Psalm 18:1-15

Contemporary English Version

³ I praise you, Lord!
I prayed, and you rescued me
    from my enemies.
⁴ Death had wrapped
    its ropes around me,
and I was almost swallowed
    by its flooding waters.

⁵ Ropes from the world
of the dead
    had coiled around me,
and death had set a trap
    in my path.
⁶ I was in terrible trouble
    when I called out to you,
but from your temple
you heard me
    and answered my prayer.

⁷ The earth shook and shivered,
and the mountains trembled
    down to their roots.
You were angry
⁸     and breathed out smoke.
Scorching heat and fiery flames
    spewed from your mouth.

⁹ You opened the heavens
    like curtains,
and you came down
with storm clouds
    under your feet.
¹⁰ You rode on the backs
    of flying creatures
and swooped down
    with the wind as wings.
¹¹ Darkness was your robe;
thunderclouds filled the sky,
    hiding you from sight.
¹² Hailstones and fiery coals
lit up the sky
    in front of you.

¹³ Lord Most High, your voice
    thundered from the heavens,
as hailstones and fiery coals
    poured down like rain.
¹⁴ You scattered your enemies
    with arrows of lightning.
¹⁵ You roared at the sea,
and its deepest channels
    could be seen.
You snorted,
and the earth shook
    to its foundations.