Psalm 18
1 I love you, O Lord my strength,
O Lord my stronghold, my crag, and my haven.
2 My God, my rock in whom I put my trust,
my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge;
you are worthy of praise.
3 I will call upon the Lord,
and so shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 The breakers of death rolled over me,
and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.
5 The cords of hell entangled me,
and the snares of death were set for me.
6 I called upon the Lord in my distress
and cried out to my God for help.
7 He heard my voice from his heavenly dwelling;
my cry of anguish came to his ears.
8 The earth reeled and rocked;
the roots of the mountains shook;
they reeled because of his anger.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils
and a consuming fire out of his mouth;
hot burning coals blazed forth from him.
10 He parted the heavens and came down
with a storm cloud under his feet.
11 He mounted on cherubim and flew;
he swooped on the wings of the wind.
12 He wrapped darkness about him;
he made dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.
13 From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds,
burst hailstones and coals of fire.
14 The Lord thundered out of heaven;
the Most High uttered his voice.
15 He loosed his arrows and scattered them;
he hurled thunderbolts and routed them.
16 The beds of the seas were uncovered,
and the foundations of the world laid bare,
at your battle cry, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
17 He reached down from on high and grasped me;
he drew me out of great waters.
18 He delivered me from my strong enemies
and from those who hated me;
for they were too mighty for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster;
but the Lord was my support.
20 He brought me out into an open place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
A Prayer for Peace Among Nations
Almighty God our heavenly Father,
guide the nations of the world
into the way of justice and truth,
and establish among them that peace
which is the fruit of righteousness,
that they may become the kingdom
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
