Psalms 18:20-49

²⁰Yahweh has rewarded me because I do what is right; he has blessed me because I ◄am innocent/have not done things that are wrong►.

²¹I have obeyed Yahweh's laws; I have not abandoned him.

²²My behavior was directed by his rules; I have not stopped obeying them.

²³He knows that I have not done what is wrong; I have kept myself from sinning.

²⁴So he rewards me because I do what is right; he knows that I SYN have not committed sins.

²⁵Yahweh, you are faithful to those who faithfully do what you tell them to do; you always do what is good/right to those who do what you want them to do.

²⁶You are kind to those who are kind to others, but you act wisely toward those who ◄act perversely/do bad things►.

²⁷You save those who are humble, but you cause those who are proud to be humiliated/ashamed.

²⁸You give light to my soul/spirit; you take away the darkness of my soul.

²⁹You enable me to be strong, with the result that I can run and attack a line of enemy soldiers; with your help I can ◄scale/climb up► the walls that surround my enemies' cities.

³⁰Everything that Yahweh my God does is perfect. We can depend on him to do what he promises. He is like a shield MET to protect all those who go to him for refuge.

³¹Yahweh is RHQ the only one who is God; only he is like an overhanging rock under which we can be safe.

³²God is the one who enables me to be strong and who keeps me safe on the roads that I walk on.

³³He enables me to walk swiftly without stumbling, like a deer walks/runs in the mountains.

³⁴He teaches me how to use a strong/metal bow in order that I can use it to fight in battles.

³⁵Yahweh, you protect and save me with your shield; you have made me safe by your power MTY. I have become ◄strong/a great king► because you have helped me.

³⁶You havecleared the road for me, with the result that now I do not slip/stumble.

³⁷I have pursued my enemies and caught them; I did not stop until I had defeated/killed them all.

³⁸When I strike them, they are not able to get up again; they lie on the ground, defeated.

³⁹You have enabled me to be strong in order that I can fight battles and defeat my enemies.

⁴⁰You caused my enemies to run away (OR, you enabled me to put my foot on my enemies' necks after I captured them and forced them to lie on the ground); I have gotten rid of all those who hated me.

⁴¹They called out for someone to help them, but no one saved them.

⁴²I pulverize them, with the result that they become like MET the dust that the wind blows away; I throw them out like SIM people throw dirt out into the streets.

⁴³You enabled me to defeat those who fought against me, and appointed me to be the ruler of many nations; people whom I did not know about previously are now slaves in my kingdom.

⁴⁴When foreigners hear about me, they ◄cringe/bow low before me► and they obey me.

⁴⁵They are no longer courageous, and from their forts where they were hiding they come to me trembling.

⁴⁶Yahweh is alive! Praise the one who is like an overhanging rock MET under which I am safe Exalt the God who saves me!

⁴⁷He enables me to get revenge on my enemies; he causes me to defeat nations and to rule over them,

⁴⁸and he rescues me from my enemies. He has lifted me up high so that violent men could not reach me and harm me.

⁴⁹So I praise him and I tell the nations the great things that he has done.