Psalms 18:1-30:12 (Psalm of David) I love you, O Jehovah, my strength.

NSB⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ ([Psalm of David]) I love you, O Jehovah, my strength. ² Jehovah is my rock and my fortress. He is my deliverer. He is my God and my crag, the one in whom I take refuge. He is my shield, and the strength of my salvation, my stronghold. ³ Jehovah should be praised. I called on him, and I was saved from my enemies. ⁴ The cords of death surrounded me. The torrents of wickedness frightened me. ⁵ The cords of the grave surrounded me. The snares of death confronted me. ⁶ I called on Jehovah in my distress. I cried to my God for help. He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry for help reached his ears. ⁷ Then the earth shook and quaked. Even the foundations of the mountains trembled. They shook violently because he was angry. ⁸ Smoke went up from his nostrils. A raging fire came out of his mouth. Glowing coals were kindled by it. ⁹ He spread apart the heavens and came down with a dark cloud under his feet. ¹⁰ He rode on a cherub and he flew. Yes he did soar on the wings of the wind. ¹¹ He made the darkness his hiding place, his pavilion round about, the dark rain clouds his covering. ¹² Out of the brightness in front of him, those rain clouds passed by with hailstones and lightning. ¹³ Jehovah thundered in the heavens. The Most High made his voice heard with hailstones and lightning. ¹⁴ He shot his arrows and scattered them. He flashed streaks of lightning to agitate (disturb and trouble) them. ¹⁵ The ocean floor could be seen. The foundations of the earth were laid bare at your stern warning, O Jehovah, at the blast of the breath from your nostrils. ¹⁶ He reached down from high above and took hold of me. He pulled me out of the raging water. ¹⁷ He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, because they were too strong for me. ¹⁸ On the day of my calamity, they confronted me, and Jehovah came to my support. ¹⁹ He brought me out to a wide-open place. He rescued me because he was pleased with me. ²⁰ Jehovah rewarded me because of my righteousness, because my hands are clean. He paid me back. ²¹ I have kept the ways of Jehovah and I have not wickedly turned away from my God. ²² All his judgments are in front of me and I have not turned away from his laws. ²³ I was innocent as far as he was concerned. I have kept myself from guilt. ²⁴ Jehovah paid me back because of my righteousness. He can see that my hands are clean. ²⁵ In dealing with faithful people you are faithful. With innocent people you are innocent. ²⁶ With pure people you are pure. In dealing with devious people you are clever. ²⁷ You save humble people, but you humiliate the proud. ²⁸ O Jehovah, you light my lamp. My God turns my darkness into light. ²⁹ With you I can attack a line of soldiers. With my God I can break through barricades. ³⁰ God's way is perfect! The word of Jehovah has proven to be true. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. ³¹ Who is God but Jehovah? Who is a rock except our God? ³² God arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. ³³ He makes my feet sure-footed on high places just like those of a deer. ³⁴ He trains my hands for battle so that my arms can bend an archer's bow of bronze. ³⁵ You have given me the shield of your salvation. Your right hand supports me. Your gentleness (humility) (meekness) makes me great. ³⁶ You make a wide path for me to walk on so that my feet do not slip. ³⁷ I chased my enemies and caught up with them. I did not return until I had ended their lives. ³⁸ I wounded them so badly that they were unable to get up. They fell under my feet. ³⁹ You armed me with strength for battle. You made my opponents bow at my feet. ⁴⁰ You made my enemies turn their backs to me. I destroyed those who hated me. ⁴¹ They cried out for help, but there was no one to save them. They cried out to Jehovah, but he did not answer them. ⁴² I beat them into powder as fine as the dust blown by the wind. I threw them out as though they were dirt on the streets. ⁴³ You rescued me from my conflicts with the people. You made me the leader of nations. A people I did not know will serve me: ⁴⁴ As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me. Foreigners will cringe in front of me. ⁴⁵ Foreigners will lose heart (lose courage). They will tremble when they come out of their fortifications. ⁴⁶ Jehovah lives! Blessed is my rock! Praise the God of my salvation. ⁴⁷ God gives me vengeance! He brings people under my authority. ⁴⁸ He saves me from my enemies. You lift me up above my opponents. You rescue me from violent people. ⁴⁹ That is why I will give thanks to you, O Jehovah, among the nations and make music to praise your name. ⁵⁰ He gives great victories to his king. He shows mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his descendants forever. ¹⁹ ¹ ([Psalm of David]) The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky displays what his hands have made. ² Day to day declares speech. Night to night shows knowledge. ³ It is done without talking, without words, without their voices being heard. ⁴ Yet, their measuring line (rule) has gone out into the entire world, their message to the ends of the earth. He has set up a tent in the heavens for the sun. ⁵ It comes out of its chamber like a bridegroom. Like a champion, it is eager to run its course. ⁶ It rises from one end of the heavens. It circles around to the other. Nothing is hidden from its heat. ⁷ The law of Jehovah is perfect. It gives new life. The testimony of Jehovah is dependable. It makes the simple wise. ⁸ The statutes of Jehovah are correct. They make the heart rejoice. The commandments of Jehovah are radiant. They make the eyes shine. ⁹ The reverence of Jehovah is pure. It endures forever. The decisions of Jehovah are true. They are completely fair. ¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even the drippings from a honeycomb. ¹¹ They warn your servant. There is a great reward in following them. ¹² Who can notice (discern) (understand) every mistake? Forgive my hidden faults. ¹³ Keep me from sinning. Do not let anyone gain control over me. Then I will be blameless, and I will be free from any great offense. ¹⁴ May the words from my mouth and the thoughts from my heart be acceptable to you, O Jehovah, my rock and my Redeemer (Purchaser). ²⁰ ¹ ([Psalm of David]) Jehovah will answer you in times of trouble. The name of the God of Jacob will protect you. ² He will send you help from his holy place. He will support you from Zion. ³ He will remember all your grain offerings and look with favor on your burnt offerings. ⁴ He will give you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans. ⁵ We will rejoice in your salvation. We will wave our flags in the name of our God. Jehovah will fulfill all your petitions. ⁶ Now I know that Jehovah will save his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty deeds of his powerful hand. ⁷ Some boast in chariots and others in horses, but we will boast in the name of Jehovah our God. ⁸ They will sink to their knees and fall, but we will rise and stand firm. ⁹ Give victory to the king, O Jehovah. Answer us in the day that we call. ²¹ ¹ ([Psalm of David]) The king finds joy in your strength, O Jehovah. What great joy he has in your salvation! ² You gave him his heart's desire. You did not refuse the prayer from his lips. ³ You come to him with the blessings of good things. You set a crown of fine gold on his head. ⁴ He asked you for life. You gave him a long life, forever and ever (perpetuity) (long lasting time). ⁵ Because of your salvation his glory is great. You place magnificence and majesty on him. ⁶ You make him blessed forever. You make him joyful with the pleasure of your presence. ⁷ Indeed, the king trusts Jehovah, and through the mercy of the Most High, he will not be moved. ⁸ Your hand (spirit and power) will discover all your enemies. Your powerful hand will find all who hate you. ⁹ When you appear, you will make them burn like a blazing furnace. Jehovah will swallow them up in his anger. Fire will devour them. ¹⁰ You will destroy their children from the earth and their offspring from among the sons of man. ¹¹ Even though they scheme and devise evil against you, they will not succeed. ¹² They turn their backs and flee because you aim your bow at their faces. ²⁵ ²⁰ Guard me and save me! Do not let me be humiliated for I have taken refuge in you. ²¹ Integrity and honesty will protect me because I wait for you. ²² Rescue Israel, O God, from all its troubles! ²⁶ ¹ ([Psalm of David]) Vindicate me, O Jehovah, because I have walked with (a life-style of) integrity and I have trusted you without wavering. ² Examine me, O Jehovah, and test me. Look closely (deeply) into my heart and mind. ³ Your loving-kindness is in front of me. I walk in your truth. ⁴ I do not sit with deceitful men, and I will not be found among hypocrites. ⁵ I hate the assembly of evildoers and will not sit with wicked people. ⁶ I will wash my hands in innocence. I will walk around your altar, O Jehovah. ⁷ Let me publish with a voice of thanksgiving and recount all your wonders (miracles). ⁸ O Jehovah, I love the place where you live, the home (spiritual retreat) (heart and mind) where your glory dwells. ⁹ Do not sweep me away with hardened sinners or my life along with bloodthirsty people. ¹⁰ Evil schemes are in their hands. Their right hands are full of bribes. ¹¹ As for me, I walk in my integrity. Redeem (ransom) (rescue) me, and show me favor. ¹² My feet stand on level ground. I will praise Jehovah in the congregation. ²⁷ ¹ ([Psalm of David]) Jehovah is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Jehovah is the stronghold of my life. Who is there to be afraid of? ² Evildoers accosted me to tear me to pieces. My opponents and enemies stumbled and fell. ³ Even though an army sets up camp against me, my heart will not be afraid. Even though a war breaks out against me, I will trust in Jehovah. ⁴ I have asked one thing from Jehovah. This I will seek: to live in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to look at Jehovah’s beauty and search for an answer in his temple. ⁵ He hides me in his shelter when there is trouble. He keeps me hidden in his tent. He puts me high on a rock. ⁶ Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies who surround me. I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy in his tent. I will sing, yes I will sing praises to Jehovah. ⁷ Hear O Jehovah when I cry with my voice. Be gracious to me and answer me. ⁸ You said: »Seek my face (look for me) (my presence).