Psalm 18:1–15

¹I love you, Lord;

you are my strength.

²The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;

my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.

He is my shield, the power that saves me,

and my place of safety.

³I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

and he saved me from my enemies.

⁴The ropes of death entangled me;

floods of destruction swept over me.

⁵The grave wrapped its ropes around me;

death laid a trap in my path.

⁶But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;

yes, I prayed to my God for help.

He heard me from his sanctuary;

my cry to him reached his ears.

⁷Then the earth quaked and trembled.

The foundations of the mountains shook;

they quaked because of his anger.

⁸Smoke poured from his nostrils;

fierce flames leaped from his mouth.

Glowing coals blazed forth from him.

⁹He opened the heavens and came down;

dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.

¹⁰Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew,

soaring on the wings of the wind.

¹¹He shrouded himself in darkness,

veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.

¹²Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him

and rained down hail and burning coals.

¹³The Lord thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded

amid the hail and burning coals.

¹⁴He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;

great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.

¹⁵Then at your command, O Lord,

at the blast of your breath,

the bottom of the sea could be seen,

and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.