Psalm 18

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

I will love you, O Lord my strength; the Lord is my rock, my stronghold, and my deliverer,

My Savior, my God, and my might in whom I will trust, my buckler, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge.

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be safe from my enemies.

The waves of death encompassed me; the floods that would swallow me up made me afraid.

The cords of the grave surrounded me; the snares of death overtook me.

In my trouble I called upon the Lord and cried unto my God for help.

From his holy temple he heard my voice. My complaint came before him; it entered into his ears.

The earth trembled and quaked; the very foundations of the hills shook and were removed, because he was angry.

There went out smoke from his nostrils and a consuming fire out of his mouth; coals of fire issued from his presence.

He parted the heavens also and came down, and it was dark under his feet.

He rode upon the cherubim and flew; he came flying upon the wings of the wind.

He made darkness his secret place; dark waters and thick clouds were his covering round about him.

At the brightness of his presence his clouds broke forth: hailstones and coals of fire.

The Lord also thundered out of heaven, and the Most High gave forth his voice: hailstones and coals of fire.

He sent out his arrows and scattered them; he cast forth lightning and destroyed them.

The springs of water were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered, at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath of your displeasure.

He reached down from on high to grasp me, and he took me out of many waters.

He delivered me from my strongest enemy, and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

They confronted me in the day of my trouble, but the Lord upheld me.

He brought me forth into a place of liberty; he delivered me, because I had found favor in his eyes.

The Lord rewarded me according to my righteous dealing; according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me,

Because I had kept the ways of the Lord and had not forsaken my God, as the wicked do.

For I had an eye unto all his laws and did not cast out his commandments from me.