1  I love you, O Lord, my strength.

2  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

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

my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3  I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,

and I am saved from my enemies.

4  The cords of death encompassed me;

the torrents of destruction assailed me;¹

5  the cords of Sheol entangled me;

the snares of death confronted me.

6  In my distress I called upon the Lord;

to my God I cried for help.

ⁱFrom his temple he heard my voice,

and my cry to him reached his ears.

7  Then the earth reeled and rocked;

the foundations also of the mountains trembled

and quaked, because he was angry.

8  Smoke went up from his nostrils,²

and devouring fire from his mouth;

glowing coals flamed forth from him.

9  He ^jbowed the heavens and came down;

thick darkness was under his feet.

10  He rode on a cherub and flew;

he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.

11  He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,

thick clouds dark with water.

12  Out of the brightness before him

hailstones and coals of ^kfire broke through his clouds.

13  The Lord also thundered in the heavens,

and the Most High uttered his voice,

hailstones and coals of fire.

14  And he sent out his arrows and scattered them;

he flashed forth lightnings and routed them.

15  Then the channels of the sea were seen,

and the foundations of the world were laid bare

at your rebuke, O Lord,

at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.

16  He sent from on high, he took me;

he drew me ^lout of many waters.

17  He rescued me from my strong enemy

and from those who hated me,

for they were too mighty for me.

18  They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

but the Lord was my support.

19  He brought me out into a ^mbroad place;

he rescued me, because he delighted in me.