Psalms 18:1-19

1“I love You [fervently and devotedly], O Lord, my strength.”

2The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me; My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower—my stronghold.

3I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; And I am saved from my enemies.

4The cords of death surrounded me, And the streams of ungodliness and torrents of destruction terrified me.

5The cords of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead) surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.

6In my distress [when I seemed surrounded] I called upon the Lord And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry for help came before Him, into His very ears.

7Then the earth shook and quaked, The foundations of the mountains trembled; They were shaken because He was indignant and angry.

8Smoke went up from His nostrils, And fire from His mouth devoured; Coals were kindled by it.

9He bowed the heavens also and came down; And thick darkness was under His feet.

10And He rode upon a cherub (storm) and flew; And He sped on the wings of the wind.

11He made darkness His hiding place (covering); His pavilion (canopy) around Him, The darkness of the waters, the thick clouds of the skies.

12Out of the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds, Hailstones and coals of fire.

13The Lord also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.

14He sent out His arrows and scattered them; And He sent an abundance of lightning flashes and confused and routed them [in defeat].

15Then the stream beds of the waters appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare At Your rebuke, O Lord, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

16He reached from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

17He rescued me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.

18They confronted me in the day of my disaster, But the Lord was my support.

19He brought me out into a broad place; He rescued me because He was pleased with me and delighted in me.