top Psalm 17 (18)
Greek: Septuagint (LXX)
English: John Barach
Psalm 17 (18)

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Εἰς τὸ τέλος τῷ παιδὶ κυρίου τῷ Δαυίδ, ἃ ἐλάλησεν τῷ κυρίῳ, τοὺς λόγους τῆς ᾠδῆς ταύτης, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ ἐρρύσατο αὐτὸν κύριος ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς Σαούλ, καὶ εἶπεν, For the end; to the servant of the Lord, David, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song in the day the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul; and he said:
The Fortress of God
1 [MT=18:1] Ἀγαπήσω σε, κύριε ἡ ἰσχύς μου. 2 [MT=18:2] κύριος στερέωμά μου, καὶ καταφυγή μου, καὶ ῥύστης μου· ὁ θεός μου βοηθός μου, [καὶ] ἐλπιῶ ἐπ' αὐτόν· ὑπερασπιστής μου, καὶ κέρας σωτηρίας μου, ἀντιλήμπτωρ μου. 3 [MT=18:3] αἰνῶν ἐπικαλέσομαι κύριον, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου σωθήσομαι. 4 [MT=18:4] περιέσχον με ὠδῖνες θανάτου, καὶ χείμαρροι ἀνομίας ἐξετάραξάν με. 5 [MT=18:5] ὠδῖνες ᾅδου περιεκύκλωσάν με, προέφθασάν με παγίδες θανάτου. 17.1 [MT=18:1] I will love You, O Lord, my strength. 17.2 [MT=18:2] The Lord is my firmament, and my refuge, and my deliverer; my God is my helper, and I will hope in Him; my protector, and the horn of my salvation, my sustainer. 17.3 [MT=18:3] Praising, I will call upon the Lord, and I shall be saved from my enemies. 17.4 [MT=18:4] The pangs of death surrounded me, and the torrents of lawlessness threw me into great trouble. 17.5 [MT=18:5] The pangs of Hades encircled me; the snares of death confronted me.
The Storm-God Descends
6 [MT=18:6] Καὶ ἐν τῷ θλίβεσθαί με ἐπεκαλεσάμην τὸν κύριον, καὶ πρὸς τὸν θεόν μου ἐκέκραξα· ἤκουσεν ἐκ ναοῦ ἁγίου αὐτοῦ φωνῆς μου. καὶ ἡ κραυγή μου ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὰ ὦτα αὐτοῦ. 17.6 [MT=18:6] And in my being afflicted I called upon the Lord, and I cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His holy temple, and my cry before Him shall enter into His ears.
7 [MT=18:7] Καὶ ἐσαλεύθη, καὶ ἔντρομος ἐγενήθη ἡ γῆ, καὶ τὰ θεμέλια τῶν ὀρέων ἐταράχθησαν, καὶ ἐσαλεύθησαν, ὅτι ὠργίσθη αὐτοῖς ὁ θεός. 8 [MT=18:8] ἀνέβη καπνὸς ἐν ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ πῦρ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ κατεφλόγισεν, ἄνθρακες ἀνήφθησαν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. 9 [MT=18:9] καὶ ἔκλινεν οὐρανὸν καὶ κατέβη, καὶ γνόφος ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ. 10 [MT=18:10] καὶ ἐπέβη ἐπὶ Χερουβὶν καὶ ἐπετάσθη, ἐπετάσθη ἐπὶ πτερύγων ἀνέμων. 11 [MT=18:11] καὶ ἔθετο σκότος ἀποκρυφὴν αὐτοῦ, κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ ἡ σκηνὴ αὐτοῦ, σκοτεινὸν ὕδωρ ἐν νεφέλαις ἀέρων. 17.7 [MT=18:7] And the earth was shaken and became trembling, and the foundations of the mountains were troubled and were shaken, because God was angry with them. 17.8 [MT=18:8] Smoke went up in His anger, and fire blazed forth from His face; coals were kindled by Him. 17.9 [MT=18:9] And He bowed the heaven and came down, and thick darkness was under His feet. 17.10 [MT=18:10] And He mounted upon Cherubim and flew; He flew upon the wings of the winds. 17.11 [MT=18:11] And He made darkness His hiding place; His tent was round about Him—dark water in clouds of air.
