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2 Samuel 22
New International Version
2 Samuel 22
New International Version
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. 2 He said:
“The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
3 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.
4 “I called to the Lord, who is worthy(J) of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.
5 The waves(K) of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
6 The cords of the grave(L) coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
7 “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.
8 The earth(O) trembled and quaked,(P)
the foundations(Q) of the heavens[c] shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
9 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)
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 22:3 Or sovereign
- 2 Samuel 22:3 Horn here symbolizes strength.
- 2 Samuel 22:8 Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains
- 2 Samuel 22:11 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts appeared
- 2 Samuel 22:12 Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrew massed
- 2 Samuel 22:25 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) to the cleanness of my hands
- 2 Samuel 22:30 Or can run through a barricade
- 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
- 2 Samuel 22:36 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text shield; / you stoop down to make
- 2 Samuel 22:46 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text they arm themselves
2 Samuel 22
English Standard Version
2 Samuel 22
English Standard Version
David's Song of Deliverance
22 And David spoke (A)to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 (B)He said,
(C)“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
3 (D)my[a] God, my rock, (E)in whom I take refuge,
(F)my shield, and (G)the horn of my salvation,
(H)my stronghold and (I)my refuge,
my savior; you save me from violence.
4 I call upon the Lord, who is (J)worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
5 (K)“For the waves of death encompassed me,
the torrents of destruction assailed me;[b]
6 (L)the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
7 (M)“In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry (N)came to his ears.
8 “Then (O)the earth reeled and rocked;
(P)the foundations of the heavens trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
9 Smoke went up from his nostrils,[c]
and devouring fire from his mouth;
(Q)glowing coals flamed forth from him.
10 (R)He bowed the heavens and (S)came down;
(T)thick darkness was under his feet.
11 He rode on a cherub and flew;
he was seen on (U)the wings of the wind.
12 He made (V)darkness around him (W)his canopy,
thick clouds, a gathering of water.
13 Out of the brightness before him
(X)coals of fire flamed forth.
14 (Y)The Lord thundered from heaven,
and the Most High uttered his voice.
15 And he sent out (Z)arrows and scattered them;
lightning, and routed them.
16 Then the channels of the sea were seen;
the foundations of the world were laid bare,
at the rebuke of the Lord,
at the (AA)blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17 (AB)“He sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.
18 He rescued me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
20 (AC)He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because (AD)he delighted in me.
21 “The Lord (AE)dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the (AF)cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
22 (AG)For I have kept the ways of the Lord
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 (AH)For all his rules were before me,
and from his statutes I did not turn aside.
24 I was (AI)blameless before him,
and I kept myself from guilt.
25 (AJ)And the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness in his sight.
26 (AK)“With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the (AL)blameless man you show yourself blameless;
27 with the purified you deal purely,
and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
28 (AM)You save a humble people,
(AN)but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
29 (AO)For you are my lamp, O Lord,
and my God lightens my darkness.
30 For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.
31 This God—(AP)his way is perfect;
the (AQ)word of the Lord proves true;
he is (AR)a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
32 “For who is God, but the Lord?
(AS)And who is a rock, except our God?
33 This God is my (AT)strong refuge
and has made my[d] way blameless.[e]
34 (AU)He made my feet like the feet of a deer
and set me secure (AV)on the heights.
35 (AW)He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your gentleness made me great.
37 (AX)You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet[f] did not slip;
38 I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,
and did not turn back until they were consumed.
39 I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise;
they fell (AY)under my feet.
40 For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made (AZ)those who rise against me sink under me.
41 You (BA)made my enemies turn their backs to me,[g]
those who hated me, and I destroyed them.
42 They looked, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but (BB)he did not answer them.
43 I beat them fine (BC)as the dust of the earth;
I crushed them and stamped them down (BD)like the mire of the streets.
44 “You delivered me from strife with my people;[h]
you kept me as the head of (BE)the nations;
(BF)people whom I had not known served me.
45 Foreigners came cringing to me;
as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.
46 Foreigners lost heart
and came trembling[i] (BG)out of their fortresses.
47 “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be (BH)my God, (BI)the rock of my salvation,
48 the God who gave me vengeance
and (BJ)brought down peoples under me,
49 who brought me out from my enemies;
you exalted me above (BK)those who rose against me;
you delivered me from (BL)men of violence.
50 (BM)“For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and sing praises to your name.
