I love Thee Lord, Thy name I bless

Here is a seven-stanza paraphrase of Ps. 18. The melody is "Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält," or Schütz' tune for Becker's Psalm 36, "So weit, Herr Gott, der Himmel reicht."

I LOVE Thee, Lord, Thy name I bless,
My Strength, my Rock unshaken,
The greatest Stronghold I possess,
I never am forsaken.
My God I put my trust in Thee,
For thus I claim Thy victory,
In Thee my hope is grounded.

2. To Thee for rescue, Lord, I cried,
When death was close around me,
When devil’s torrents terrified
And Hades’ fetters bound me;

Then when it seemed that death was nigh
Thou didst receive mine urgent cry
And from Thy palace hasten.

3. The earth was shaken at Thy wrath
The mountains quaked in terror
And smoke and fire filled all the earth
And lightning flashed with furor,
When Thou upon Thy cherubim
Didst ride in raiment black and grim,
And tear apart the heavens.

4. When floods of anger round me rose,
And earth’s deep roots were falling
Thou didst redeem me from my foes
And vain was all their calling.
For to the saints Thou saintly art,
And haughty to the haughty heart,
The proud Thou humblest ever.

5. O Lord, Thy people knows Thine aid:
Thy Word Thou giv’st to light us;
Our darkness as the day is made.
And when our foe would fight us,
Thou teachest by Thy Word alone
Our hands to fight, our feet to run:
It is our sure foundation.

6. Thou puttest all my foes to flight,
My rivals Thou dost shatter;
As chaff upon the windy height,
Thou makest them to scatter,
Thou savest me from men of strife,
And givest me another life,
While those who hate Thee perish.

7. Praise be to Thee, O Christ my Lord,
Avenger, Strength and Savior,
Who by Thy death dost help afford
And givest life forever.
Defeating Satan, death, and hell,
Thou broughtest me God’s grace as well,
The spoils are mine forever.