2 Samuel 22
1 After Yahweh had rescued David from Saul and his other enemies, David sang a song to Yahweh.
David spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD 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: “The LORD is my rock, 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 is my rock in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge. My saviour, 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 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 surrounded 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 around me. The snares of death caught 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 on the LORD. Yes, I called to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. 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.
Smoke went up out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. 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. 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.
He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he was 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.
He made darkness a shelter around himself, gathering of waters, and 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.
The LORD thundered from heaven. 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.
He sent out arrows and scattered them, lightning and confused 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 LORD’s rebuke, 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 and 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 on 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 also brought me out 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. He rewarded 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 LORD’s ways, 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. As for his statutes, I didn’t 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 towards him. 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 the LORD has rewarded 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 you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man you will 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 will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
28 You rescue those who are humble, but you watch [MTY] those who are proud and humiliate them.
You will save the afflicted people, but your eyes are on the arrogant, that you 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 you are my lamp, LORD. The LORD will light 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 by you, I run against a troop. 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 LORD’s word is tested. 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, besides the LORD? Who is a rock, besides 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. 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.
He makes his feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me 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.
He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms 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 also given me the shield of your salvation. Your gentleness has made me great.
37 You have not allowed [my enemies] to capture me [IDM], and I have not fallen down [during battles].
You have enlarged my steps under me. 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. I didn’t turn again 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 have consumed them, and struck them through, so that they can’t arise. Yes, 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 you have armed me with strength for the battle. You 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.
You 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 no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t 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 as 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).
You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people. You have kept me to be the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known will serve me.
45 Foreigners humbly bowed down in front of me; as soon as they heard about me, they obeyed me.
The foreigners will submit themselves to me. As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.
46 They became afraid, and they came to me, trembling, from the places where they were hiding.
The foreigners will fade away, and will come trembling 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 lives! Blessed be my rock! 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, 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.
who brings me away from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You 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 you, LORD, amongst the nations, and 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.
He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.”
