Psalms

¹ I love you, God— you make me strong.

² the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. My God—the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout.

³ and find myself safe and saved.

⁴ devil waters rushed over me.

⁵ death traps barred every exit.

⁶ I cry to God to help me. From his palace he hears my call; my cry brings me right into his presence— a private audience!

⁷ huge mountains shake like leaves, Quake like aspen leaves because of his rage.

⁸ his mouth spits fire. Tongues of fire dart in and out;

⁹ He steps down; under his feet an abyss opens up.

¹⁰ swift on wind-wings.

¹¹ in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness.

¹² spraying hailstones and fireballs.

¹³ the High God gave a great shout, spraying hailstones and fireballs.

¹⁴ He hurls his lightnings—a rout!

¹⁵ the hidden depths of earth lie uncovered The moment you roar in protest, let loose your hurricane anger.

¹⁶ from sky to sea; he pulled me out Of that ocean of hate,

¹⁷ the void in which I was drowning.

¹⁸ but God stuck by me.

¹⁹ I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!

²⁰ when I placed all the pieces before him. When I got my act together, he gave me a fresh start.

²¹ I don't take God for granted.

²² I try not to miss a trick.

²³ and I'm watching my step.

²⁴ when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

²⁵ The whole people taste your health,

²⁶ The bad ones can't figure you out.

²⁷ But the stuck-up you take down a peg.

²⁸ I'm blazing with glory, God's glory!

²⁹ I vault the highest fences.

³⁰ stretches straight and smooth. Every God-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward him Makes it.

³¹ Are we not at bedrock?

³² then aimed me in the right direction?

³³ I'm king of the mountain.

³⁴ I can bend a bronze bow!

³⁵ you hold me up with a firm hand, caress me with your gentle ways.

³⁶ so my footing was firm.

³⁷ I didn't let go till they were dead men.

³⁸ then I walked all over them.

³⁹ you smashed the upstarts.

⁴⁰ and I wiped out the haters.

⁴¹ but Uncle didn't come; They yelled for God and got no for an answer.

⁴² I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter.

⁴³ you made me a leader of nations. People I'd never heard of served me;

⁴⁴ The foreign devils gave up;

⁴⁵ on their bellies, crawling from their hideouts.

⁴⁶ my free and freeing God, towering!

⁴⁷ and shut up the people who talked back.

⁴⁸ he pulled me from the grip of upstarts, He saved me from the bullies.

⁴⁹ all over the world. That's why I'm singing songs that rhyme your name.

⁵⁰ God's chosen is beloved. I mean David and all his children— always.