Psalm 18

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:

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.