָפוּנִי חֶבְלֵי־מָוֶת וְנַחֲלֵי בְלִיַּעַל יְבַעֲתוּנִי׃

6ropes of Sheol encircled me; snares of Death confronted me.

וחֶבְלֵי שְׁאוֹל סְבָבוּנִי קִדְּמוּנִי מוֹקְשֵׁי מָוֶת׃

7In my distress I called on Hashem, cried out to my God; in His temple He heard my voice; my cry to Him reached His ears.

זבַּצַּר־לִי אֶקְרָא יְהֹוָה וְאֶל־אֱלֹהַי אֲשַׁוֵּעַ יִשְׁמַע מֵהֵיכָלוֹ קוֹלִי וְשַׁוְעָתִי לְפָנָיו תָּבוֹא בְאָזְנָיו׃

8Then the earth rocked and quaked; the foundations of the mountains shook, rocked by His indignation;

va-tig-ASH va-tir-ASH ha-A-retz u-mo-s'-DAY ha-REEM yir-GA-zu va-yit-ga-a-SHU kee KHA-rah LO

חוַתִּגְעַשׁ וַתִּרְעַשׁ הָאָרֶץ וּמוֹסְדֵי הָרִים יִרְגָּזוּ וַיִּתְגָּעֲשׁוּ כִּי־חָרָה לוֹ׃

9smoke went up from His nostrils, from His mouth came devouring fire; live coals blazed forth from Him.

טעָלָה עָשָׁן בְּאַפּוֹ וְאֵשׁ־מִפִּיו תֹּאכֵל גֶּחָלִים בָּעֲרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ׃

10He bent the sky and came down, thick cloud beneath His feet.

יוַיֵּט שָׁמַיִם וַיֵּרַד וַעֲרָפֶל תַּחַת רַגְלָיו׃

11He mounted a cherub and flew, gliding on the wings of the wind.

יאוַיִּרְכַּב עַל־כְּרוּב וַיָּעֹף וַיֵּדֶא עַל־כַּנְפֵי־רוּחַ׃

12He made darkness His screen; dark thunderheads, dense clouds of the sky were His pavilion round about Him.

יביָשֶׁת חֹשֶׁךְ סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ חֶשְׁכַת־מַיִם עָבֵי שְׁחָקִים׃

13Out of the brilliance before Him, hail and fiery coals pierced His clouds.

יגמִנֹּגַהּ נֶגְדּוֹ עָבָיו עָבְרוּ בָּרָד וְגַחֲלֵי־אֵשׁ׃

14Then Hashem thundered from heaven, the Most High gave forth His voice— hail and fiery coals.

ידוַיַּרְעֵם בַּשָּׁמַיִם יְהֹוָה וְעֶלְיוֹן יִתֵּן קֹלוֹ בָּרָד וְגַחֲלֵי־אֵשׁ׃

15 He let fly His shafts and scattered them; He discharged lightning and routed them.

טווַיִּשְׁלַח חִצָּיו וַיְפִיצֵם וּבְרָקִים רָב וַיְהֻמֵּם׃

16The ocean bed was exposed; the foundations of the world were laid bare by You mighty roaring, Hashem, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

טזוַיֵּרָאוּ אֲפִיקֵי מַיִם וַיִּגָּלוּ מוֹסְדוֹת תֵּבֵל מִגַּעֲרָתְךָ יְהֹוָה מִנִּשְׁמַת רוּחַ אַפֶּךָ׃

17He reached down from on high, He took me; He drew me out of the mighty waters;

יזיִשְׁלַח מִמָּרוֹם יִקָּחֵנִי יַמְשֵׁנִי מִמַּיִם רַבִּים׃

18He saved me from my fierce enemy, from foes too strong for me.

יחיַצִּילֵנִי מֵאֹיְבִי עָז וּמִשֹּׂנְאַי כִּי־אָמְצוּ מִמֶּנִּי׃

19They confronted me on the day of my calamity, but Hashem was my support.

יטיְקַדְּמוּנִי בְיוֹם־אֵידִי וַיְהִי־יְהֹוָה לְמִשְׁעָן לִי׃

20He brought me out to freedom; He rescued me because He was pleased with me.

כוַיּוֹצִיאֵנִי לַמֶּרְחָב יְחַלְּצֵנִי כִּי חָפֵץ בִּי׃

21Hashem rewarded me according to my merit; He requited the cleanness of my hands;

כאיִגְמְלֵנִי יְהֹוָה כְּצִדְקִי כְּבֹר יָדַי יָשִׁיב לִי׃

22for I have kept to the ways of Hashem, and have not been guilty before my God;

כבכִּי־שָׁמַרְתִּי דַּרְכֵי יְהֹוָה וְלֹא־רָשַׁעְתִּי מֵאֱלֹהָי׃

23for I am mindful of all His rules; I have not disregarded His laws.

כגכִּי כָל־מִשְׁפָּטָיו לְנֶגְדִּי וְחֻקֹּתָיו לֹא־אָסִיר מֶנִּי׃

24I have been blameless toward Him, and have guarded myself against sinning;

כדוָאֱהִי תָמִים עִמּוֹ וָאֶשְׁתַּמֵּר מֵעֲוׂנִי׃

25and Hashem has requited me according to my merit, the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

כהוַיָּשֶׁב־יְהֹוָה לִי כְצִדְקִי כְּבֹר יָדַי לְנֶגֶד עֵינָיו׃

26With the loyal, You deal loyally; with the blameless man, blamelessly.

כועִם־חָסִיד תִּתְחַסָּד עִם־גְּבַר תָּמִים תִּתַּמָּם׃

27With the pure, You act purely, and with the perverse, You are wily.