« My heart said to you, »O Jehovah, I will look for you.« ⁹ Do not hide your face from me. Do not angrily turn me away. You have been my help. Do not leave me! Do not abandon me, O God of my salvation! ¹⁰ Even if my father and mother abandon (forsake) me, Jehovah will take care of me. ¹¹ Teach me your way, O Jehovah. Lead me on a level path because of my enemies. ¹² Do not surrender me to the will of my opponents. False witnesses have risen against me. They breathe out violence. ¹³ I believe that I will see the goodness of Jehovah in this world of the living. ¹⁴ Hope (wait) (expect) (trust) in Jehovah and be strong. Let your heart be courageous. Yes, hope in Jehovah. ²⁸ ¹ ([Psalm of David]) O Jehovah, I call to you. O my rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. If you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit (grave). ² Hear the voice of my prayer when I call to you for help, when I lift my hands [in prayer] toward your most holy place. ³ Do not drag me away with the wicked and with troublemakers who speak of peace with their neighbors but have evil in their hearts. ⁴ Pay them back for what they have done, for their evil deeds. Pay them back for what their hands have done, and give them recompense. ⁵ Jehovah will tear them down and never build them up again. This is because they never consider what he has done or what his hands have made. ⁶ Blessed is Jehovah for he has heard my prayer (supplication)! ⁷ Jehovah is my strength and my shield. My heart trusted him, so I received help. My heart is triumphant and I thank him with my song. ⁸ Jehovah is the strength of his people and a fortress for the victory of his anointed. ⁹ Save your people, and bless those who belong to you. Be their shepherd, and carry them forever. ²⁹ ¹ ([Psalm of David]) Give to Jehovah, you sons of the mighty ones. Give to Jehovah glory and power. ² Give to Jehovah the glory his name deserves. Worship Jehovah in his holy splendor. ³ The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters. The God of glory thunders, Jehovah is over many waters. ⁴ The voice of Jehovah is powerful. The voice of Jehovah is glorious. ⁵ The voice of Jehovah breaks the cedars. Jehovah splinters the cedars of Lebanon. ⁶ He makes Lebanon skip along like a calf and Mount Sirion like a wild bull. ⁷ The voice of Jehovah cuts with flames of fire from lightning. ⁸ The voice of Jehovah shakes the wilderness. Jehovah makes the wilderness of Kadesh tremble. ⁹ The voice of Jehovah makes the deer to calve and strips the forests bare. In His temple everything says: »Glory!« ¹⁰ Jehovah sat enthroned over the flood. Jehovah sits enthroned as king forever. ¹¹ Jehovah will give power (strength) to his people. Jehovah will bless his people with peace (prosperity) (health) (safety). ³⁰ ¹ ([Psalm of David]) I will praise and exalt You, O Jehovah, for you lifted me up. You did not let my enemies rejoice over me. ² O Jehovah my God, I cried to you for help, and you healed me. ³ O Jehovah, you brought me up from the grave. You kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit. ⁴ Sing praise to Jehovah, you his godly ones, and give thanks to his holy name. ⁵ For His anger is only for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime! Weeping may last for the night but a shout of joy comes in the morning. ⁶ Now as for me, I said in my prosperity: »I will never be shaken.« ⁷ By your favor, O Jehovah, you made my mountain to stand strong. You hid your face and I was alarmed (dismayed). ⁸ To You, O Jehovah, I called. To Jehovah I made supplication: ⁹ What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it declare your truth? ¹⁰ Hear, O Jehovah, and be gracious to me. O Jehovah help me. ¹¹ You turned my mourning into dancing. You loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness. ¹² Now I sing praise to you. I am not silent! O Jehovah my God, I will give thanks and praise you forever. ²¹ ¹³ Arise O Jehovah be exalted in your strength. We will sing to praise your power. ²² ¹ ([Psalm of David]) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far away from my deliverance, so far away from the words of my moaning? ² My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer. I cry by night, but I find no rest. ³ Yet you are holy, you who dwell seated on the praises of Israel. ⁴ Our ancestors trusted you. They trusted, and you delivered them. ⁵ They cried to you and were delivered. They trusted you and were never disappointed. ⁶ Yet, I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned by humanity and despised by people. ⁷ All who see me laugh at me. Insults pour from their mouths. They shake their heads and say: ⁸ »Put yourself in Jehovah’s hands. Let Jehovah save him! Let God rescue him since he is pleased with him!