2 Samuel 22
1 After Yahweh had rescued David from Saul and his other enemies, David sang a song to Yahweh.
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 [This is what] he sang: Yahweh, you are like a [huge overhanging] rock [under which I can hide] [MET]; you are like my fortress, and you rescue me.
And he said, Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine.
3 Yahweh, you protect me; you are like a shield; you are the powerful one [MET] who saves me; you are like a place where I (find refuge/am safe). You save me from those who act violently toward me.
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 out to you, Yahweh; you deserve to be praised, and you rescue me from my enemies.
I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised. So I shall be saved from my enemies.
5 “almost died [PRS]; it was like [MET] a huge wave had crashed over me, and almost destroyed me like a flood.
For the waves of death encompassed me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
6 I thought that I would die; it was as though death wrapped ropes around me; it was as though I was in a trap where I would surely die. [PRS, MET] (Sheol h7585)
The cords of Sheol were round about me. The snares of death came upon me. (Sheol h7585)
7 But when I was (very distressed/in great trouble), I called out to you, Yahweh; I cried out to you, my God. And from your temple you heard me; you listened when I called to you to help me.
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 “Then [it was as though] the earth quaked and shook; [it was as though] the foundations that ([held up/supported]) the sky trembled, because you were angry.
Then the earth shook and trembled, the foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
9 [It was as though] smoke poured out of your nostrils and burning coals and fire that burns everything came out of your mouth.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured. Coals were kindled by it.
10 You tore open the sky and came down; there was a thick dark [cloud] under your feet.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down, and thick darkness was under his feet.
11 You rode [through the sky] on a winged creature; the wind enabled you to travel [swiftly] [MET], like a bird.
And he rode upon a cherub, and flew. Yea, he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12 The darkness surrounded you, like a blanket; thick clouds that were full of water also surrounded you.
And he made darkness pavilions round about him, gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
13 Out of the lightning in front of you fire from burning coals flamed.
At the brightness before him coals of fire were kindled.
14 Then, Yahweh, you spoke like thunder from the sky; it was your voice, God, you who are greater than all other gods, that was heard.
Jehovah thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice.
15 When you sent flashes of lightning, [it was as though] [MET] you shot your arrows and scattered your enemies.
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them, lightning, and discomfited them.
16 Then the bottom of the ocean was uncovered; the foundations of the world could be seen when you rebuked [your enemies] with a snort from your nostrils.
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 “Yahweh, you reached down from heaven and lifted me up; you pulled me up from the deep water.
He sent from on high, he took me. He drew me out of many waters.
18 You rescued me from my strong enemies, from those who hated me; [I could not defeat them because] they were very strong.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
19 They attacked me when I was experiencing troubles/difficulties, but Yahweh, you protected me.
They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but Jehovah was my support.
20 You brought me to a place where I was safe; you rescued me because you were pleased with me.
He brought me forth also into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
21 “Yahweh, you rewarded me because I do what is right; you did good things for me because I (was innocent/had not done things that are wrong).
Jehovah rewarded me according to my righteousness. According to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
22 Yahweh, I have obeyed your laws; I have not turned away from you, my God.
For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 All of your regulations were in my mind, and I did not turn away from [obeying] all your statutes.
For all his ordinances were before me. And as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 You know that I have not done anything that is evil; I have kept myself from doing things for which I should be punished.
I was also perfect toward him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.
25 So you have rewarded me in return for my doing what is right, because [you know that] I (am innocent of doing/have not done) wrong things.
Therefore Jehovah has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his eyesight.
26 “Yahweh, you are faithful/loyal to those who always trust in you; you always do what is good to those whose behavior is always good.
With the merciful thou will show thyself merciful. With the perfect man thou will show thyself perfect.
27 You act sincerely toward those whose inner beings are pure, but you are hostile to those who are perverse/wicked.
With the pure thou will show thyself pure. And with the perverse thou will show thyself contrary.
28 You rescue those who are humble, but you watch [MTY] those who are proud and humiliate them.
And the afflicted people thou will save, but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou may bring them down.
29 Yahweh, you are [like] [MET] a lamp that causes it to become light when I am in the dark.
For thou are my lamp, O Jehovah. And Jehovah will lighten my darkness.
30 With your strength/help I can run through a line of enemy soldiers and I can climb over the wall [that surrounds their city].
For by thee I run upon a troop. By my God do I leap over a wall.
31 “My God whom I worship, everything that you do is perfect; you always do what you promise that you will do. You are like a shield [MET] to all those who request you to protect them.
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 Yahweh, you are [RHQ] the only one who is God; only you are like a huge rock [MET] [under which we are protected/safe].
For who is God, except Jehovah? And who is a rock, except our God?
33 God, you [whom I worship] are a strong refuge for me; you keep me safe on the roads that I [walk on].
God is my strong fortress, and he guides the perfect in his way.
34 [When I walk] in the mountains, you enable me to walk safely, without stumbling [MET] like a deer runs.
He makes his feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places.
35 You teach me [how to fight] in a battle in order that I can shoot arrows well from a very strong bow.
He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of brass.
36 [It is as though] [MET] you have given me a shield by which you have saved/rescued me, and you have answered my prayers and caused me to become famous/great.
Thou have also given me the shield of thy salvation, and thy gentleness has made me great.
37 You have not allowed [my enemies] to capture me [IDM], and I have not fallen down [during battles].
Thou have enlarged my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped.
38 “pursued my enemies and defeated them; I did not stop [fighting them] until they were all killed.
I have pursued my enemies, and destroyed them, neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
39 I struck them down; I stabbed them with my sword; they fell down at my feet and did not stand up again.
And I have consumed them, and smitten them through, so that they cannot arise. Yea, they are fallen under my feet.
40 You have given me strength for fighting battles and caused those who were attacking me to fall down, and I trampled on them.
For thou have girded me with strength to the battle. Thou have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
41 You caused my enemies to turn and run away from me; I destroyed those who hated me.
Thou have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
42 They (looked for/wanted) someone to rescue them, but no one did. They cried out to you, Yahweh, [for help, ] but you did not answer them.
They looked, but there was none to save; even to Jehovah, but he did not answer them.
43 I crushed them, and as a result they became like [SIM] tiny particles of dust. I trampled them, and they became like [SIM] mud in the streets.
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 those who tried to rebel [against me], and you appointed me to rule many nations; people whom I did not know previously are now (under my authority/my slaves).
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 humbly bowed down in front of me; as soon as they heard about me, they obeyed me.
The foreigners shall submit themselves to me. As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me.
46 They became afraid, and they came to me, trembling, from the places where they were hiding.
The foreigners shall fade away, and shall come trembling out of their hiding places.
47 “Yahweh, you are alive! I praise you! You are like [MET] a [huge overhanging] rock under which I am safe/protected! You are the one who rescues me [MET]. Everyone should exalt/honor/praise you.
Jehovah lives. And blessed be my rock. And exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
48 You enable me to conquer my enemies; you cause people of [other] nations to be (under my authority/my slaves).
Even the God who executes vengeance for me, and who brings down peoples under me,
49 You delivered me from my enemies; you caused me to be honored more than they were; you rescued me from men who [always] acted violently.
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 Because of all that, I exalt you among many people-groups and I sing to praise you.
Therefore I will give thanks to thee, O Jehovah, among gentiles, and will sing praises to thy name.
51 You enable me, whom you appointed to be king, to powerfully conquer [my enemies]; you faithfully love me, David, and you will love my descendants forever.
He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed, for evermore.