כזעִם־נָבָר תִּתְבָּרָר וְעִם־עִקֵּשׁ תִּתְפַּתָּל׃

28It is You who deliver lowly folk, but haughty eyes You humble.

כחכִּי־אַתָּה עַם־עָנִי תוֹשִׁיעַ וְעֵינַיִם רָמוֹת תַּשְׁפִּיל׃

29It is You who light my lamp; Hashem, my God, lights up my darkness.

כטכִּי־אַתָּה תָּאִיר נֵרִי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהַי יַגִּיהַּ חָשְׁכִּי׃

30With You, I can rush a barrier; with my God I can scale a wall;

לכִּי־בְךָ אָרֻץ גְּדוּד וּבֵאלֹהַי אֲדַלֶּג־שׁוּר׃

31the way of Hashem is perfect; the word of Hashem is pure; He is a shield to all who seek refuge in Him.

לאהָאֵל תָּמִים דַּרְכּוֹ אִמְרַת־יְהֹוָה צְרוּפָה מָגֵן הוּא לְכֹל הַחֹסִים בּוֹ׃

32Truly, who is a god except Hashem, who is a rock but our God?—

לבכִּי מִי אֱלוֹהַּ מִבַּלְעֲדֵי יְהֹוָה וּמִי צוּר זוּלָתִי אֱלֹהֵינוּ׃

33the God who girded me with might, who made my way perfect;

לגהָאֵל הַמְאַזְּרֵנִי חָיִל וַיִּתֵּן תָּמִים דַּרְכִּי׃

34who made my legs like a deer's, and let me stand firm on the heights;

לדמְשַׁוֶּה רַגְלַי כָּאַיָּלוֹת וְעַל בָּמֹתַי יַעֲמִידֵנִי׃

35who trained my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

להמְלַמֵּד יָדַי לַמִּלְחָמָה וְנִחֲתָה קֶשֶׁת־נְחוּשָׁה זְרוֹעֹתָי׃

36You have given me the shield of Your protection; Your right hand has sustained me, Your care has made me great.

לווַתִּתֶּן־לִי מָגֵן יִשְׁעֶךָ וִימִינְךָ תִסְעָדֵנִי וְעַנְוַתְךָ תַרְבֵּנִי׃

37You have let me stride on freely; my feet have not slipped.

לזתַּרְחִיב צַעֲדִי תַחְתָּי וְלֹא מָעֲדוּ קַרְסֻלָּי׃

38I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till I destroyed them.

לחאֶרְדּוֹף אוֹיְבַי וְאַשִּׂיגֵם וְלֹא־אָשׁוּב עַד־כַּלּוֹתָם׃

39I struck them down, and they could rise no more; they lay fallen at my feet.

לטאֶמְחָצֵם וְלֹא־יֻכְלוּ קוּם יִפְּלוּ תַּחַת רַגְלָי׃

40You have girded me with strength for battle, brought my adversaries low before me,

מוַתְּאַזְּרֵנִי חַיִל לַמִּלְחָמָה תַּכְרִיעַ קָמַי תַּחְתָּי׃

41made my enemies turn tail before me; I wiped out my foes.

מאוְאֹיְבַי נָתַתָּה לִּי עֹרֶף וּמְשַׂנְאַי אַצְמִיתֵם׃

42They cried out, but there was none to deliver; [cried] to Hashem, but He did not answer them.

מביְשַׁוְּעוּ וְאֵין־מוֹשִׁיעַ עַל־יְהֹוָה וְלֹא עָנָם׃

43I ground them fine as windswept dust; I trod them flat as dirt of the streets.

מגוְאֶשְׁחָקֵם כְּעָפָר עַל־פְּנֵי־רוּחַ כְּטִיט חוּצוֹת אֲרִיקֵם׃

44You have rescued me from the strife of people; You have set me at the head of nations; peoples I knew not must serve me.

מדתְּפַלְּטֵנִי מֵרִיבֵי עָם תְּשִׂימֵנִי לְרֹאשׁ גּוֹיִם עַם לֹא־יָדַעְתִּי יַעַבְדוּנִי׃

45At the mere report of me they are submissive; foreign peoples cower before me;

מהלְשֵׁמַע אֹזֶן יִשָּׁמְעוּ לִי בְּנֵי־נֵכָר יְכַחֲשׁוּ־לִי׃

46foreign peoples lose courage, and come trembling out of their strongholds.

מובְּנֵי־נֵכָר יִבֹּלוּ וְיַחְרְגוּ מִמִּסְגְּרוֹתֵיהֶם׃

47Hashem lives! Blessed is my rock! Exalted be Hashem, my deliverer,

מזחַי־יְהֹוָה וּבָרוּךְ צוּרִי וְיָרוּם אֱלוֹהֵי יִשְׁעִי׃

48the God who has vindicated me and made peoples subject to me,

מחהָאֵל הַנּוֹתֵן נְקָמוֹת לִי וַיַּדְבֵּר עַמִּים תַּחְתָּי׃

49who rescued me from my enemies, who raised me clear of my adversaries, saved me from lawless men.

מטמְפַלְּטִי מֵאֹיְבָי אַף מִן־קָמַי תְּרוֹמְמֵנִי מֵאִישׁ חָמָס תַּצִּילֵנִי׃

50For this I sing Your praise among the nations, Hashem, and hymn Your name:

נעַל־כֵּן אוֹדְךָ בַגּוֹיִם יְהֹוָה וּלְשִׁמְךָ אֲזַמֵּרָה׃

51He accords great victories to His king, keeps faith with His anointed, with David and his offspring forever.

נאמגדל [מַגְדִּיל] יְשׁוּעוֹת מַלְכּוֹ וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לִמְשִׁיחוֹ לְדָוִד וּלְזַרְעוֹ עַד־עוֹלָם׃