Psalm 18:1-17

English Standard Version

The Lord Is My Rock and My Fortress

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, ^(A)the servant of the Lord, ^(B)who addressed the words of this ^(C)song to the Lord on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. He said:

18 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
²The Lord is my ^(D)rock and my ^(E)fortress and my deliverer,
    my God, my ^(F)rock, in ^(G)whom I take refuge,
    my ^(H)shield, and ^(I)the horn of my salvation, my ^(J)stronghold.
³I call upon the Lord, who is ^(K)worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

⁴^(L)The cords of death encompassed me;
^(M)the torrents of destruction assailed me;^[a]
⁵^(N)the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.

⁶^(O)In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I cried for help.
From his ^(P)temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.

⁷Then the earth ^(Q)reeled and rocked;
    the foundations also of the mountains trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
⁸Smoke went up from his nostrils,^[b]
    and devouring ^(R)fire from his mouth;
    glowing coals flamed forth from him.
⁹He ^(S)bowed the heavens and ^(T)came down;
    ^(U)thick darkness was under his feet.
¹⁰He rode on a cherub and flew;
    he came swiftly on ^(V)the wings of the wind.
¹¹He made darkness his covering, his ^(W)canopy around him,
    thick clouds ^(X)dark with water.
¹²Out of the brightness before him
    ^(Y)hailstones and coals of fire broke through his clouds.

¹³The Lord also ^(Z)thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High uttered his ^(AA)voice,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
¹⁴And he sent out his ^(AB)arrows and scattered them;
    he flashed forth lightnings and ^(AC)routed them.
¹⁵Then ^(AD)the channels of the sea were seen,
    and the foundations of the world were laid bare
at your ^(AE)rebuke, O Lord,
    at the blast of ^(AF)the breath of your nostrils.

¹⁶He ^(AG)sent from on high, he took me;
    he ^(AH)drew me out of ^(AI)many waters.
¹⁷He rescued me from my strong enemy
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were ^(AJ)too mighty for me.