2 Samuel 22
1 After Yahweh had rescued David from Saul and his other enemies, David sang a song to Yahweh.
And David spoke unto the Lord the words of this song, and on the day that the Lord had 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, Lord, 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.
God, my rock, in whom I trust; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour! from violence dost thou save me!
4 I call out to you, Yahweh; you deserve to be praised, and you rescue me from my enemies.
Praised, I cried, be the Lord, and from my enemies was I saved.
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 destruction 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 bonds of hell encircled me, the snares of death seized on 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.
[When] in my distress I called upon the Lord, and to my God I cried; and he heard from his temple my voice, and my complaint [entered] 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 shook and trembled the earth; the foundations of the heavens were moved; and they shook, because he was wroth.
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 went up in his anger, and consuming fire out of his mouth, coals flamed forth from him.
10 You tore open the sky and came down; there was a thick dark [cloud] under your feet.
And he bent the heavens, 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 along, and 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 round about him into pavilions, heavy masses of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
13 Out of the lightning in front of you fire from burning coals flamed.
From the brightness before him flamed forth coals of fire.
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, and the Most High uttered forth 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.
And then were seen the channels of the sea, there were laid open the foundations of the world; at the rebuke of the Lord, through 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 stretched out from above [his hand], he took me; he drew me out from the mighty 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 enemy, the strong, from those that hated me, when they were too mighty for me.
19 They attacked me when I was experiencing troubles/difficulties, but Yahweh, you protected me.
They overcame me on the day of my calamity; but the Lord became my stay;
20 You brought me to a place where I was safe; you rescued me because you were pleased with me.
And he brought me forth into a large space: he delivered me, because he had delight 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 rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the purity of my hands did he recompense me.
22 Yahweh, I have obeyed your laws; I have not turned away from you, my God.
For I had kept the ways of the Lord, and had 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 from none of his statutes did I depart.
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 upright toward him, and I guarded myself against 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 did the Lord recompense me according to my righteousness, according to my purity before his eyes.
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 kind thou wilt show thyself kind; with the upright mighty man thou wilt show thyself upright.
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 wilt show thyself pure; and with the perverse thou wilt wage a contest.
28 You rescue those who are humble, but you watch [MTY] those who are proud and humiliate them.
And the afflicted people thou wilt save; but thy eyes are upon the haughty, [that] thou mayest 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 art my lamp, O Lord! and the Lord will enlighten 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 [aided] by thee I run through a troop: [helped] by my God 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 the Lord is tried; he is a shield to all that trust 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, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save 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 strength and power; and he rendereth free from obstruction my way.
34 [When I walk] in the mountains, you enable me to walk safely, without stumbling [MET] like a deer runs.
He maketh my feet like those of the hinds, and upon my high places he causeth me to stand.
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 for the war, so that a brazen bow is bent by my arms.
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.
And thou gavest me the shield of thy salvation; and thy assistance hath made me great.
37 You have not allowed [my enemies] to capture me [IDM], and I have not fallen down [during battles].
Thou enlargest my steps under me, so that my joints do not slip.
38 “pursued my enemies and defeated them; I did not stop [fighting them] until they were all killed.
I pursue my enemies and destroy them; and I return not again until I have made an end of them.
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 make an end of them, and I crush them, that they cannot rise; and they fall 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 hast girded me with strength for the war; thou subduest my opponents under me.
41 You caused my enemies to turn and run away from me; I destroyed those who hated me.
And my enemies thou causest to turn their back to me; those that hate me, —that I may destroy them.
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 look about, but there is none to help; unto the Lord—but he answereth them not.
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.
And I beat them small as the dust of the earth; as the mire of the street, I stamp them, I tread them down.
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 hast also delivered me from the contests of my people: thou preservest me to be the head of nations, a people which I know not shall serve me.
45 Foreigners humbly bowed down in front of me; as soon as they heard about me, they obeyed me.
The children of the stranger shall utter flattery unto me; as soon as their ear heareth they shall be obedient unto me.
46 They became afraid, and they came to me, trembling, from the places where they were hiding.
The children of the stranger shall fade away, and come forth tottering out of their close 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.
The Lord liveth, and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be the 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).
The God, that granteth me vengeance, and bringeth down nations 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 that bringeth me forth from my enemies: also above my opponents thou liftest me up, from the man of violence thou deliverest me.
50 Because of all that, I exalt you among many people-groups and I sing to praise you.
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the nations, and unto thy name will I sing praises;
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.
[To] the tower of salvation of his king, and who showeth kindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed forever.
