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 the LORD the words of this song in the day [that] 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.

And he said, The LORD [is] my rock, and 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.

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 preserver; thou savest 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 on 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.

When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly-men 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 sorrows of hell encompassed me; the snares of death seized 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, and cried to my God: and he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry [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 the earth shook and trembled: the foundations of heaven moved and 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.

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 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: 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 pavilions around him, dark waters, [and] thick clouds of the skies.

13 Out of the lightning in front of you fire from burning coals flamed.

Through the brightness before him were coals of fire 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.

The LORD 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.

And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were laid open, at the rebuking 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 sent from above, 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 them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.

19 They attacked me when I was experiencing troubles/difficulties, but Yahweh, you protected me.

They fell upon me in the day of my 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 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).

The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

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 judgments [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 upright before him, and have 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 the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye-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.

With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful, [and] with the upright 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 froward thou wilt contend.

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 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 have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped 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 buckler to all them 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 maketh my way perfect.

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 hinds' [feet]: and setteth 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 teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken 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.

Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.

37 You have not allowed [my enemies] to capture me [IDM], and I have not fallen down [during battles].

Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that 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; and turned not again until I had consumed 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 have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, 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.

For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.

41 You caused my enemies to turn and run away from me; I destroyed those who hated me.

Thou hast also given me the necks of my enemies, that I might destroy them that 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 the LORD, but he answered 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.

Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I stamped them as the mire of the street, [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 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.

45 Foreigners humbly bowed down in front of me; as soon as they heard about me, they obeyed me.

Strangers shall submit themselves to me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient to me.

46 They became afraid, and they came to me, trembling, from the places where they were hiding.

Strangers shall fade away, and they shall tremble from 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 of 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).

It [is] God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people 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: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered 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 LORD, among the heathen, and I 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 is] the tower of salvation for his king: and [he] showeth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.