12 [MT=18:12] ἀπὸ τῆς τηλαυγήσεως ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ αἱ νεφέλαι διῆλθον, χάλαζα καὶ ἄνθρακες πυρός. 13 [MT=18:13] καὶ ἐβρόντησεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κύριος, καὶ ὁ ὕψιστος ἔδωκεν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ. 14 [MT=18:14] καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν βέλη καὶ ἐσκόρπισεν αὐτούς, καὶ ἀστραπὰς ἐπλήθυνεν καὶ συνετάραξεν αὐτούς. 15 [MT=18:15] καὶ ὤφθησαν αἱ πηγαὶ τῶν ὑδάτων, καὶ ἀνεκαλύφθη τὰ θεμέλια τῆς οἰκουμένης· ἀπὸ ἐπιτιμήσεώς σου κύριε, ἀπὸ ἐμπνεύσεως πνεύματος ὀργῆς σου. 17.12 [MT=18:12] From the brightness before Him the clouds passed by; hail and coals of fire. 17.13 [MT=18:13] And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High gave forth His voice. 17.14 [MT=18:14] And He sent out arrows and scattered them; and He multiplied lightnings and troubled them greatly. 17.15 [MT=18:15] And the springs of the waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were uncovered at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your anger.
Deliverance and Reward
16 [MT=18:16] ἐξαπέστειλεν ἐξ ὕψους καὶ ἔλαβέν με, προσελάβετό με ἐξ ὑδάτων πολλῶν. 17 [MT=18:17] ῥύσεταί με ἐξ ἐχθρῶν μου δυνατῶν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν μισούντων με, ὅτι ἐστερεώθησαν ὑπὲρ ἐμέ. 18 [MT=18:18] προέφθασάν με ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακώσεώς μου, καὶ ἐγένετο κύριος ἀντιστήριγμά μου. 19 [MT=18:19] καὶ ἐξήγαγέν με εἰς πλατυσμόν, ῥύσεταί με, ὅτι ἠθέλησέν με. [ῥύσεταί με ἐξ ἐχθρῶν μου δυνατῶν καὶ ἐκ τῶν μισούντων με.] 17.16 [MT=18:16] He sent from on high and took me; He drew me to Himself out of many waters. 17.17 [MT=18:17] He will deliver me from my strong enemies and from those who hate me, for they were strengthened beyond me. 17.18 [MT=18:18] They confronted me in the day of my calamity, and the Lord became my support. 17.19 [MT=18:19] And He led me out into a broad place; He will deliver me, because He delighted in me.
20 [MT=18:20] καὶ ἀνταποδώσει μοι κύριος κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου, καὶ κατὰ τὴν καθαριότητα τῶν χειρῶν μου ἀνταποδώσει μοι. 21 [MT=18:21] ὅτι ἐφύλαξα τὰς ὁδοὺς κυρίου, καὶ οὐκ ἠσέβησα ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ μου. 22 [MT=18:22] ὅτι πάντα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιόν μου, καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀπέστησα ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. 23 [MT=18:23] καὶ ἔσομαι ἄμωμος μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ φυλάξομαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας μου. 24 [MT=18:24] καὶ ἀνταποδώσει μοι κύριος κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου, καὶ κατὰ τὴν καθαριότητα τῶν χειρῶν μου ἐνώπιον τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ. 17.20 [MT=18:20] And the Lord will repay me according to my righteousness, and according to the purity of my hands He will repay me. 17.21 [MT=18:21] For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not acted impiously toward my God. 17.22 [MT=18:22] For all His judgments are before me, and His ordinances I did not put away from me. 17.23 [MT=18:23] And I shall be blameless with Him, and I will keep myself from my lawlessness. 17.24 [MT=18:24] And the Lord will repay me according to my righteousness and according to the purity of my hands before His eyes.
