2 Samuel 22
1 After Yahweh had rescued David from Saul and his other enemies, David sang a song to Yahweh.
And David speaks the words of this song to YHWH in the day YHWH has 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 says: “YHWH [is] my rock, And my bulwark, and a deliverer to me,
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—I take refuge in Him; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, My high tower, and my refuge! 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 call on YHWH, [who is worthy] to be praised: And I am 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.
When the breakers of death surrounded me, The streams of the worthless terrify 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 have surrounded me, The snares of death have been before 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 adversity I call on YHWH, And I call to my God, And He hears my voice from His temple, And my cry [is] in 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.
And the earth shakes and trembles, Foundations of the heavens are troubled, And are shaken, for He has wrath!
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 has gone up by His nostrils, And fire devours from His mouth; Brands have been kindled by it.
10 You tore open the sky and came down; there was a thick dark [cloud] under your feet.
And He inclines the heavens and comes down, And thick darkness [is] 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 rides on a cherub and flies, And is seen on 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 sets darkness around Him [for His] dwelling places, Darkness of waters [and] thick clouds of the skies.
13 Out of the lightning in front of you fire from burning coals flamed.
From the brightness before Him Brands 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.
YHWH thunders from the heavens, And the Most High gives 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 sends forth arrows, and scatters them; Lightning, and troubles 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 the streams of the sea are seen, [The] foundations of the world are revealed, By the rebuke of YHWH, From the breath of the spirit of His anger.
17 “Yahweh, you reached down from heaven and lifted me up; you pulled me up from the deep water.
He sends from above—He takes me, He draws 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 delivers me from my strong enemy, From those hating me, For they were stronger than me.
19 They attacked me when I was experiencing troubles/difficulties, but Yahweh, you protected me.
They are before me in a day of my calamity, And YHWH is my support,
20 You brought me to a place where I was safe; you rescued me because you were pleased with me.
And He brings me out to a large place, He draws me out for 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).
YHWH repays me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He returns to me.
22 Yahweh, I have obeyed your laws; I have not turned away from you, my God.
For I have kept the ways of YHWH, And have not done wickedly against 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 judgments [are] before me, As for His statutes, I do not turn 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.
And I am perfect before Him, And I keep 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.
And YHWH returns to me, According to my righteousness, According to my cleanness 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 You show Yourself kind, With the perfect man You show Yourself 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 You show Yourself pure, And with the perverse You show Yourself a wrestler.
28 You rescue those who are humble, but you watch [MTY] those who are proud and humiliate them.
And You save the poor people, But Your eyes on the high cause [them] to fall.
29 Yahweh, you are [like] [MET] a lamp that causes it to become light when I am in the dark.
For You [are] my lamp, O YHWH, And YHWH lightens 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 You I run [against] a troop, By my God I leap 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.
God—His way [is] perfect, The saying of YHWH is tried, He [is] a shield to all those trusting 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 YHWH? 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—my bulwark, [my] strength, And He makes my way perfect;
34 [When I walk] in the mountains, you enable me to walk safely, without stumbling [MET] like a deer runs.
Making my feet like does, And causes me to stand on 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.
Teaching my hands for battle, And a bow of bronze was brought down 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 You give the shield of Your salvation to me, And Your lowliness makes me great.
37 You have not allowed [my enemies] to capture me [IDM], and I have not fallen down [during battles].
You enlarge my step under me, And my ankles have not slipped.
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 do not turn until they are 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 consume them, and strike them, And they do not rise, and 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.
And You gird me [with] strength for battle, You cause my withstanders to bow under me.
41 You caused my enemies to turn and run away from me; I destroyed those who hated me.
And my enemies—You give to me the neck, Those hating me—and I cut them off.
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, and there is no savior; To YHWH, and He has not answered 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.
And I beat them as dust of the earth, As mire of the streets I beat them small—I spread them out!
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).
And You deliver me From the strivings of my people, You place me for a head of nations; A people I have not known serve me.
45 Foreigners humbly bowed down in front of me; as soon as they heard about me, they obeyed me.
Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me, At the hearing of the ear they listen to me.
46 They became afraid, and they came to me, trembling, from the places where they were hiding.
Sons of a stranger fade away, And gird themselves by 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.
YHWH lives, and blessed [is] my Rock, And exalted is my 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).
God—who is giving vengeance to me, And bringing 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 bringing me forth from my enemies, Indeed, You raise me up above my withstanders. You deliver me from a man of violence.
50 Because of all that, I exalt you among many people-groups and I sing to praise you.
Therefore I confess You, O YHWH, among nations, And I sing praise 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.
Magnifying the salvations of His king, And doing loving-kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed—for all time!”
