Psalm 18:1–19

¹For the choirmaster. Of David the servant of the LORD, who sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

I love You, O LORD, my strength.

²The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.

My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

my shield, and the horn of my salvation,

my stronghold.

³I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;

so shall I be saved from my enemies.

⁴The cords of death encompassed me;

the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.

⁵The cords of Sheol entangled me;

the snares of death confronted me.

⁶In my distress I called upon the LORD;

I cried to my God for help.

From His temple He heard my voice,

and my cry for His help reached His ears.

⁷Then the earth shook and quaked,

and the foundations of the mountains trembled;

they were shaken because He burned with anger.

⁸Smoke rose from His nostrils,

and consuming fire came from His mouth;

glowing coals blazed forth.

⁹He parted the heavens and came down

with dark clouds beneath His feet.

¹⁰He mounted a cherub and flew;

He soared on the wings of the wind.

¹¹He made darkness His hiding place,

and storm clouds a canopy around Him.

¹²From the brightness of His presence

His clouds advanced —

hailstones and coals of fire.^a

¹³The LORD thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded —

hailstones and coals of fire.^b

¹⁴He shot His arrows and scattered the foes;

He hurled lightning and routed them.

¹⁵The channels of the sea appeared,

and the foundations of the world were exposed,

at Your rebuke, O LORD,

at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

¹⁶He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

He drew me out of deep waters.

¹⁷He rescued me from my powerful enemy,

from foes too mighty for me.

¹⁸They confronted me in my day of calamity,

but the LORD was my support.

¹⁹He brought me out into the open;

He rescued me because He delighted in me.