Psalms 18:1-19

11I love you, Lord. You make me strong.

2The Lord keeps me safe. He is my great rock and my strong place. God is my high rock. I run to him to hide and be safe. He keeps me safe like a soldier's shield. He is the strong place where I can hide safely.

3I praise the Lord because he deserves it! When I called to him for help, he saved me from my enemies.

4Death was near enough to catch me! Danger was like a river that poured over me.

5Death was tying me up with ropes, to pull me into the deep hole of the grave.

6In my trouble, I prayed to the Lord. I called to my God to help me. He heard my voice from his home in heaven. My prayer reached his ears.

7Then the earth moved and it shook. Even the strong mountains shook, because God was angry.

8He breathed out smoke from his nose. Fire and hot coals came out from his mouth, to destroy his enemies.

9God caused the sky to bend as he came down. Dark clouds were under his feet.

10He sat on a cherub and he flew. The wind carried him as he travelled.

11God covered himself with darkness. He hid himself in dark clouds that held rain.

12Bright light went in front of him. Hail and lightning fell from the clouds.

13The Lord sent thunder from the sky. People everywhere heard the voice of the Most High God.

14The Lord shot his arrows of lightning. He caused his enemies to run away.

15When you shouted against your enemies, Lord, even the bottom of the deep sea appeared. People could see the foundations of the earth, when you breathed out in anger.

16The Lord reached down to me from above. He took hold of me and he pulled me up out of the deep water.

17Yes, he saved me from my powerful enemies. The people who hated me were too strong for me, but the Lord saved me from their power.

18They attacked me when I was in trouble, but the Lord helped me.

19He led me out to a place where I would be safe. He saved me because I made him happy.