PSALMS 18:3-27

³I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

⁴The cords of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

⁵The cords of Sheol were round about me: the snares of death came on me.

⁶In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry before him came into his ears.

⁷Then the earth shook and trembled, me foundations also of the mountains moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.

⁸There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

⁹He bowed the heavens also, and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.

¹⁰And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly, yea, he flew swiftly upon the wings of the wind.

¹¹He made darkness his hiding place, his pavilion round about him; darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

¹²At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, hailstones and coals of fire.

¹³The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice; hailstones and coals of fire.

¹⁴And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.

¹⁵Then the channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid bare, at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

¹⁶He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters.

¹⁷He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

¹⁸They came upon me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

¹⁹He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

²⁰The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

²¹For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

²²For all his judgments were before me, and I put not away his statutes from me.

²³I was also perfect with him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

²⁴Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

²⁵With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with the perfect man thou wilt shew thyself perfect;

²⁶With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt shew thyself froward.

²⁷For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down.