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22 ¶ And David spoke the words of this song unto the LORD in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Saul.

¶ And he said, The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.

God is my Strong One; in him will I trust: he is my shield and the horn of my saving health; my defence and my refuge; my saviour, who shall save me from violence.

I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.

When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of Belial made me afraid;

when the cords of Sheol compassed me about; the snares of death came before me;

in my distress I called upon the LORD and cried to my God, who heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry entered into his ears.

Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the heavens were moved and shook because he was wroth.

Smoke went up from his nostrils, and fire devoured out of his mouth; coals were kindled by it.

10 And he lowered the heavens and came down, and darkness was under his feet.

11 And he rode upon a cherub and flew; and he appeared upon the wings of the wind.

12 He placed darkness like tabernacles round about him, dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

13 From the brightness of his presence, coals of fire were kindled.

14 The LORD thundered from the heavens, and the most High uttered his voice;

15 he sent out arrows and scattered them; he sent forth lightning, and consumed them.

16 Then the springs of the sea appeared and the foundations of the world were uncovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

17 He extended his hand from above, he took me; he drew me out of the impetuous waters;

18 he delivered me from strong enemies, from those that hated me, who were stronger than I.

19 They came upon me unawares in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my stay.

20 He brought me forth into a large place; he delivered me, because he had put his will in me.

21 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has recompensed me.

22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God.

23 For I have all his ordinances before me and am attentive to his statutes; I will not depart from them.

24 And I was perfect before him and have kept myself from my iniquity.

25 Therefore, the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness before his eyes.

26 With the merciful thou art good, and with the perfect thou art upright.

27 With the pure thou art pure, and with the perverse thou art an adversary.

28 Thou wilt save the poor in spirit; but thine eyes are upon the haughty that thou may bring them down.

29 For thou art my lamp, O LORD, and the LORD gives light unto my darkness.

30 For in thee I have run through a troop; with my God I have gone over the walls.

31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is purified; he is a shield to all those that trust in him.

32 For what God is there except the LORD? Or who is a Strong One, except our God?

33 God is he who strengthens me with virtue; he who clears my way;

34 he who makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and he who sets me upon my high places;

35 he who trains my hands for war and causes my arms to break the bow of bronze.

36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy saving health, and thy meekness has multiplied me.

37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me so that my knees did not shake.

38 I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them and did not return until I had consumed them.

39 And I consumed them and wounded them, and they did not arise; they are fallen under my feet.

40 For thou hast girded me with strength for the battle; thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

41 Thou hast given me the necks of my enemies, of those that hate me, that I might cut them off.

42 They looked, but there was no one to save them; even unto the LORD, but he did not answer them.

43 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 Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of peoples; thou hast kept me to be head of the Gentiles; peoples whom I did not know have served me.

45 The strangers trembled before my command; as soon as they heard, they obeyed me.

46 The strangers withered away and trembled in their close places.

47 The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God who is the rock of my salvation.

48 The God who has given me revenge and who subjects the peoples under me,

49 who brings me forth from among my enemies; thou hast lifted me up on high from among those that rose up against me; thou hast delivered me from the man of violence.

50 Therefore, I will confess thee among the Gentiles, O LORD, and I will sing unto thy name.

51 He who makes great the saving health of his king and shows mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for ever.

David’s Song of Praise(A)

22 David sang(B) to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

“The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(F)
    my shield[a](G) and the horn[b](H) of my salvation.
He is my stronghold,(I) my refuge and my savior—
    from violent people you save me.

“I called to the Lord, who is worthy(J) of praise,
    and have been saved from my enemies.
The waves(K) of death swirled about me;
    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave(L) coiled around me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

“In my distress(M) I called(N) to the Lord;
    I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
    my cry came to his ears.
The earth(O) trembled and quaked,(P)
    the foundations(Q) of the heavens[c] shook;
    they trembled because he was angry.
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
    consuming fire(R) came from his mouth,
    burning coals(S) blazed out of it.
10 He parted the heavens and came down;
    dark clouds(T) were under his feet.
11 He mounted the cherubim(U) and flew;
    he soared[d] on the wings of the wind.(V)
12 He made darkness(W) his canopy around him—
    the dark[e] rain clouds of the sky.
13 Out of the brightness of his presence
    bolts of lightning(X) blazed forth.
14 The Lord thundered(Y) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.
15 He shot his arrows(Z) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
16 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at the rebuke(AA) of the Lord,
    at the blast(AB) of breath from his nostrils.

17 “He reached down from on high(AC) and took hold of me;
    he drew(AD) me out of deep waters.
18 He rescued(AE) me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.(AF)
20 He brought me out into a spacious(AG) place;
    he rescued(AH) me because he delighted(AI) in me.(AJ)

21 “The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(AK)
    according to the cleanness(AL) of my hands(AM) he has rewarded me.
22 For I have kept(AN) the ways of the Lord;
    I am not guilty of turning from my God.
23 All his laws are before me;(AO)
    I have not turned(AP) away from his decrees.
24 I have been blameless(AQ) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
25 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(AR)
    according to my cleanness[f] in his sight.

26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
27 to the pure(AS) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(AT)
28 You save the humble,(AU)
    but your eyes are on the haughty(AV) to bring them low.(AW)
29 You, Lord, are my lamp;(AX)
    the Lord turns my darkness into light.
30 With your help I can advance against a troop[g];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

31 “As for God, his way is perfect:(AY)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;(AZ)
    he shields(BA) all who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock(BB) except our God?(BC)
33 It is God who arms me with strength[h]
    and keeps my way secure.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(BD)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.(BE)
35 He trains my hands(BF) for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow(BG) of bronze.
36 You make your saving help my shield;(BH)
    your help has made[i] me great.
37 You provide a broad path(BI) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.

38 “I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
39 I crushed(BJ) them completely, and they could not rise;
    they fell beneath my feet.
40 You armed me with strength for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries before me.(BK)
41 You made my enemies turn their backs(BL) in flight,
    and I destroyed my foes.
42 They cried for help,(BM) but there was no one to save them—(BN)
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.(BO)
43 I beat them as fine as the dust(BP) of the earth;
    I pounded and trampled(BQ) them like mud(BR) in the streets.

44 “You have delivered(BS) me from the attacks of the peoples;
    you have preserved(BT) me as the head of nations.
People(BU) I did not know now serve me,
45     foreigners cower(BV) before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.(BW)
46 They all lose heart;
    they come trembling[j](BX) from their strongholds.

47 “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
    Exalted(BY) be my God, the Rock, my Savior!(BZ)
48 He is the God who avenges(CA) me,(CB)
    who puts the nations under me,
49     who sets me free from my enemies.(CC)
You exalted me(CD) above my foes;
    from a violent man you rescued me.
50 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing the praises(CE) of your name.(CF)

51 “He gives his king great victories;(CG)
    he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,(CH)
    to David(CI) and his descendants forever.”(CJ)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 22:3 Or sovereign
  2. 2 Samuel 22:3 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  3. 2 Samuel 22:8 Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains
  4. 2 Samuel 22:11 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts appeared
  5. 2 Samuel 22:12 Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrew massed
  6. 2 Samuel 22:25 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) to the cleanness of my hands
  7. 2 Samuel 22:30 Or can run through a barricade
  8. 2 Samuel 22:33 Dead Sea Scrolls, some Septuagint manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:32); Masoretic Text who is my strong refuge
  9. 2 Samuel 22:36 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text shield; / you stoop down to make
  10. 2 Samuel 22:46 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text they arm themselves