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22 David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

He said: The Lord is my Rock [of escape from Saul] and my Fortress [in the wilderness] and my Deliverer;(A)

My God, my Rock, in Him will I take refuge; my Shield and the Horn of my salvation; my Stronghold and my Refuge, my Savior—You save me from violence.(B)

I call on the Lord, Who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

For the waves of death enveloped me; the torrents of destruction made me afraid.

The cords of Sheol were entangling me; I encountered the snares of death.

In my distress I called upon the Lord; I cried to my God, and He heard my voice from His temple; my cry came into His ears.

Then the earth reeled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens trembled and shook because He was angry.

Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; coals were kindled by it.

10 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under His feet.

11 He rode on a cherub and flew; He was seen upon the wings of the wind.

12 He made darkness His canopy around Him, gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

13 Out of the brightness before Him coals of fire flamed forth.

14 The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice.

15 He sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning confused and troubled them.

16 The channels of the sea were visible, the foundations of the world were uncovered at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

17 He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of great waters.

18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

19 They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay.

20 He brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.

21 The Lord rewarded me according to my uprightness with Him; He compensated and benefited me according to the cleanness of my hands.

22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

23 For all His ordinances were before me; and from His statutes I did not turn aside.

24 I was also blameless before Him and kept myself from guilt and iniquity.

25 Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His [holy] sight.

26 Toward the loving and loyal You will show Yourself loving and loyal, and with the upright and blameless You will show Yourself upright and blameless.

27 To the pure You will show Yourself pure, and to the willful You will show Yourself willful.

28 And the afflicted people You will deliver, but Your eyes are upon the haughty, whom You will bring down.

29 For You, O Lord, are my Lamp; the Lord lightens my darkness.

30 For by You I run through a troop; by my God I leap over a wall.

31 As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried. He is a Shield to all those who trust and take refuge in Him.

32 For who is God but the Lord? And who is a Rock except our God?

33 God is my strong Fortress; He guides the blameless in His way and sets him free.

34 He makes my feet like the hinds’ [firm and able]; He sets me secure and confident upon the heights.

35 He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

36 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; and Your condescension and gentleness have made me great.

37 You have enlarged my steps under me, so that my feet have not slipped.

38 I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them; and I did not turn back until they were consumed.

39 I consumed them and thrust them through, so that they did not arise; they fell at my feet.

40 For You girded me with strength for the battle; those who rose up against me You subdued under me.

41 You have made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.

42 They looked, but there was none to save—even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.

43 Then I beat them small as the dust of the earth; I crushed them as the mire of the street and scattered them abroad.

44 You also have delivered me from strife with my people; You kept me as the head of the nations. People whom I had not known served me.

45 Foreigners yielded feigned obedience to me; as soon as they heard of me, they became obedient to me.

46 Foreigners faded away; they came limping and trembling from their strongholds.

47 The Lord lives; blessed be my Rock, and exalted be God, the Rock of my salvation.

48 It is God Who executes vengeance for me and Who brought down [and disciplined] the peoples under me,

49 Who brought me out from my enemies. You also lifted me up above those who rose up against me; You delivered me from the violent man.

50 For this I will give thanks and extol You, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.

51 He is a Tower of salvation and great deliverance to His king, and shows loving-kindness to His anointed, to David and his offspring forever.

David’s Song of Praise(A)

22 David sang(B) to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

“The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(F)
    my shield[a](G) and the horn[b](H) of my salvation.
He is my stronghold,(I) my refuge and my savior—
    from violent people you save me.

“I called to the Lord, who is worthy(J) of praise,
    and have been saved from my enemies.
The waves(K) of death swirled about me;
    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave(L) coiled around me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

“In my distress(M) I called(N) to the Lord;
    I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
    my cry came to his ears.
The earth(O) trembled and quaked,(P)
    the foundations(Q) of the heavens[c] shook;
    they trembled because he was angry.
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
    consuming fire(R) came from his mouth,
    burning coals(S) blazed out of it.
10 He parted the heavens and came down;
    dark clouds(T) were under his feet.
11 He mounted the cherubim(U) and flew;
    he soared[d] on the wings of the wind.(V)
12 He made darkness(W) his canopy around him—
    the dark[e] rain clouds of the sky.
13 Out of the brightness of his presence
    bolts of lightning(X) blazed forth.
14 The Lord thundered(Y) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.
15 He shot his arrows(Z) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
16 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at the rebuke(AA) of the Lord,
    at the blast(AB) of breath from his nostrils.

17 “He reached down from on high(AC) and took hold of me;
    he drew(AD) me out of deep waters.
18 He rescued(AE) me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.(AF)
20 He brought me out into a spacious(AG) place;
    he rescued(AH) me because he delighted(AI) in me.(AJ)

21 “The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(AK)
    according to the cleanness(AL) of my hands(AM) he has rewarded me.
22 For I have kept(AN) the ways of the Lord;
    I am not guilty of turning from my God.
23 All his laws are before me;(AO)
    I have not turned(AP) away from his decrees.
24 I have been blameless(AQ) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
25 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(AR)
    according to my cleanness[f] in his sight.

26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
27 to the pure(AS) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(AT)
28 You save the humble,(AU)
    but your eyes are on the haughty(AV) to bring them low.(AW)
29 You, Lord, are my lamp;(AX)
    the Lord turns my darkness into light.
30 With your help I can advance against a troop[g];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

31 “As for God, his way is perfect:(AY)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;(AZ)
    he shields(BA) all who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock(BB) except our God?(BC)
33 It is God who arms me with strength[h]
    and keeps my way secure.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(BD)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.(BE)
35 He trains my hands(BF) for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow(BG) of bronze.
36 You make your saving help my shield;(BH)
    your help has made[i] me great.
37 You provide a broad path(BI) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.

38 “I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
39 I crushed(BJ) them completely, and they could not rise;
    they fell beneath my feet.
40 You armed me with strength for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries before me.(BK)
41 You made my enemies turn their backs(BL) in flight,
    and I destroyed my foes.
42 They cried for help,(BM) but there was no one to save them—(BN)
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.(BO)
43 I beat them as fine as the dust(BP) of the earth;
    I pounded and trampled(BQ) them like mud(BR) in the streets.

44 “You have delivered(BS) me from the attacks of the peoples;
    you have preserved(BT) me as the head of nations.
People(BU) I did not know now serve me,
45     foreigners cower(BV) before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.(BW)
46 They all lose heart;
    they come trembling[j](BX) from their strongholds.

47 “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
    Exalted(BY) be my God, the Rock, my Savior!(BZ)
48 He is the God who avenges(CA) me,(CB)
    who puts the nations under me,
49     who sets me free from my enemies.(CC)
You exalted me(CD) above my foes;
    from a violent man you rescued me.
50 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing the praises(CE) of your name.(CF)

51 “He gives his king great victories;(CG)
    he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,(CH)
    to David(CI) and his descendants forever.”(CJ)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 22:3 Or sovereign
  2. 2 Samuel 22:3 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  3. 2 Samuel 22:8 Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains
  4. 2 Samuel 22:11 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts appeared
  5. 2 Samuel 22:12 Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrew massed
  6. 2 Samuel 22:25 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) to the cleanness of my hands
  7. 2 Samuel 22:30 Or can run through a barricade
  8. 2 Samuel 22:33 Dead Sea Scrolls, some Septuagint manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:32); Masoretic Text who is my strong refuge
  9. 2 Samuel 22:36 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text shield; / you stoop down to make
  10. 2 Samuel 22:46 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text they arm themselves