18 For the musical director: a song by Yahweh’s servant David, when he sang the words of this song to Yahweh on the day that Yahweh rescued him from Shaul (King Saul) and all his other enemies.

18 He said:

I love you, Yahweh, my source of strength.

2 Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, the one who brings me to safety.

≈He’s my God, my rock. I take refuge in him.

He’s my shield, the power that saves me, my fortress.

3 I will call for help from Yahweh

who deserves all the praise he gets,

and then I’ll be rescued from my enemies.

4 I felt like I was about to die,

≈and torrents of worthlessness overwhelmed me.

5 The grave seemed to be putting its ropes around me.

≈The snares of death trapped me.

6 In my distress I called out to Yahweh.

≈I cried for help to my God.

He heard my voice from his temple.

≈My call for help entered his presence.

≈It reached his ears.

7 Then the earth quaked and shook.

≈The foundations of the mountains trembled

≈and were shaken because God was angry.

8 Smoke went up from out of his nostrils,

≈and blazing fire came out of his mouth.

Coals were ignited by it.

9 He opened the skies and came down,

and heavy darkness was under his feet.

10 He rode on a winged creature and flew.

≈He glided on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness into a tent around him—

heavy rain clouds in the skies.

12 Hail and burning coals fell from the brightness in front of him.

13 Yahweh thundered from the heavens.

The voice of the highest one shouted.[fn]

14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies—

≈many lightning bolts, and forced them to disperse.

15 Then the water channels appeared.

≈The foundations of the world were exposed

at your rebuke, Yahweh—

≈at the blast of the breath from your nostrils.

16 He reached down from above and took hold of me.

≈He pulled me out of the surging waters.

17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy—

from those who hated me,

because they were too strong for me.

18 They confronted me when I was in distress,

but Yahweh was my support.

19 He brought me out to a wide open place.

≈He saved me because he was pleased with me.

20 Yahweh has rewarded me because I’ve done nothing wrong.

≈He has restored me because I’m innocent.

21 because I’ve followed Yahweh’s instructions

and haven’t acted wickedly towards my God.

22 I keep all his instructions in mind,

and I haven’t refused to follow any of his rules.

23 I’ve done nothing that he could blame me for

and I’ve kept myself from disobeying him.

24 So Yahweh has restored me because of my obedience,

because I was innocent in his sight.

25 To the faithful, you show yourself faithful.

≈To the blameless, you show yourself blameless.

26 ≈To the pure, you show yourself pure,

but you’re shrewd towards anyone who’s crooked,

27 because you save people who’re suffering,

but you bring down those with proud, uplifted eyes.

28 You give light to my lamp.

≈Yahweh my God lights up my darkness.

29 With your help, I can run forward into the invaders.

≈With my God’s assistance, I can leap over a wall.

30 As for God, his ways are perfect.

≈Yahweh’s message has been refined.

He is a shield to everyone who goes to him to stay safe,

31 because who is God except Yahweh?

≈Who is a reliable place of safety except our God?

32 It is God who puts strength onto me like a belt around me—

who makes my path clear of obstacles.

33 He makes me sure-footed like a deer,

and places me in the hills.[ref]

34 He trains my hands for battle,

≈and my arms to bend a bronze bow.

35 You protect and save me with your shield.

You use your power to support me,

and your favour has made me strong.

36 You’ve made the path for my feet wide beneath me

so that my feet haven’t slipped.

37 I chased my enemies and overtook them.

≈I didn’t turn back until they were destroyed.

38 I smashed them so that they were unable to regroup.

≈They have fallen under my feet.

39 You put strength on me for battle like a belt around me.

You made my enemies bow down to me.

40 You allowed me to kill my enemies.

≈I annihilated those who hated me.

41 They called for help, but no rescuer came.

≈They called out to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them.

42 I hammered them into fine pieces like dust in the wind.

≈I emptied them out like mud in the streets.

43 You rescued me from people’s feuds.

You’ve made me the head over nations.

≈People serve me that I never knew before.

44 As soon as they heard about me, they obeyed me.

≈Foreigners cower down to me.

45 The foreigners lose heart,

≈and came trembling out of their strongholds.

46 Yahweh lives—may my place of security be praised.

≈Praise the God who saved me.

47 He’s the God who executes vengeance on my behalf—

who subdues the nations under me.

48 I’m set free from my enemies.

Indeed, you helped me stay ahead of those who opposed me.

You rescued me from violent men.

49 Therefore I’ll give thanks to you among the nations, Yahweh,

≈I’ll sing praises to your name.[ref]

50 God gives great victory to his king,

and he shows his loyal commitment to his anointed one—

to David and to his descendants forever.