1 David sang this song to the LORD after the LORD had rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul.

2 These are the words he sang: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;

3 my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the strength of my salvation, and my stronghold, my high tower, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.

4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, for he saves me from my enemies.

5 “The waves of death surrounded me; the floods of destruction swept over me.

6 The grave* wrapped its ropes around me; death itself stared me in the face.1

7 But in my distress I cried out to the LORD; yes, I called to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry reached his ears.

8 “Then the earth quaked and trembled; the foundations of the heavens shook; they quaked because of his anger.

9 Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.

10 He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.

11 Mounted on a mighty angel,* he flew, soaring* on the wings of the wind.2

12 He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.

13 A great brightness shone before him, and bolts of lightning blazed forth.

14 The LORD thundered from heaven; the Most High gave a mighty shout.

15 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed, and they were confused.

16 Then at the command of the LORD, at the blast of his breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

17 “He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.

18 He delivered me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me.

19 They attacked me at a moment when I was weakest, but the LORD upheld me.

20 He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.

21 The LORD rewarded me for doing right; he compensated me because of my innocence.

22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.

23 For all his laws are constantly before me; I have never abandoned his principles.

24 I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.

25 The LORD rewarded me for doing right, because of my innocence in his sight.

26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.

27 To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.

28 You rescue those who are humble, but your eyes are on the proud to humiliate them.

29 O LORD, you are my light; yes, LORD, you light up my darkness.

30 In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.

31 “As for God, his way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

32 For who is God except the LORD? Who but our God is a solid rock?

33 God is my strong fortress; he has made my way safe.

34 He makes me as surefooted as a deer, leading me safely along the mountain heights.

35 He prepares me for battle; he strengthens me to draw a bow of bronze.

36 You have given me the shield of your salvation; your help* has made me great.3

37 You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.

38 “I chased my enemies and destroyed them; I did not stop until they were conquered.

39 I consumed them; I struck them down so they could not get up; they fell beneath my feet.

40 You have armed me with strength for the battle; you have subdued my enemies under my feet.

41 You made them turn and run; I have destroyed all who hated me.

42 They called for help, but no one came to rescue them. They cried to the LORD, but he refused to answer them.

43 I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth; I swept them into the gutter like dirt.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
So nigh is grandeur to our dust, So near is God to man, When Duty whispers low, Thou must, The youth replies, I can!

Robert Browning
Just my vengeance complete, The man sprang to his feet, Stood erect, caught at God’s skirts, and prayed! So, I was afraid!

Ralph Waldo Emerson
There is no great and no small, To the Soul that maketh all; And where it cometh, all things are; And it cometh everywhere

in life
one is always
balancing

like we juggle our mothers
against our fathers

or one teacher
against another
(only to balance our grade average)

3 grains of salt
to one ounce truth

our sweet black essence
or the funky honkies down the street

and lately i’ve begun wondering
if you’re trying to tell me something

we used to talk all night
and do things alone together

and i’ve begun

(as a reaction to a feeling)
to balance
the pleasure of loneliness
against the pain
of loving you

Nikki Giovanni