« ⁹ You are the one who brought me out of the womb. You made me feel safe at my mother's breasts. ¹⁰ I was placed in your care from birth. From my mother's womb you have been my God. ¹¹ Do not be so far away from me. Trouble is near, and there is no one to help. ¹² Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls from Bashan have encircled me. ¹³ They opened their mouths to attack me like ferocious, roaring lions. ¹⁴ I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart has melted within me like wax (I am weak). ¹⁵ My power is dried up like pieces of broken pottery. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me down in the dust of death. ¹⁶ Dogs have surrounded me. A mob has encircled me. They have pierced my hands and feet. ¹⁷ I can count all my bones. People stare and gloat over me. ¹⁸ They divide my clothes among themselves. They cast lots (throw dice) for my clothing. ¹⁹ Do not stay far off, O Jehovah. Come quickly to assist me, O my strength. ²⁰ Rescue me from the sword, my life from vicious dogs. ²¹ Save me from the mouth of the lion and from the horns of wild oxen. You have answered me. ²² I will tell my people about your name. I will praise you within the congregation. ²³ All who reverence Jehovah, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob honor him! Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel. ²⁴ Jehovah has not despised or been disgusted with the plight of the oppressed one. He has not hidden his face from that person. Jehovah heard when that oppressed person cried out to him for help. ²⁵ My praise comes from you while I am among those assembled for worship. I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who respect Jehovah. ²⁶ Humble (meek) people will eat until they are full. Those who look to Jehovah will praise him. May your heart live forever. ²⁷ All the ends of the earth will remember and return to Jehovah. All the families from all the nations will worship you. ²⁸ This is because the kingdom belongs to Jehovah and he rules the nations. ²⁹ All prosperous people on earth will eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust will kneel in front of him, even those who are barely alive. ³⁰ There will be descendants who serve him, a generation that will be told about Jehovah. ³¹ They will tell people yet to be born about the righteousness he has performed. ²³ ¹ ([Psalm of David]) Jehovah is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. ³ He restores me and he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. ⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of Jehovah forever. ²⁴ ¹ ([Psalm of David]) The earth and all it contains the world and those who dwell in it belong to Jehovah. ² For He has ordained it upon the seas and decreed it upon the rivers. ³ Who will go up to the mountain of Jehovah? Who may stand in His holy place? ⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up (turned) to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully. ⁵ He will obtain blessing from Jehovah and righteousness from the God of his salvation. ⁶ This is the person who seeks him, who searches for the face of the God of Jacob. ⁷ Lift your heads, you gates. Be lifted up, you ancient doors, so that the king of glory will come in. ⁸ Who is this king of glory? Jehovah, strong and mighty! Jehovah, powerful in battle! ⁹ Lift your heads, you gates. Be lifted, you ancient doors, so that the king of glory may come in. ¹⁰ Who, then, is this king of glory? Jehovah of Hosts is the king of glory! ²⁵ ¹ ([Psalm of David]) I offer myself to you, O Jehovah. ² I trust you, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame. Do not let my enemy’s triumph over me. ³ No one who waits for you will ever be put to shame, but all who are treacherous will be put to shame. ⁴ Make your ways known to me, O Jehovah, and teach me your paths. ⁵ Make me walk (guide me) (bend me) in your truth and teach me because you are my God of salvation. I wait all day long for you. ⁶ O Jehovah, remember your loving kindness and merciful deeds. They have existed from eternity. ⁷ Do not remember the sins of my youth or my rebellious ways. O Jehovah, remember me in keeping with your loving kindness and your goodness. ⁸ Jehovah is good and decent. That is why he teaches sinners the way they should live. ⁹ He leads humble people to do what is right, and he teaches them his way. ¹⁰ All the paths of Jehovah are loving-kindness (mercy) and truth for those who cling to his promise and written instructions. ¹¹ O Jehovah, for the sake of your name pardon my guilt, because it is great. ¹² Who is this person who respects Jehovah? He is the one whom Jehovah will teach the way he should choose. ¹³ He will enjoy good things in life, and his descendants will inherit the land. ¹⁴ Jehovah is intimate with those who respect him. He reveals the intent of his covenant to them. ¹⁵ My eyes are always on Jehovah. He removes my feet from traps. ¹⁶ Turn to me, and have pity on me for I am lonely and afflicted. ¹⁷ My troubles have increased. Relieve my troubled heart, and bring me out of my distress. ¹⁸ Look at my misery and suffering, and forgive all my sins. ¹⁹ See how my enemies have increased in number, how they have hated me with vicious hatred!