2 Samuel 22
1 After Yahweh had rescued David from Saul and his other enemies, David sang a song to Yahweh.
And David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from 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.
He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.
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.
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You 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 the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I 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 engulfed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.
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 entangled me; the snares of death confronted 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 the LORD; I cried out to my God. And from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached 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 quaked; the foundations of the heavens trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.
9 [It was as though] smoke poured out of your nostrils and burning coals and fire that burns everything came out of your mouth.
Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth.
10 You tore open the sky and came down; there was a thick dark [cloud] under your feet.
He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.
11 You rode [through the sky] on a winged creature; the wind enabled you to travel [swiftly] [MET], like a bird.
He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
12 The darkness surrounded you, like a blanket; thick clouds that were full of water also surrounded you.
He made darkness a canopy around Him, a gathering of water and thick clouds.
13 Out of the lightning in front of you fire from burning coals flamed.
From the brightness of His presence coals of fire blazed forth.
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.
The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
15 When you sent flashes of lightning, [it was as though] [MET] you shot your arrows and scattered your enemies.
He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed 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.
The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed at the rebuke of the LORD, 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 reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep 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 rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me.
19 They attacked me when I was experiencing troubles/difficulties, but Yahweh, you protected me.
They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD 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 out into the open; He rescued 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).
The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
22 Yahweh, I have obeyed your laws; I have not turned away from you, my God.
For I have kept the ways of the LORD 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 are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.
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.
And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from 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.
So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight.
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.
To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
27 You act sincerely toward those whose inner beings are pure, but you are hostile to those who are perverse/wicked.
to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.
28 You rescue those who are humble, but you watch [MTY] those who are proud and humiliate them.
You save an afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
29 Yahweh, you are [like] [MET] a lamp that causes it to become light when I am in the dark.
For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up 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 in You I can charge an army; with my God I can scale 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 the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all 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 besides the LORD? And who is the 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 makes my way clear.
34 [When I walk] in the mountains, you enable me to walk safely, without stumbling [MET] like a deer runs.
He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.
35 You teach me [how to fight] in a battle in order that I can shoot arrows well from a very strong bow.
He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
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.
You have given me Your shield of salvation, and Your gentleness exalts me.
37 You have not allowed [my enemies] to capture me [IDM], and I have not fallen down [during battles].
You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.
38 “pursued my enemies and defeated them; I did not stop [fighting them] until they were all killed.
I pursued my enemies and destroyed them; I did not turn back until 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.
I devoured and crushed them so they could not rise; they have 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.
You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.
41 You caused my enemies to turn and run away from me; I destroyed those who hated me.
You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated 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 no one to save them— to the LORD, but He did not answer.
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.
I ground them as the dust of the earth; I crushed and trampled them like mud in the streets.
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).
You have delivered me from the strife of my people; You have preserved me as the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me.
45 Foreigners humbly bowed down in front of me; as soon as they heard about me, they obeyed me.
Foreigners cower before me; when they hear me, they obey me.
46 They became afraid, and they came to me, trembling, from the places where they were hiding.
Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.
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.
The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted—
48 You enable me to conquer my enemies; you cause people of [other] nations to be (under my authority/my slaves).
the God who avenges me and brings down nations beneath 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.
who frees me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.
50 Because of all that, I exalt you among many people-groups and I sing to praise you.
Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your 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.
Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”
