Davids sejrssang
Salme 18
1Da Herren havde reddet David fra Saul og hans øvrige fjender, sang David følgende lovsang til Herren:
2Herren er min Klippeborg
og min Beskytter.
3Han er mit Skjul,
hos ham søger jeg tilflugt.
Han er mit Skjold,
min Frelse og min Fæstning.
Jeg søger ly hos min Frelser,
som redder mig af mine fjenders vold.
4Jeg kalder på Herren, den Højlovede,
og frelses fra mine fjender.
5Dødens brænding omsluttede mig,
undergangens bølger væltede ind over mig,
6dødsriget strammede sit greb om mig,
jeg sad fast i dødens fælde.
7I min fortvivlelse råbte jeg til Herren,
jeg bad til min Gud om hjælp.
Han hørte mig fra sin helligdom,
mit skrig nåede hans ører.
8Da rystede jorden og skælvede,
verdens grundvolde bævede,
for Herrens vrede var blusset op.
9Røg væltede ud af hans næsebor,
fortærende ild skød ud af hans mund,
glødende kul sprang frem fra ham.
10Han skubbede himlens forhæng til side
og trådte ud på de mørke stormskyer.
11Han steg op på en kerub og fløj,
svævede på vindens vinger.
12Han svøbte sig i sorte skyer,
der var tykke af tætte vanddampe.
13Lynene glimtede foran ham,
og haglene faldt fra skyerne.
14Herren tordnede fra himlen,
den højeste Gud lod sin røst høre.
15Han skød sine pile,
sendte fjenderne på flugt.
Han sendte sine lyn af sted,
så fjenderne spredtes for alle vinde.
16Herren fnyste i sin harme,
så Jordens vande blev pisket op,
og havets bund kom til syne.
17Fra det høje rakte han hånden ud,
trak mig op af det dybe vand.
18Han frelste mig fra mine fjender,
de hadede mig og var mig for stærke.
19Da jeg var svag, overfaldt de mig,
men Herren holdt mig fast
20og førte mig i sikkerhed.
Han frelste mig, fordi han elsker mig.
21Herren belønnede mig for mit retsind,
tog hensyn til min uskyld,
22for jeg har holdt mig til hans veje.
Jeg har ikke i ondskab vendt mig fra min Gud.
23Altid har jeg hans bud i tanke,
aldrig har jeg vendt ryggen til hans love.
24Jeg har adlydt ham til punkt og prikke
og holdt mig borte fra synden.
25Herren har belønnet min retfærd,
han kender min pletfri levevis.
26Herre, du er trofast mod dem, der er trofaste mod dig,
retskaffen overfor de retskafne.
27Du handler uskyldsrent med de uskyldige,
men er snu mod de snedige.
28Du ophøjer de ydmyge,
men ydmyger de hovmodige.
29Herre, du er mit lys og mit håb,
du tænder dit lys i mørket.
30Ved din hjælp kan jeg springe over mure
og forcere enhver forhindring.
31Guds veje er fuldkomne,
hans løfter er sande.
Han er et skjold for dem,
der søger ly hos ham.
32Hvor findes der en gud som Herren?
Hvor findes en klippe som ham?
33Han giver mig styrke,
han jævner vejen foran mig.
34Han gør mine skridt sikre som hjortens,
han giver mig fodfæste på bjergene.
35Han træner mine arme til kamp,
så jeg kan spænde kobberbuen.
36Herre, du giver mig din frelse som et skjold,
din hjælp giver mig styrke.
37Du udjævner stien foran mig,
så jeg ikke snubler og falder.
38Jeg forfulgte mine fjender og gjorde det af med dem,
jeg holdt ikke inde, før de alle var besejret.
39Jeg huggede dem ned, så de ikke kunne rejse sig,
de ligger faldne ved mine fødder.
40Du gav mig styrke til kampen,
du tvang mine modstandere i knæ,
41du slog mine fjender på flugt,
jeg gjorde det af med dem, som hadede mig.
42De søgte efter hjælp,
men ingen kom til undsætning.
De råbte til dig, Herre,
men du ville ikke høre.
43Jeg knuste dem til støv,
jeg trådte dem ned som snavs på gaden.
44Du hjalp mig i kampen mod fjendtlige hære,
gav mig sejr over fremmede folkeslag,
som nu er blevet mig underlagt.
45De kom krybende hen til mig,
straks de hørte min røst, adlød de.
46De tabte fuldstændigt modet,
kom skælvende frem fra deres skjul.
47Herren lever!
Lovet være min redningsmand.
Ære være min Gud, som frelste mig,
48den Gud, som besejrede mine fjender,
som gjorde mig til hersker over fremmede folkeslag.
49Herre, du befriede mig fra mine fjender.
Du førte mig i sikkerhed
og frelste mig fra voldens mænd.
50Derfor vil jeg lovprise dig blandt folkeslagene, Herre.
Jeg vil synge om din storhed.
51Du giver din konge en mægtig sejr,
du viser nåde mod din salvede konge,
mod mig og mine efterkommere til evig tid.
David’s Song of Praise
1David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2He said:
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
3my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield22:3 Or sovereign and the horn22:3 Horn here symbolizes strength. of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent people you save me.
4“I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.
5The waves of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
6The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
7“In my distress I called to the Lord;
I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.
8The earth trembled and quaked,
the foundations of the heavens22:8 Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
9Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
10He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
11He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared22:11 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts appeared on the wings of the wind.
12He made darkness his canopy around him—
the dark22:12 Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrew massed rain clouds of the sky.
13Out of the brightness of his presence
bolts of lightning blazed forth.
14The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
15He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
16The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at the rebuke of the Lord,
at the blast of breath from his nostrils.
17“He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
18He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
20He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
21“The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
22For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
23All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
24I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
25The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness22:25 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26“To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
27to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
28You save the humble,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.
29You, Lord, are my lamp;
the Lord turns my darkness into light.
30With your help I can advance against a troop22:30 Or can run through a barricade;
with my God I can scale a wall.
31“As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
32For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
33It is God who arms me with strength22:33 Dead Sea Scrolls, some Septuagint manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:32); Masoretic Text who is my strong refuge
and keeps my way secure.
34He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
35He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36You make your saving help my shield;
your help has made22:36 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text shield; / you stoop down to make me great.
37You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
38“I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
39I crushed them completely, and they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
40You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
41You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
42They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the Lord, but he did not answer.
43I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.
44“You have delivered me from the attacks of the peoples;
you have preserved me as the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
45foreigners cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
46They all lose heart;
they come trembling22:46 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text they arm themselves from their strongholds.
47“The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!
48He is the God who avenges me,
who puts the nations under me,
49who sets me free from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
50Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
51“He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.”
