2 Samuel 22
1 David sang the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord saved him from all his enemies, and from Saul.
And David spoke to Jehovah the words of this song in the day that Jehovah delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
2 He sang: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my Savior.
And he said, Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine.
3 He is my God, my rock who protects me. He shields me from harm, his power saves me, he keeps me safe. He is my protector; he is my savior; he saves me from violence.
God, my rock, in him I will take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior. Thou save me from violence.
4 I call for help from the Lord, who should be praised, and he saves me from those who hate me.
I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised. So I shall be saved from my enemies.
5 The waves of death swept over me; surging waters of destruction flooded over me;
For the waves of death encompassed me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The cords of Sheol were round about me. The snares of death came upon me. (Sheol h7585)
7 In my despair I called on the Lord; I called out to my God. He heard my voice from his Temple; my cry for help reached his ears.
In my distress I called upon Jehovah. Yea, I called to my God. And he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came into his ears.
8 The earth shook to and fro; the foundations of the heavens trembled, shaking because of his anger.
Then the earth shook and trembled, the foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
9 Smoke came out of his nostrils, and fire from his mouth, burning coals that blazed before him.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured. Coals were kindled by it.
10 He pushed aside the heavens and came down, with dark clouds beneath his feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.
11 Riding on a heavenly being he flew, swooping on the wings of the wind.
And he rode upon a cherub, and flew. Yea, he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12 He hid himself in darkness, covering himself with black rainclouds.
And he made darkness pavilions round about him, gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
13 Burning coals blazed out of his brightness.
At the brightness before him coals of fire were kindled.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
Jehovah thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice.
15 He fired his arrows, scattering his enemies, he routed them with his lightning bolts.
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them, lightning, and discomfited them.
16 The Lord roared, and by the wind from the breath of his nostrils the valleys of the sea could be seen and the foundations of the earth were uncovered.
Then the channels of the sea appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare by the rebuke of Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17 He reached down his hand from above and grabbed hold of me. He dragged me out of the deep water.
He sent from on high, he took me. He drew me out of many waters.
18 He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and who were much stronger than me.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
19 They came at me at my worst possible moment, but the Lord supported me.
They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my support.
20 He set me free, he rescued me because he's happy with me.
He brought me forth also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
21 The Lord rewarded me because I do what's right; he repaid me because I am innocent.
Jehovah rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
22 For I have followed the Lord's ways; I have not sinned by turning away from my God.
For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 I have kept all his laws in mind; I have not ignored his commandments.
For all his ordinances were before me. And as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 I am blameless in his sight; I keep myself from sinning.
I was also perfect toward him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.
25 The Lord rewarded me for doing what's right. I am innocent in his sight.
Therefore Jehovah has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his eyesight.
26 You show trust to those who are trusting; you show integrity to those with integrity,
With the merciful thou will show thyself merciful. With the perfect man thou will show thyself perfect.
27 You show yourself pure to those who are pure, but you show yourself astute to those who are crafty.
With the pure thou will show thyself pure. And with the perverse thou will show thyself contrary.
28 You save the humble, but your eyes watch the proud to bring them down.
And the afflicted people thou will save, but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou may bring them down.
29 You, Lord, are my lamp. The Lord lights up my darkness.
For thou are my lamp, O Jehovah. And Jehovah will lighten my darkness.
30 With you, I can charge down a troop of soldiers; with you, my God, I can climb a fortress wall.
For by thee I run upon a troop. By my God do I leap over a wall.
31 God's way is absolutely right. What the Lord says is trustworthy. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
As for God, his way is perfect. The word of Jehovah is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God except the Lord? Who is a Rock, except our God?
For who is God, except Jehovah? And who is a rock, except our God?
33 God makes me strong and keeps me safe.
God is my strong fortress, and he guides the perfect in his way.
34 He makes me surefooted like the deer, able to walk the heights in safety.
He makes his feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places.
35 He teaches me how to fight in battle; he gives me the strength to draw a bronze bow.
He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of brass.
36 You protect me with the shield of your salvation; your help has made me great.
Thou have also given me the shield of thy salvation, and thy gentleness has made me great.
37 You gave me room to walk, and prevented my feet from slipping.
Thou have enlarged my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped.
38 I chased my enemies, and caught up with them. I did not turn around until I had destroyed them.
I have pursued my enemies, and destroyed them, neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
39 I struck them down—they couldn't get up. They fell at my feet.
And I have consumed them, and smitten them through, so that they cannot arise. Yea, they are fallen under my feet.
40 You made me strong for the battle; you made those who rose up against me kneel low before me.
For thou have girded me with strength to the battle. Thou have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
41 You made my enemies run away; I destroyed all my enemies.
Thou have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
42 They cried out for help, but no one came to rescue them. They even called out to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
They looked, but there was none to save; even to Jehovah, but he did not answer them.
43 I ground them into dust, like the dust of the earth. I crushed them and threw them out like mud in the street.
Then I beat them small as the dust of the earth. I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad.
44 You rescued me from rebellious people; you have kept me as ruler over nations—people I didn't know now serve me.
Thou have also delivered me from the strivings of my people. Thou have kept me to be the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
45 Foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey.
The foreigners shall submit themselves to me. As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me.
46 They lose heart, and come trembling in surrender from their strongholds.
The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their hiding places.
47 The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! May the God who saves me be praised!
Jehovah lives. And blessed be my rock. And exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
48 God avenges me, he puts peoples under me,
Even the God who executes vengeance for me, and who brings down peoples under me,
49 He frees me from those who hate me. You keep me safe from those who rebel against me, you save me from violent men.
and who brings me forth from my enemies. Yea, thou lift me up above those who rise up against me. Thou deliver me from the violent man.
50 That's why I will praise you among the nations, Lord; I will sing praises about who you are.
Therefore I will give thanks to thee, O Jehovah, among gentiles, and will sing praises to thy name.
51 You have saved the king so often, showing your trustworthy love to David, your anointed, and to his descendants forever.”
He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore.
