Psalm 18: I love you LORD

I love you, LORD, my strength and my rock,

My fortress, deliverer.

My God’s my rock, in whom I can hide;

My shield and my stronghold,

My shield and my stronghold.

I called the LORD, he has saved my life;

Saved me from my enemy.

He is the horn of salvation, my God,

Most worthy of our praises is he.

The cords of death entangled me;

Destruction overwhelmed me.

The cords of the grave grew all round about;

Death’s snares they confronted me,

Death’s snares they confronted me.

In my distress I called out to the LORD;

I cried out to God in my fear,

And from his temple he heard my voice;

My cry came to his listening ear.

The earth it trembled, the earth it quaked;

The mountains’ foundations shook,

And in his anger smoke billowed up,

And fire blazed from his mouth,

Burning coals blazed from his mouth.

He parted heaven and he came down,

Dark clouds were under his feet.

He mounted the cherubim and he flew down,  

Soaring as the wind it did beat.                        

With darkness as a canopy cov’ ring him

And dark rain clouds of the sky;

Out of his brightness the clouds advanced, 

The hailstones and lightning bolts fly.

The LORD’s voice thundered out from heaven;

The Most High resounded loud.

He shot his arrows as a rebuke

And scattered the enemy,

He scattered the enemy.

With great bolts of lightning he routed them.

The seas’ valleys they were exposed;

The foundations of all the earth were laid bare,

At the blast of the breath of the LORD.

He reached down from heaven and took hold of me;

From deep waters drew me out.

My powerful foes were too strong for me

But God has put them to rout,

My God has put them to rout,

Disaster came; they confronted me,

But the LORD was my support.

He rescued me, he delighted in me,

To a spacious place I was brought.

The LORD dealt with me, rewarded me.

Because of my righteousness;

For I am not guilty of turning from God;

I’ve kept to the ways of the LORD,

I’ve kept to the ways of the LORD.

I have not turned from his laws and decrees;

Have kept myself free from sin.

I have been blameless, my hands have kept clean,

So I am rewarded by him.

You show yourself faithful, to those who have faith,

And blameless to those without blame.

You show yourself pure, to all that are pure,

To devious ones you are shrewd,

But to devious ones you are shrewd.

You save the humble, bring low those whose eyes

Are haughty. LORD, keep my lamp bright,

Then I can advance, scale a wall ‘gainst the foe,

For my God turns the darkness to light.

God’s way is perfect: his word’s without flaw.

He shields those who hide in him,

Who is God and our rock but the LORD,

He arms us with strength, we’re secure,

He arms us with strength, we’re secure.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

And makes me to stand on the heights.

He trains my hands, makes my arms bend a bow.

With bows made of bronze we will fight.

You are my help, salvation's my shield;

Your help it has made me great.

And by your right hand my life is sustained;

In broad paths my feet will stay,

My ankles do not give way.

I chased my enemies, overtook them;

Pursued them to their last defeat.

They could not rise up and they all were destroyed,

They fell and were crushed ‘neath my feet.       

You armed me for the battle with strength;

And humbled my adversaries. 

You made my enemies, run away;

Then I destroyed my foes,

Then I destroyed my foes.

They cried out for help, there was no one to save -

The LORD their great need would not meet.

I beat them as fine as the wind blows the dust;

Trampled them like mud in the street.

You have saved me when foes have attacked,    

And made me king over them.

Now foreign people I do not know 

Are subject and serve before me,

They cower as they serve before me.

As soon as they hear of me, they will obey,

They have no heart left to rebel,

And leaving their strongholds they come forth with fear;

With trem’bling leave the place where they dwell.

The LORD he lives! Praise  be to my Rock!

Exalted my Saviour God!

He is the God and he will subdue;

Those nations who’re under me,

For he avenges me.

He saves me from my enemies, raises me up;

Exalts me above my foes;

Rescuing me from a violent man,

Therefore I will praise you, LORD.

Among the nations I will praises your name;

Sing of the victory you give.

For he shows to me his unfailing love;

To David his anointed, the king.

And his descendants 

Coda

Shows unfailing love to David

And all descended from him

Through all time he shows unfailing love.