1 I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. |
2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. |
3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. |
4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. |
5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. |
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. |
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. |
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. |
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. |
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. |
11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. |
12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. |
13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. |
14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. |
15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. |
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. |
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. |
18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. |
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. |
20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. |
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. |
22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. |
23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. |
24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. |
25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; |
26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward. |
27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks. |
