David Sings to the Lord
(Psalm 18.1-50)1 David sang a song to the Lord after the Lord had rescued him from his enemies, especially Saul. These are the words to David's song:
2 Our Lord and our God,
you are my mighty rock,
my fortress, my protector.
3 You are the rock
where I am safe.
You are my shield,
my powerful weapon,
and my place of shelter.
You rescue me and keep me
safe from violence.
4 I praise you, our Lord!
I prayed to you,
and you rescued me
from my enemies.
5 Death, like ocean waves,
surrounded me,
and I was almost swallowed
by its flooding waters.
6 Ropes from the world
of the dead
had coiled around me,
and death had set a trap
in my path.
7 I was in terrible trouble
when I called out to you,
but from your temple
you heard me
and answered my prayer.
8 Earth shook and shivered!
The columns supporting the sky
rocked back and forth.
You were angry
9 and breathed out smoke.
Scorching heat and fiery flames
spewed from your mouth.
10 You opened the heavens
like curtains,
and you came down
with storm clouds
under your feet.
11 You rode on the backs
of flying creatures.
You appeared
with the wind as wings.
12 Darkness was your tent!
Thunderclouds filled the sky,
hiding you from sight.
13 Fiery coals lit up the sky
in front of you.
14 Lord Most High, your voice
thundered from the heavens.
15 You scattered your enemies
with arrows of lightning.
16 You roared at the sea,
and its deepest channels
could be seen.
You snorted,
and the earth shook
to its foundations.
17 You reached down from heaven,
and you lifted me
from deep in the ocean.
18 You rescued me from enemies
who were hateful
and too powerful for me.
19 On the day disaster struck,
they came and attacked,
but you defended me.
20 When I was fenced in,
you freed and rescued me
because you love me.
21 You are good to me, Lord,
because I do right,
and you reward me
because I am innocent.
22 I do what you want
and never turn to do evil.
23 I keep your laws in mind
and never turn away
from your teachings.
24 I obey you completely
and guard against sin.
25 You have been good to me
because I do right;
you have rewarded me
for being innocent
by your standards.
26 You are always loyal
to your loyal people,
and you are faithful
to the faithful.
27 With all who are sincere
you are sincere,
but you treat the unfaithful
as their deeds deserve.
28 You rescue the humble,
but you look for ways
to put down the proud.
29 Our Lord and God,
you are my lamp.
You turn darkness to light.
30 You help me defeat armies
and capture cities.
31 Your way is perfect, Lord,
and your word is correct.
You are a shield for those
who run to you for help.
32 You alone are God!
Only you are a mighty rock.
33 You are my strong fortress,
and you set me free.
34 You make my feet run as fast
as those of a deer,
and you help me stand
on the mountains.
35 You teach my hands to fight
and my arms to use
a bow of bronze.
36 You alone are my shield,
and by coming to help me,
you have made me famous.
37 You clear the way for me,
and now I won't stumble.
38 I kept chasing my enemies
until I caught them
and destroyed them.
39 I destroyed them!
I stuck my sword
through my enemies,
and they were crushed
under my feet.
40 You helped me win victories
and forced my attackers
to fall victim to me.
41 You made my enemies run,
and I killed them.
42 They cried out for help,
but no one saved them;
they called out to you,
but there was no answer.
43 I ground them to dust,
and I squashed them
like mud in the streets.
44 You rescued me
from my stubborn people
and made me the leader
of foreign nations,
who are now my slaves.
45 They obey and come crawling.
46 They have lost all courage
and from their fortresses
they come trembling.
47 You are the living Lord!
I will praise you!
You are a mighty rock.
I will honor you
for keeping me safe.
48 You took revenge for me,
and you put nations
in my power.
49 You protected me
from violent enemies,
and you made me much greater
than all of them.
50 I will praise you, Lord,
and I will honor you
among the nations.
51 You give glorious victories
to your chosen king.
Your faithful love for David
and for his descendants
will never end.
نشيد لداود
(مز 18)1 وأنشدَ داوُدُ الرّبَّ هذا النَّشيدَ يومَ أنقذَهُ مِنْ أعدائِهِ ومِنْ شاوُلَ، 2 فقالَ:
«الرّبُّ صخرتي وحِصني ومُنقِذي
3 إلهي صخرتي وبهِ أحتَمي
ودِرْعي ورُكنُ خلاصي.
هوَ حِصني وملجإي،
ومِنَ الظُّلمِ يُنَجِّيني.
4 أدعو الرّبَّ، لَه الحَمدُ،
فيُخَلِّصُني مِنْ أعدائي.
5 «أمواجُ الموتِ أحاطَت بـي،
وسُيولُ الهلاكِ جرفَتني.
6 حبالُ الهاويةِ زنَّرَتني،
وأشراكُ الموتِ أمامي،
7 فدَعوتُ الرّبَّ في ضيقي،
وإليهِ صرَختُ.
مِنْ هيكَلِهِ سمِعَ صوتي
وبلَغَ صُراخي أذُنَيهِ،
8 فارتَجَّتِ الأرضُ وتزلزَلَت
وارتجفت أسُسُ السَّماواتِ
واهتزَّت مِنْ شدَّةِ غضَبِه.
9 تصاعدَ دُخانٌ مِنْ أنفِهِ،
ومِنْ فمِهِ نارٌ آكِلَةٌ
وجَمرٌ مُتَّقِدٌ.
10 أحنى السَّماواتِ ومِنها نزَلَ
وتحتَ قدَميهِ الضَّبابُ الكثيفُ.
