Day 3 : Evening Prayer

18 - Diligam te, Domine

1  I will love you, O Lord my strength; *
the Lord is my rock, my stronghold, and my deliverer,
2  My Savior, my God, and my might in whom I will trust, *
my buckler, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge.
3  I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; *
so shall I be safe from my enemies.
4  The waves of death encompassed me; *
the floods that would swallow me up made me afraid.

5  The cords of the grave surrounded me; *
the snares of death overtook me.
6  In my trouble I called upon the Lord *
and cried unto my God for help.
7  From his holy temple he heard my voice. *
My complaint came before him; it entered into his ears.
8  The earth trembled and quaked; *
the very foundations of the hills shook and were removed, 
because he was angry.
9  There went out smoke from his nostrils and a consuming fire
  out of his mouth; *
coals of fire issued from his presence. 
10  He parted the heavens also and came down, *
and it was dark under his feet.
11  He rode upon the cherubim and flew; *
he came flying upon the wings of the wind.
12  He made darkness his secret place; *
dark waters and thick clouds were his covering 
round about him. 
13  At the brightness of his presence his clouds broke forth: *
hailstones and coals of fire.
14  The Lord also thundered out of heaven, and the Most High
  gave forth his voice: *
hailstones and coals of fire.
15  He sent out his arrows and scattered them; *
he cast forth lightning and destroyed them.
16  The springs of water were seen, and the foundations
  of the world were uncovered, *
at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath
of your displeasure.
17  He reached down from on high to grasp me, *
and he took me out of many waters.

18  He delivered me from my strongest enemy, and from those
  who hated me, *
for they were too mighty for me.
19  They confronted me in the day of my trouble, *
but the Lord upheld me.
20  He brought me forth into a place of liberty; *
he delivered me, because I had found favor in his eyes.

21  The Lord rewarded me according to my righteous dealing; *
according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me,
22  Because I had kept the ways of the Lord *
and had not forsaken my God, as the wicked do.
23  For I had an eye unto all his laws *
and did not cast out his commandments from me.
24  I was also uncorrupt before him *
and kept myself from my own wickedness.
25  Therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my righteous  
  dealing, *
and according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26  With the faithful you show yourself faithful, *
and with the upright you show yourself upright.
27  With the pure you show yourself pure, *
but with the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
28  For you shall save the people who are in adversity, *
but shall bring down the high looks of the proud.
29  You also shall light my lamp; *
the Lord my God shall turn my darkness into light.
30  For with you I shall crush a host of men, *
and with the help of my God I can leap over a wall.
31  The way of God is an undefiled way; the word of the Lord
  also is tried in the fire; *
he is the defender of all those who put their trust in him.
32  For who is God, but the Lord, *
or who is a rock, except our God?


33  It is God who girds me with strength for war *
and makes my way perfect.
34  He makes my feet like the feet of a deer *
and sets me up on high.
35  He teaches my hands to fight, *
and my arms shall bend even a bow of bronze.
36  You have given me the shield of your salvation; *
your right hand also shall hold me up, and your loving 
correction shall make me great.
37  You have made a broad path for my feet, *
and my footsteps shall not slip.
38  I will follow my enemies and overtake them; *
I will not turn again until I have destroyed them.
39  I will smite them, and they shall not be able to stand. *
They shall fall under my feet.
40  You have girded me with strength for the battle; *
you shall throw down my enemies under me.
41  You have made my enemies turn their backs upon me, *
and I shall destroy those who hate me.
42  They shall cry, but there shall be none to help them; *
even unto the Lord shall they cry, but he shall not
hear them.
43  I will beat them as small as dust before the wind; *
I will tread them down as mire in the streets.
44  You shall deliver me from the strivings of the peoples, *
and you shall make me the head of the nations.
45  A people whom I have not known *
shall be in subjection under me.
46  As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me; *
and foreigners shall cringe before me.
47  Foreigners shall lose heart, *
and, being afraid, shall come out of their strongholds.

48  The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, *
and praised be the God of my salvation,
49  Even the God who sees that I am avenged *
and subdues the peoples under me.
50  It is he who delivers me from my cruel enemies, and lifts me up
  above my adversaries; *
you shall rid me of the wicked.
51  For this cause will I give thanks unto you, O Lord,
  among the nations, *
and sing praises unto your Name.
52  Great prosperity he gives unto his King, *
and shows loving-kindness to David his Anointed, 
and unto his seed for evermore.