I love you, LORD God!
You make me strong.
You are my mighty rock,
my fortress, my protector,
the rock where I am safe,
my shield, my powerful weapon,
and my place of shelter.
I praise you, LORD!
I prayed, and you rescued me
from my enemies.
Death had wrapped its
ropes around me,
and I was almost swallowed
by its flooding waters.
Ropes from the world of the dead
had coiled around me,
and death had set a trap in my path.
I was in terrible trouble when I
called out to you,
but from your temple you heard me
and answered my prayer.
The earth shook and shivered,
and the mountains trembled
down to their roots.
You were angry
and breathed out smoke.
Scorching heat and fiery flames
spewed from your mouth.
You opened the heavens like curtains,
and you came down with storm clouds
under your feet.
You rode on the backs of flying creatures
and swooped down with the wind as wings.
Darkness was your robe;
thunderclouds filled the sky,
hiding you from sight.
Hailstones and fiery coals
lit up the sky in front of you.
LORD Most High, your Voice
thundered from the heavens,
as hailstones and fiery coals
poured down like rain.
You scattered your enemies
with arrows of lightning.
You roared at the sea,
and its deepest channels could be seen.
You snorted, and the earth shook
to its foundations.
You reached down from heaven,
and you lifted me from deep in the ocean.
You rescued me from enemies,
who were hateful – and too powerful for me.
On the day disaster struck,
they came and attacked,
but you defended me.
When I was fenced in,
you freed and rescued me
because you love me.
~ King David, Psalm 18 [CEV]
