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 symbolises strength. of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my saviour –
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 Saviour!
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 for ever.’
Nyimbo ya Mayamiko ya Davide
1Davide anayimbira Yehova nyimbo iyi pamene Yehovayo anamupulumutsa mʼdzanja la adani ake onse ndiponso mʼdzanja la Sauli. 2Iye anati,
“Yehova ndiye thanthwe langa, chitetezo changa ndi mpulumutsi wanga.
3Mulungu wanga ndiye thanthwe langa, mʼmene ndimathawiramo,
chishango changa ndi ndodo yachipulumutso changa.
Iye ndi linga langa, pothawirapo panga ndi mpulumutsi wanga.
Munandipulumutsa mʼmanja mwa anthu ankhanza.
4“Ndimayitana Yehova amene ndi woyenera matamando,
ndipo ndapulumutsidwa kwa adani anga.
5“Mafunde a imfa anandizinga;
mitsinje yothamanga yachiwonongeko inandiopsa kwambiri.
6Anandimanga ndi zingwe za ku manda;
misampha ya imfa inalimbana nane.
7“Mʼmasautso anga ndinapemphera kwa Yehova;
ndinapemphera kwa Mulungu wanga.
Iye ali mʼnyumba yake, anamva mawu anga;
kulira kwanga kunafika mʼmakutu ake.
8“Dziko lapansi linanjenjemera ndi kuchita chivomerezi,
maziko a miyamba anagwedezeka;
ananjenjemera chifukwa Iye anakwiya.
9Mʼmphuno mwake munatuluka utsi;
moto wonyeketsa unatuluka mʼkamwa mwake,
makala amoto anali lawilawi mʼkamwa mwake.
10Iye anangʼamba thambo natsika pansi;
pansi pa mapazi ake panali mitambo yakuda.
11Iye anakwera pa Kerubi ndi kuwuluka;
nawuluka ndi mphepo mwaliwiro.
12Iye anapanga mdima kukhala chofunda chake,
mitambo yakuda ya mlengalenga.
13Mʼkuwala kumene kunali pamaso pake
munkachokera makala amoto alawilawi.
14Yehova anabangula kumwamba ngati bingu,
mawu a Wammwambamwamba anamveka ponseponse.
15Iye anaponya mivi yake, nabalalitsa adani ake,
ndi zingʼaningʼani zake anawagonjetsa.
16Zigwa za mʼnyanja zinaonekera poyera,
ndipo maziko a dziko lapansi anakhala poyera,
Yehova atabangula mwaukali,
pamene mpweya wamphamvu unatuluka mʼmphuno mwake.
17“Ali kumwamba, Iye anatambalitsa dzanja lake ndipo anandigwira;
anandivuwula mʼmadzi ozama.
18Anandipulumutsa kwa mdani wanga wamphamvu,
adani anga amene anali amphamvu kuposa ine.
19Adaniwo analimbana nane pamene ndinali pa mavuto,
koma Yehova anali thandizo langa.
20Iye anandipititsa kumalo otakasuka;
anandipulumutsa chifukwa amakondwera nane.
21“Yehova wandithandiza molingana ndi chilungamo changa;
molingana ndi makhalidwe anga abwino, Iye wandipulumutsa.
22Pakuti ine ndinatsata njira za Yehova;
ndilibe mlandu wochoka pamaso pa Mulungu wanga.
23Malamulo ake onse ali pamaso panga,
sindinasiye malangizo ake.
24Ndakhala moyo wosalakwa pamaso pake
ndipo ndakhala ndi kupewa tchimo.
25Yehova wandipatsa mphotho molingana ndi chilungamo changa,
molingana ndi makhalidwe anga abwino pamaso pake.
26“Kwa wokhulupirika, Inu mumaonetsa kukhulupirika kwanu,
kwa anthu amakhalidwe abwino, Inu mumaonetsanso makhalidwe abwino,
27Kwa woyera mtima, Inu mumaonetsa kuyera mtima kwanu,
koma kwa anthu achinyengo mumaonetsanso kunyansidwa nawo.
28Inu mumapulumutsa anthu odzichepetsa,
koma maso anu amatsutsana ndi odzikuza ndipo mumawatsitsa.
29Inu Yehova, ndinu nyale yanga;
Yehova wasandutsa mdima wanga kukhala kuwunika.
30Ndi thandizo lanu nditha kulimbana ndi gulu la ankhondo,
ndi Mulungu wanga nditha kuchita zosatheka ndi munthu.
31“Kunena za Mulungu, zochita zake ndi zangwiro;
mawu a Yehova alibe cholakwika.
Iye ndi chishango
kwa onse amene amathawira kwa iye.
32Mulungu wina ndi uti wofanana nanu Yehova?
Ndipo ndani amene ndi Thanthwe kupatula Mulungu wathu?
33Ndi Mulungu amene anandipatsa mphamvu
ndi kulungamitsa njira yanga.
34Iye amasandutsa mapazi anga kukhala ngati ambawala yayikazi;
Iye amandithandiza kuyimirira pamwamba pa mapiri.
35Iye amaphunzitsa manja anga kuchita nkhondo;
manja anga amatha kuthyola uta wachitsulo.
36Inu mundipatsa ine chishango chanu cha chigonjetso;
mumawerama kuti mundikweze.
37Inu mwalimbitsa njira yanga kuti ndiyende bwino,
kuti mapazi anga asaterereke.
38“Ine ndinathamangitsa adani anga ndi kuwakantha;
sindinabwerere mpaka iwo atawonongedwa.
39Ndinawakantha kotheratu, ndipo sanathe kudzukanso;
Iwo anagwera pansi pa mapazi anga.
40Inu munandipatsa ine mphamvu yochitira nkhondo;
munagwaditsa adani anga pa mapazi anga.
41Inu muchititsa kuti adani anga atembenuke ndi kuthawa;
ndipo ndinawononga adani anga.
42Iwo anafuwula kupempha thandizo, koma panalibe ndi mmodzi yemwe owapulumutsa.
Analirira kwa Yehova, koma sanawayankhe.
43Ine ndinawaperesa ngati fumbi la pa dziko lapansi;
ndinawasinja ndipo ndinawapondaponda ngati matope a mʼmisewu.
44“Inu mwandipulumutsa mʼmanja mwa mitundu ya anthu;
Inu mwandisunga kuti ndikhale mtsogoleri wa anthu a mitundu ina.
Anthu amene sindikuwadziwa ali pansi pa ulamuliro wanga.
45Alendo amadzipereka okha pamaso panga;
akangomva za ine, amandigonjera.
46Iwo onse anataya mtima;
anatuluka mʼmalinga awo akunjenjemera.
47“Yehova ndi wamoyo! Litamandidwe Thanthwe langa.
Akuzike Mulungu, Thanthwe, Mpulumutsi wanga!
48Iye ndi Mulungu amene amabwezera chilango,
amene amayika anthu a mitundu yonse pansi pa ulamuliro wanga,
49amene amandimasula mʼmanja mwa adani anga.
Inu munandikuza kuposa adani anga;
munandilanditsa mʼmanja mwa anthu ankhanza.
50Choncho ine ndidzakutamandani Inu Yehova, pakati pa anthu a mitundu ina;
ndidzayimba nyimbo zotamanda dzina lanu.
51“Iye amapereka chipambano chachikulu kwa mfumu yake,
amaonetsa kukoma mtima kwa wodzozedwa wake,
kwa Davide ndi zidzukulu zake kwamuyaya.”
