Psalms 18:6-40

⁶But when I was very distressed, I called out to Yahweh, and from his temple he heard me. He listened to me when I cried out for help.

⁷Then the earth quaked/shook strongly DOU; the mountains shook very strongly from their centers DOU because Yahweh was angry.

⁸It was as though smoke poured out from his nostrils, and as though burning coals came out of his mouth.

⁹He opened the sky and came down with a black cloud under his feet.

¹⁰He flew, riding on the back of a creature that had wings, traveling fast, blown along by the wind.

¹¹Darkness was all around him like a blanket MET; dark clouds, full of moisture, covered him MET.

¹²Hailstones and flashes of lightning were around him; hail and burning coals fell from the sky.

¹³Then Yahweh spoke in a loud voice from the sky, and his enemies heard his voice that sounded like thunder.

¹⁴He shot his arrows at them and caused them to scatter; His flashes of lightning caused them to become very confused (OR, to run away).

¹⁵The bottom of the ocean became visible, and the foundations of the earth were uncovered, when Yahweh rebuked his enemies when he snorted.

¹⁶It was as though he reached down from heaven and grabbed me and pulled me up out of the deep ocean.

¹⁷He rescued me from my strong enemies who hated me; they were very strong, with the result that I could not defeat them.

¹⁸When I ◄was distressed/had troubles►, they attacked me, but Yahweh defended/protected me.

¹⁹He led me to a place where I was safe; he rescued me because he was pleased with me.

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.