2 Samuel 22
1 And David spake 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:
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.
2 And he said, The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
He sang: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my Savior.
3 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; thou savest me from violence.
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.
4 I will call on the LORD, [who is] worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
I call for help from the Lord, who should be praised, and he saves me from those who hate me.
5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
The waves of death swept over me; surging waters of destruction flooded over me;
The grave wound its ropes around me; death set snares for me. (Sheol h7585)
7 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.
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.
8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
The earth shook to and fro; the foundations of the heavens trembled, shaking because of his anger.
9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
Smoke came out of his nostrils, and fire from his mouth, burning coals that blazed before him.
10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness [was] under his feet.
He pushed aside the heavens and came down, with dark clouds beneath his feet.
11 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
Riding on a heavenly being he flew, swooping on the wings of the wind.
12 And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, [and] thick clouds of the skies.
He hid himself in darkness, covering himself with black rainclouds.
13 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
Burning coals blazed out of his brightness.
14 The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.
The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
15 And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
He fired his arrows, scattering his enemies, he routed them with his lightning bolts.
16 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.
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.
17 He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;
He reached down his hand from above and grabbed hold of me. He dragged me out of the deep water.
18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, [and] from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and who were much stronger than me.
19 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
They came at me at my worst possible moment, but the Lord supported me.
20 He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
He set me free, he rescued me because he's happy with me.
21 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
The Lord rewarded me because I do what's right; he repaid me because I am innocent.
22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
For I have followed the Lord's ways; I have not sinned by turning away from my God.
23 For all his judgments [were] before me: and [as for] his statutes, I did not depart from them.
I have kept all his laws in mind; I have not ignored his commandments.
24 I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.
I am blameless in his sight; I keep myself from sinning.
25 Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
The Lord rewarded me for doing what's right. I am innocent in his sight.
26 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, [and] with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.
You show trust to those who are trusting; you show integrity to those with integrity,
27 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
You show yourself pure to those who are pure, but you show yourself astute to those who are crafty.
28 And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes [are] upon the haughty, [that] thou mayest bring [them] down.
You save the humble, but your eyes watch the proud to bring them down.
29 For thou [art] my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.
You, Lord, are my lamp. The Lord lights up my darkness.
30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
With you, I can charge down a troop of soldiers; with you, my God, I can climb a fortress wall.
31 [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.
God's way is absolutely right. What the Lord says is trustworthy. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
32 For who [is] God, save the LORD? and who [is] a rock, save our God?
For who is God except the Lord? Who is a Rock, except our God?
33 God [is] my strength [and] power: and he maketh my way perfect.
God makes me strong and keeps me safe.
34 He maketh my feet like hinds’ [feet: ] and setteth me upon my high places.
He makes me surefooted like the deer, able to walk the heights in safety.
35 He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
He teaches me how to fight in battle; he gives me the strength to draw a bronze bow.
36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.
You protect me with the shield of your salvation; your help has made me great.
37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.
You gave me room to walk, and prevented my feet from slipping.
38 I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.
I chased my enemies, and caught up with them. I did not turn around until I had destroyed them.
39 And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.
I struck them down—they couldn't get up. They fell at my feet.
40 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
You made me strong for the battle; you made those who rose up against me kneel low before me.
41 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
You made my enemies run away; I destroyed all my enemies.
42 They looked, but [there was] none to save; [even] unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
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.
43 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.
I ground them into dust, like the dust of the earth. I crushed them and threw them out like mud in the street.
44 Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me [to be] head of the heathen: a people [which] I knew not shall serve me.
You rescued me from rebellious people; you have kept me as ruler over nations—people I didn't know now serve me.
45 Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
Foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey.
46 Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.
They lose heart, and come trembling in surrender from their strongholds.
47 The LORD liveth; and blessed [be] my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! May the God who saves me be praised!
48 It [is] God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me,
God avenges me, he puts peoples under me,
49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
He frees me from those who hate me. You keep me safe from those who rebel against me, you save me from violent men.
50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.
That's why I will praise you among the nations, Lord; I will sing praises about who you are.
51 [He is] the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.
You have saved the king so often, showing your trustworthy love to David, your anointed, and to his descendants forever.”
