Read the Bible

¹ How I love you, Lord!
    You are my defender.

² The Lord is my protector;
    he is my strong fortress.
My God is my protection,
    and with him I am safe.
He protects me like a shield;
    he defends me and keeps me safe.
³ I call to the Lord,
    and he saves me from my enemies.
Praise the Lord!

⁴ The danger of death was all around me;
    the waves of destruction rolled over me.
⁵ The danger of death was around me,
    and the grave set its trap for me.
⁶ In my trouble I called to the Lord;
    I called to my God for help.
In his temple he heard my voice;
    he listened to my cry for help.

⁷ Then the earth trembled and shook;
    the foundations of the mountains rocked and quivered,
    because God was angry.
⁸ Smoke poured out of his nostrils,
    a consuming flame and burning coals from his mouth.
⁹ He tore the sky open and came down
    with a dark cloud under his feet.
¹⁰ He flew swiftly on his winged creature;^[b]
    he traveled on the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He covered himself with darkness;
    thick clouds, full of water, surrounded him.
¹² Hailstones and flashes of fire
    came from the lightning before him
    and broke through the dark clouds.

¹³ Then the Lord thundered from the sky;
    and the voice of the Most High was heard.^[c]
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
    with flashes of lightning he sent them running.
¹⁵ The floor of the ocean was laid bare,
    and the foundations of the earth were uncovered,
when you rebuked your enemies, Lord,
    and roared at them in anger.

¹⁶ The Lord reached down from above and took hold of me;
    he pulled me out of the deep waters.
¹⁷ He rescued me from my powerful enemies
    and from all those who hate me—
    they were too strong for me.
¹⁸ When I was in trouble, they attacked me,
    but the Lord protected me.
¹⁹ He helped me out of danger;
    he saved me because he was pleased with me.

²⁰ The Lord rewards me because I do what is right;
    he blesses me because I am innocent.
²¹ I have obeyed the law of the Lord;
    I have not turned away from my God.
²² I have observed all his laws;
    I have not disobeyed his commands.
²³ He knows that I am faultless,
    that I have kept myself from doing wrong.
²⁴ And so he rewards me because I do what is right,
    because he knows that I am innocent.

²⁵ O Lord, you are faithful to those who are faithful to you;
    completely good to those who are perfect.
²⁶ You are pure to those who are pure,
    but hostile to those who are wicked.
²⁷ You save those who are humble,
    but you humble those who are proud.

²⁸ O Lord, you give me light;
    you dispel my darkness.
²⁹ You give me strength to attack my enemies
    and power to overcome their defenses.

³⁰ This God—how perfect are his deeds!
    How dependable his words!
He is like a shield
    for all who seek his protection.
³¹ The Lord alone is God;
    God alone is our defense.
³² He is the God who makes me strong,
    who makes my pathway safe.
^33 (b)He makes me sure-footed as a deer;
    he keeps me safe on the mountains.
³⁴ He trains me for battle,
    so that I can use the strongest bow.

³⁵ O Lord, you protect me and save me;
    your care has made me great,
    and your power has kept me safe.
³⁶ You have kept me from being captured,
    and I have never fallen.
³⁷ I pursue my enemies and catch them;
    I do not stop until I destroy them.
³⁸ I strike them down, and they cannot rise;
    they lie defeated before me.
³⁹ You give me strength for the battle
    and victory over my enemies.
⁴⁰ You make my enemies run from me;
    I destroy those who hate me.
⁴¹ They cry for help, but no one saves them;
    they call to the Lord, but he does not answer.
⁴² I crush them, so that they become like dust
    which the wind blows away.
I trample on them like mud in the streets.

⁴³ You saved me from a rebellious people
    and made me ruler over the nations;
    people I did not know have now become my subjects.
⁴⁴ Foreigners bow before me;
    when they hear me, they obey.
⁴⁵ They lose their courage
    and come trembling from their fortresses.

⁴⁶ The Lord lives! Praise my defender!
    Proclaim the greatness of the God who saves me.
⁴⁷ He gives me victory over my enemies;
    he subdues the nations under me
⁴⁸     and saves me from my foes.

O Lord, you give me victory over my enemies
    and protect me from violent people.
^49 (c)And so I praise you among the nations;
    I sing praises to you.

⁵⁰ God gives great victories to his king;
    he shows constant love to the one he has chosen,
    to David and his descendants forever.