The Character of God
25 [MT=18:25] Μετὰ ὁσίου ὁσιωθήσῃ, καὶ μετὰ ἀνδρὸς ἀθῴου ἀθῷος ἔσῃ· 26 [MT=18:26] καὶ μετὰ ἐκλεκτοῦ ἐκλεκτὸς ἔσῃ, καὶ μετὰ στρεβλοῦ διαστρέψεις. 27 [MT=18:27] ὅτι σὺ λαὸν ταπεινὸν σώσεις, καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑπερηφάνων ταπεινώσεις. 28 [MT=18:28] ὅτι σὺ φωτιεῖς λύχνον μου κύριε, ὁ θεός μου φωτιεῖς τὸ σκότος μου. 29 [MT=18:29] ὅτι ἐν σοί ῥυσθήσομαι ἀπὸ πειρατηρίου, καὶ ἐν τῷ θεῷ μου ὑπερβήσομαι τεῖχος. 30 [MT=18:30] ὁ θεός μου, ἄμωμος ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτοῦ, τὰ λόγια κυρίου πεπυρωμένα, ὑπερασπιστής ἐστιν πάντων τῶν ἐλπιζόντων ἐπ' αὐτόν. 31 [MT=18:31] ὅτι τίς θεὸς πλὴν τοῦ κυρίου; καὶ τίς θεὸς πλὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν; 17.25 [MT=18:25] With the holy You will be made holy, and with the innocent man You will be innocent; 17.26 [MT=18:26] and with the chosen You will be chosen, and with the crooked You will show Yourself twisted. 17.27 [MT=18:27] For You will save a humble people, and You will humble the eyes of the arrogant. 17.28 [MT=18:28] For You will light my lamp, O Lord; my God, You will enlighten my darkness. 17.29 [MT=18:29] For in You I shall be delivered from a raiding-party, and in my God I shall leap over a wall. 17.30 [MT=18:30] My God—His way is blameless; the words of the Lord are tried by fire; He is a protector of all who hope in Him. 17.31 [MT=18:31] For who is God except the Lord? And who is God except our God?
Preparation for Battle
32 [MT=18:32] ὁ θεὸς ὁ περιζωννύων με δύναμιν, καὶ ἔθετο ἄμωμον τὴν ὁδόν μου· 33 [MT=18:33] ὁ καταρτιζόμενος τοὺς πόδας μου ὡς ἐλάφου, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ἱστῶν με· 34 [MT=18:34] διδάσκων χεῖράς μου εἰς πόλεμον· καὶ ἔθου τόξον χαλκοῦν τοὺς βραχίονάς μου, 35 [MT=18:35] καὶ ἔδωκάς μοι ὑπερασπισμὸν σωτηρίας μου· καὶ ἡ δεξιά σου ἀντελάβετό μου, καὶ ἡ παιδεία σου ἀνώρθωσέν με εἰς τέλος, καὶ ἡ παιδεία σου αὐτή με διδάξει. 36 [MT=18:36] ἐπλάτυνας τὰ διαβήματά μου ὑποκάτω μου, καὶ οὐκ ἠσθένησαν τὰ ἴχνη μου. 17.32 [MT=18:32] It is God who girds me with power and has made my way blameless; 17.33 [MT=18:33] who makes my feet like those of a deer, and sets me upon the high places; 17.34 [MT=18:34] teaching my hands for war; and You made my arms a bronze bow. 17.35 [MT=18:35] And You gave me the protection of my salvation; and Your right hand sustained me, and Your discipline corrected me to the end—even this discipline of Yours shall teach me. 17.36 [MT=18:36] You widened my steps beneath me, and my tracks did not grow weak.
