5-6. The waves of death crashed over me,devil waters rushed over me.Hell’s ropes cinched me tight;death traps barred every exit.
7. A hostile world! I called to God,to my God I cried out.From his palace he heard me call;my cry brought me right into his presence—a private audience!
8-16. Earth wobbled and lurched;the very heavens shook like leaves,Quaked like aspen leavesbecause of his rage.His nostrils flared, billowing smoke;his mouth spit fire.Tongues of fire darted in and out;he lowered the sky.He stepped down;under his feet an abyss opened up.He rode a winged creature,swift on wind-wings.He wrapped himselfin a trenchcoat of black rain-cloud darkness.But his cloud-brightness burst through,a grand comet of fireworks.Then God thundered out of heaven;the High God gave a great shout.God shot his arrows—pandemonium!He hurled his lightnings—a rout!The secret sources of ocean were exposed,the hidden depths of earth lay uncoveredThe moment God roared in protest,let loose his hurricane anger.
17-20. But me he caught—reached all the wayfrom sky to sea; he pulled me outOf that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,the void in which I was drowning.They hit me when I was down,but God stuck by me.He stood me up on a wide-open field;I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!