< 2 Samuel 22 >
1 And David made a song to the Lord in these words, on the day when the Lord made him free from the hands of all his haters, and from the hand of Saul:
And David spoke unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
2 And he said, The Lord is my Rock, my walled town, and my saviour, even mine;
And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
3 My God, my Rock, in him will I put my faith; my breastplate, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my safe place; my saviour, who keeps me safe from the violent man.
The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; you save me from violence.
4 I will send up my cry to the Lord, who is to be praised; so will I be made safe from those who are against me.
I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
5 For the waves of death came round me, and the seas of evil put me in fear;
When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
6 The cords of hell were round me: the nets of death came on me. (Sheol )
The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; (Sheol )
7 In my trouble my voice went up to the Lord, and my cry to my God: my voice came to his hearing in his holy Temple, and my prayer came to his ears.
In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.
8 Then the earth was moved with a violent shock; the bases of heaven were moved and shaking, because he was angry.
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was angry.
9 There went up a smoke from his nose, and a fire of destruction from his mouth: coals were lighted by it.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
10 The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
11 And he went through the air, seated on a storm-cloud: going quickly on the wings of the wind.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12 And he made the dark his tent round him, a mass of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
13 Before his shining light his dark clouds went past, raining ice and coals of fire.
Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
14 The Lord made thunder in the heavens, and the voice of the Highest was sounding out.
The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.
15 And he sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled.
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and humiliated them.
16 Then the deep beds of the sea were seen, and the bases of the world were uncovered, because of the Lord's wrath, because of the breath of his mouth.
And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17 He sent from on high, he took me, pulling me out of great waters.
He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;
18 He made me free from my strong hater, from those who were against me, because they were stronger than I.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
19 They came on me in the day of my trouble: but the Lord was my support.
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
20 He took me out into a wide place; he was my saviour because he had delight in me.
He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
21 The Lord gives me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean before him.
The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me.
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not been turned away in sin from my God.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his decisions were before me, and I did not put away his laws from me.
For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 And I was upright before him, and I kept myself from sin.
I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.
25 Because of this the Lord has given me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean in his eyes.
Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
26 On him who has mercy you will have mercy; to the upright you will be upright;
With the merciful you will show yourself merciful, and with the upright man you will show yourself upright.
27 He who is holy will see that you are holy; but to the man whose way is not straight you will be a hard judge.
With the pure you will show yourself pure; and with the perverse you will show yourself unpleasing.
28 For you are the saviour of those who are in trouble; but your eyes are on men of pride, to make them low.
And the afflicted people you will save: but your eyes are upon the haughty, that you may bring them down.
29 For you are my light, O Lord; and the Lord will make the dark bright for me.
For you are my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.
30 By your help I have made a way through the wall which was shutting me in: by the help of my God I have gone over a wall.
For by you I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
31 As for God, his way is all good: the word of the Lord is tested; he is a safe cover for all those who put their faith in him.
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.
32 For who is God but the Lord? and who is a Rock but our God?
For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?
33 God puts a strong band about me, guiding me in a straight way.
God is my strength and power: and he makes my way perfect.
34 He makes my feet like roes' feet, and puts me on high places.
He makes my feet like hinds' feet: and sets me upon my high places.
35 He makes my hands expert in war, so that a bow of brass is bent by my arms.
He teaches my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
36 You have given me the breastplate of your salvation, and your mercy has made me great.
You have also given me the shield of your salvation: and your gentleness has made me great.
37 You have made my steps wide under me, so that my feet make no slip.
You have enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.
38 I go after my haters and overtake them; not turning back till they are all overcome.
I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.
39 I have sent destruction on them and given them wounds, so that they are not able to get up: they are stretched under my feet.
And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.
40 For I have been armed by you with strength for the fight: you have made low under me those who came out against me.
For you have girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me have you subdued under me.
41 By you their backs are turned in flight, so that my haters are cut off.
You have also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
42 They were crying out, but there was no one to come to their help: even to the Lord, but he gave them no answer.
They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
43 Then they were crushed as small as the dust of the earth, stamped down under my feet like the waste of the streets.
Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.
44 You have made me free from the fightings of my people; you have made me the head of the nations: a people of whom I had no knowledge will be my servants.
You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people, you have kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.
45 Men of other countries will, with false hearts, put themselves under my authority: from the time when my name comes to their ears, they will be ruled by me.
Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
46 They will be wasted away, they will come out of their secret places shaking with fear.
Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.
47 The Lord is living; praise be to my Rock, and let the God of my salvation be honoured:
The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
48 It is God who sends punishment on my haters, and puts peoples under my rule.
It is God that avenges me, and that brings down the people under me.
49 He makes me free from my haters: I am lifted up over those who come up against me: you have made me free from the violent man.
And that brings me forth from mine enemies: you also have lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: you have delivered me from the violent man.
50 Because of this I will give you praise, O Lord, among the nations, and will make a song of praise to your name.
Therefore I will give thanks unto you, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto your name.
51 Great salvation does he give to his king; he has mercy on the king of his selection, David, and on his seed for ever.
He is the tower of salvation for his king: and shows mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.