Psalm 18a

St Denio

I love you, O Lord, you’re my strength. Yes, O Lord,
You’re my Rock, my fortress, my saviour revealed;
My God is my rock, who will refuge afford.
My horn of salvation, my stronghold, my shield.

The Lord who is worthy of praise, him I call,
I’m saved from my foes, though death’s cords wrapped me round;
The torrents of ruin have been my downfall.
The grave cords coiled round me; by death’s snares fast bound.

Distressed how I called out, called out to the Lord;
I cried to my God and I asked him for aid.
From out of his temple, my voice he has heard;
My cry came before him, to his ears relayed.

Earth trembled and quaked and the mountains' depths moved;
They trembled because in his anger he came.
Smoke rose from his nostrils; his mouth it expelled
Fierce fire that consumes and hot coals all aflame.

He parted the heavens and he came right down;
Dark clouds his feet under. On cherubs he flies;
He soars on the wind’s wings, makes darkness his gown,
His canopy round him - dark clouds in the skies.

From out of the brightness of where he was went
Clouds, lightning and hail. The Lord thundered from heav’n;
The voice of the Most High resounding. He sent
His darts scatt'ring foes; by great bolts overthrown.

Exposed then were valleys hid deep in the sea,
The earth’s own foundations were all laid quite bare.
O Lord, at your censure these things came to be
The blast from your nostrils, of breath, on them there.

From on high he reached down and took hold of me;
Up out of the waters so deep he drew me.
From my foe so pow'rful he's now set me free,
From one so much stronger, my adversary.

In days of disaster, we came face to face.
The Lord, though, was near me to be my support
And he brought me out into a spacious place;
He saved me because I was his great delight.

What my righteous deeds earned, the Lord gave to me;
Because of my clean hands he gave me reward.
For I've kept the ways of the Lord faithfully;
I have not done evil, not turned from my God.

Not turned from your precepts, all his laws I see.
From sin I've held back; before him done what's right.
In line with my righteousness the Lord blessed me,
In line with how clean were my hands in his sight.