37 [MT=18:37] καταδιώξω τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου, καὶ καταλήμψομαι αὐτούς, καὶ οὐκ ἀποστραφήσομαι, ἕως ἄν ἐκλίπωσιν. 38 [MT=18:38] ἐκθλίψω αὐτούς, καὶ οὐ μὴ δύνωνται στῆναι, πεσοῦνται ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας μου. 39 [MT=18:39] καὶ περιέζωσάς με δύναμιν εἰς πόλεμον, συνεπόδισας πάντας τοὺς ἐπανιστανομένους ἐπ' ἐμὲ ὑποκάτω μου. 40 [MT=18:40] καὶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου ἔδωκάς μοι νῶτον, καὶ τοὺς μισοῦντάς με ἐξωλέθρευσας. 41 [MT=18:41] ἐκέκραξαν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ σῴζων· πρὸς κύριον, καὶ οὐκ εἰσήκουσεν αὐτῶν. 42 [MT=18:42] καὶ λεπτυνῶ αὐτοὺς ὡς χοῦν κατὰ πρόσωπον ἀνέμου, ὡς πηλὸν πλατειῶν λεανῶ αὐτούς. 17.37 [MT=18:37] I will pursue my enemies and overtake them, and I will not turn back until they fail. 17.38 [MT=18:38] I will crush them, and they shall not be able to stand; they shall fall under my feet. 17.39 [MT=18:39] And You girded me with power for war; You tripped up all those rising against me beneath me. 17.40 [MT=18:40] And You made my enemies turn their back to me, and You utterly destroyed those who hate me. 17.41 [MT=18:41] They cried out, and there was no one to save—to the Lord, and He did not hear them. 17.42 [MT=18:42] And I will grind them fine like dust before the face of the wind; like the mud of the streets I will smooth them out.
Rule Over the Nations
43 [MT=18:43] ῥύσῃ με ἐξ ἀντιλογιῶν λαοῦ, καταστήσεις με εἰς κεφαλὴν ἐθνῶν· λαός ὃν οὐκ ἔγνων, ἐδούλευσέν μοι, 44 [MT=18:44] εἰς ἀκοὴν ὠτίου ὑπήκουσέν μοι· υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι ἐψεύσαντό μοι, 45 [MT=18:45] υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι ἐπαλαιώθησαν, καὶ ἐχώλαναν ἀπὸ τῶν τρίβων αὐτῶν. 17.43 [MT=18:43] You will deliver me from the contradictions of the people; You will establish me as the head of the nations; a people whom I did not know served me. 17.44 [MT=18:44] At the hearing of the ear they obeyed me; foreign sons lied to me. 17.45 [MT=18:45] Foreign sons grew old and came limping out of their paths.
46 [MT=18:46] Ζῇ κύριος, καὶ εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεός μου, καὶ ὑψωθήτω ὁ θεὸς τῆς σωτηρίας μου. 47 [MT=18:47] ὁ θεὸς ὁ διδοὺς ἐκδικήσεις ἐμοί, καὶ ὑποτάξας λαοὺς ὑπ' ἐμέ, 48 [MT=18:48] ὁ ῥύστης μου ἐξ ἐχθρῶν μου ὀργίλων· ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπανιστανομένων ἐπ' ἐμὲ ὑψώσεις με, ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς ἀδίκου ῥύσῃ με. 49 [MT=18:49] διὰ τοῦτο ἐξομολογήσομαί σοί ἐν ἔθνεσιν, κύριε, καὶ τῷ ὀνόματί σου ψαλῶ. 50 [MT=18:50] μεγαλύνων τὰς σωτηρίας τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτοῦ, καὶ ποιῶν ἔλεος τῷ χριστῷ αὐτοῦ τῷ Δαυίδ, καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ ἕως αἰῶνος. 17.46 [MT=18:46] The Lord lives, and blessed be my God, and let the God of my salvation be exalted. 17.47 [MT=18:47] The God who gives vengeance to me and subjected peoples under me, 17.48 [MT=18:48] my deliverer from my wrathful enemies; You will lift me up from those rising against me; from the unrighteous man You will deliver me. 17.49 [MT=18:49] Because of this I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord, and I will sing to Your name; 17.50 [MT=18:50] magnifying the salvations of His king, and showing mercy to His Christ—to David and to his seed forever.