11 ركِبَ على كَروبٍ وطارَ،
وعلى أجنحةِ الرِّيحِ حلَّقَ.
12 جعَلَ الظُّلمَةَ مَظلَّةً حَولَه
والغيومَ الدَّاكنَةَ المُمطِرَةَ.
13 مِنَ البريقِ أمامَهُ
اشتعَلَ جمرُ نارٍ.
14 أرعَدَ الرّبُّ مِنَ السَّماءِ
وأسمَعَ العليُّ صوتَهُ.
15 أرسَلَ سِهاما فشتَّتَ الأعداءَ،
وبُروقا لمَعَت فهزمَهُم.
16 فظهَرَت أعماقُ البحارِ
وانكشَفَت أسُسُ الكونِ
حينَ هدَّدَ الرّبُّ أعداءَهُ،
وكشفَ غضبَهُ.
17 «أرسلَ مِنَ العَلاءِ فأخَذَني،
وانتَشَلني مِنَ المياهِ الغامِرةِ.
18 مِنْ عدُوِّي القويِّ أنقَذَني
ومِنْ مُبغضِيَّ الأقوى منِّـي.
19 هاجَموني يومَ بَليَّتي،
فكانَ الرّبُّ سندي.
20 إلى مكانٍ رحيـبٍ أخرجَني
وأنقَذَني لأنَّه رضيَ عنِّـي.
21 لِحُسنِ أعمالي كافأني
ولِطهارةِ يَدي جَزاني خيرا.
22 تُبتُ على طريقِ الرّبِّ
وما عصَيتُ إلهي.
23 أحكامُهُ كُلُّها أمامي
وفرائِضُهُ لم أحِدْ عَنها.
24 بلا لَومٍ عنِدَهُ كنتُ
وصُنتُ نفسي عنِ الإثْمِ،
25 فجَزاني لِحُسنِ أعمالي
ولِطهارتي أمامَ عينَيهِ.
26 «معَ الرُّحماءِ تكونُ رحوما،
ومعَ الكاملينَ كامِلا تكونُ.
27 معَ الطَّاهرينَ تكونُ طاهرا،
ومعَ المُلتَوينَ تُظهِرُ دهاءَكَ.
28 تُخلِّصُ المَساكينَ
وتُبصِرُ المُترَفِّعينَ فتُذِلُّهُم
29 سِراجي أنتَ يا ربُّ،
سِراجي الّذي يُنيرُ ظُلمَتي.
30 بكَ يا ربُّ أقتَحِمُ جيشا،
وبكَ يا إلهي أصعَدُ سُورا.
31 طريقُ اللهِ كاملٌ،
ما أصدقَ أقوالَهُ
ودِرعٌ هوَ للمُحتمينَ بهِ.
32 فلا إلهَ غيرُ الرّبِّ،
ولا صخرةَ سِواه.
33 «اللهُ ملجإي الحصينُ،
يجعَلُ طريقي آمِنا.
34 كأرجُلِ الظِّباءِ يجعَلُ رِجليَّ
وإلى الأعالي يرفعُني.
35 علَّمَ يَديَّ القِتالَ
فلَوَت ذِراعايَ قوسَ النُّحاسِ.
36 «خلاصُكَ دِرْعٌ لي،
وعونُكَ يُعظِّمُني.
37 وسَّعتَ أمامَ خُطُواتي
فما زَلَّت قدَماي.
38 أطارِدُ أعدائي فأسحَقُهُم
ولا أرتَدُّ حتّى أُفنِـيَهُم.
39 أصرَعُهُم فلا يَقومونَ،
ويَسقُطونَ تَحتَ قدمَيَّ.
40 تُشدِّدُ عَزمي على القِتالِ
وجعَلتَ القائمينَ عليَّ تحتي.
41 تهزِمُ أعدائي مِنْ أمامي،
والّذينَ يُبغِضونَني أُفنيهِم.
42 يتطلَّعونَ وما مِنْ مُخَلِّصٍ،
ويَدعونَ الرّبَّ فلا يَستجيـبُ.
43 أسحَقُهُم كغُبارٍ في الرِّيحِ،
وكوَحلِ الأسواقِ أدوسُهُم.
44 «نجَّيتَني مِنْ شعبـي المُتَمرِّدِ
وحَفِظتَني رئيسا للأُمَمِ،
وشعبٌ لم أكُنْ أعرِفُهُ
صارَ اليومَ يَخدِمُني.
45 الغُرباءُ يتَذلَّلونَ لي،
وعندَما يَسمعونَني يُطيعونَ.
46 الغُرباءُ تخورُ عزائِمُهُم
ومِنْ حُصونِهِم مُرتَعِدينَ يَخرُجونَ.
47 «حَيٌّ هوَ الرّبُّ ومبارَكٌ،
وتعالَى اللهُ خالقي ومُخَلِّصي.
48 اللهُ ينتقِمُ لي،
ويُخضِعُ الشُّعوبَ تَحتَ قدَميَّ.
49 مِنْ بَينِ أعدائي يُخرِجُني
ومِنْ بَينِ القائِمينَ عليَّ،
ومِنْ رجُلِ الظُّلمِ يُنقِذُني.
50 لذلِكَ أحمَدُكَ يا ربُّ،
وأرنِّمُ لاسمِكَ بـينَ الأُمَمِ.
51 نَصرا عظيما يمنَحُ مَلِكَهُ،
ويُظهِرُ رحمةً لمَنْ مسحَهُ،
لداوُدَ وذرِّيَّتِهِ إلى الأبدِ».