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Adonai lives! Blessed Be My Rock

Psalm 18

For the music director: a psalm of David the servant of Adonai. He chanted the words of this song to Adonai on the day Adonai delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.
He said, I love You, Adonai my strength!
Adonai is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.
My God is my rock, in Him I take refuge,
    my shield, my horn of salvation, my stronghold.
I called upon Adonai, worthy of praise,
and I was rescued from my enemies.
Cords of death entangled me.
Torrents of Belial overwhelmed me.
Cords of Sheol coiled around me.
Snares of death came before me.
In my distress I called on Adonai,
    and cried to my God for help.
From His Temple He heard my voice,
    my cry before Him came into His ears.
Then the earth rocked and quaked.
The foundations of mountains trembled.
They reeled because He was angry.
Smoke rose from His nostrils
    and consuming fire from His mouth.
Coals blazed from Him.
10 He parted the heavens and came down,
    with thick darkness under His feet.
11 He rode upon a cheruv and flew.
He soared on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness His cover,
His sukkah all around Him—
dark waters, thick clouds.
13 Out of the brilliance before Him
passed His thick clouds, hail and fiery coals.
14 Adonai also thundered in the heavens,
and Elyon gave forth His voice, hail and fiery coals.
15 He shot His arrows and scattered them,
hurled lightning bolts and routed them.

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Psalm 18[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

I love you, Lord, my strength.(B)

The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(F)
    my shield[b](G) and the horn[c] of my salvation,(H) my stronghold.

I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(I)
    and I have been saved from my enemies.(J)
The cords of death(K) entangled me;
    the torrents(L) of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death(M) confronted me.

In my distress(N) I called to the Lord;(O)
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;(P)
    my cry came(Q) before him, into his ears.
The earth trembled(R) and quaked,(S)
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;(T)
    they trembled because he was angry.(U)
Smoke rose from his nostrils;(V)
    consuming fire(W) came from his mouth,
    burning coals(X) blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;(Y)
    dark clouds(Z) were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim(AA) and flew;
    he soared(AB) on the wings of the wind.(AC)
11 He made darkness his covering,(AD) his canopy(AE) around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence(AF) clouds advanced,
    with hailstones(AG) and bolts of lightning.(AH)
13 The Lord thundered(AI) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.[d]
14 He shot his arrows(AJ) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning(AK) he routed them.(AL)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations(AM) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,(AN) Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.(AO)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 18:1 In Hebrew texts 18:1-50 is numbered 18:2-51.
  2. Psalm 18:2 Or sovereign
  3. Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  4. Psalm 18:13 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (see also 2 Samuel 22:14); most Hebrew manuscripts resounded, / amid hailstones and bolts of lightning