51 (BN)Great salvation he brings[j] to his king,
and shows steadfast love to (BO)his anointed,
to David and his offspring (BP)forever.”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 22:3 Septuagint (compare Psalm 18:2); Hebrew lacks my
- 2 Samuel 22:5 Or terrified me
- 2 Samuel 22:9 Or in his wrath
- 2 Samuel 22:33 Or his; also verse 34
- 2 Samuel 22:33 Compare Psalm 18:32; Hebrew he has blamelessly set my way free, or he has made my way spring up blamelessly
- 2 Samuel 22:37 Hebrew ankles
- 2 Samuel 22:41 Or You gave me my enemies' necks
- 2 Samuel 22:44 Septuagint with the peoples
- 2 Samuel 22:46 Compare Psalm 18:45; Hebrew equipped themselves
- 2 Samuel 22:51 Or He is a tower of salvation
2 Samuel 22
New American Standard Bible
2 Samuel 22
New American Standard Bible
David’s Psalm of Deliverance
22 (A)Now David spoke (B)the words of this song to the Lord on the day that the Lord had saved him from the [a]hand of all his enemies and from the [b]hand of Saul. 2 He said,
“(C)The Lord is my [c]rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
3 [d](D)My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My (E)shield and (F)the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and (G)my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.
4 I call upon the Lord, (H)who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.
5 For (I)the waves of death encompassed me;
(J)The floods of [e]destruction terrified me;
6 (K)The ropes of [f]Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
7 (L)In my distress I called upon the Lord,
Yes, I called out to my God;
And from His temple He heard my voice,
And my cry for help came into His ears.
8 Then (M)the earth shook and quaked,
(N)The foundations of heaven were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
9 Smoke went up [g]out of His nostrils,
(O)And fire from His mouth was devouring;
(P)Coals were kindled by it.
10 He also bowed the heavens down low, and came down
With (Q)thick darkness under His feet.
11 (R)He rode on a cherub and flew;
He [h]appeared on (S)the wings of the wind.
12 (T)He made darkness canopies around Him,
A mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky.
13 From the brightness before Him
(U)Coals of fire were kindled.
14 (V)The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
15 (W)And He shot arrows and scattered them,
Lightning, and [i]routed them.
16 Then the channels of the sea appeared,
The foundations of the world were exposed
By the rebuke of the Lord,
(X)From the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
17 (Y)He sent from on high, He took me;
(Z)He drew me out of many waters.
18 He rescued me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
19 They confronted me on the day of my disaster,
(AA)But the Lord was my support.
20 (AB)He also brought me out into an open place;
He rescued me, (AC)because He delighted in me.
21 (AD)The Lord has treated me in accordance with my righteousness;
(AE)In accordance with the cleanliness of my hands He has repaid me.
22 (AF)For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not acted wickedly against my God.
23 (AG)For all His ordinances were before me,
And as for His statutes, I did not deviate from [j]them.
24 (AH)I was also [k]blameless toward Him,
And I have kept myself from my wrongdoing.
25 (AI)So the Lord has repaid me in accordance with my righteousness,
In accordance with my cleanliness before His eyes.
26 (AJ)With the one who is faithful You show Yourself faithful,
With the [l]blameless one You prove Yourself [m]blameless;
27 (AK)With the one who is pure You show Yourself pure,
(AL)But with the perverted You [n]show Yourself astute.
28 (AM)And You save an afflicted people;
(AN)But Your eyes are on the haughty whom You humiliate.
29 (AO)For You are my lamp, Lord;
And the Lord illuminates my darkness.
30 (AP)For by You I can run at a [o]troop of warriors;
By my God I can leap over a wall.
31 (AQ)As for God, His way is [p]blameless;
(AR)The word of the Lord is refined;
(AS)He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
32 (AT)For who is God, except the Lord?
(AU)And who is a rock, except our God?
33 (AV)God is my strong fortress;
And He [q]sets the [r]blameless on [s]His way.
34 (AW)He makes [t]my feet like deer’s feet,
(AX)And sets me on my high places.
35 (AY)He trains my hands for battle,
(AZ)So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 You have also given me (BA)the shield of Your salvation,
And Your [u]help makes me great.
37 (BB)You enlarge my steps under me,
And my [v]feet have not slipped.
38 I pursued my enemies and (BC)eliminated them,
And I did not turn back until they were finished off.
39 And I have devoured them and smashed them, so that they would not rise;
And (BD)they fell under my feet.
40 For You have encircled me with strength for battle;
You have forced (BE)those who rose up against me to bow down under me.
41 You have also (BF)made my enemies turn their backs to me,
And I [w]destroyed those who hated me.
42 (BG)They looked, but there was no one to save them;
(BH)Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
43 (BI)Then I pulverized them as the dust of the earth;
(BJ)I crushed and trampled them like the mud of the streets.
44 (BK)You have also saved me from the contentions of my people;
(BL)You have kept me as head of the nations;
(BM)A people I have not known serve me.
45 (BN)Foreigners pretend to obey me;
As soon as they hear, they obey me.
46 Foreigners lose heart,
(BO)And [x]come trembling out of their fortresses.
47 The Lord lives, and blessed be my Rock;
And exalted be [y](BP)my God, the rock of my salvation,
48 (BQ)The God who executes vengeance for me,
(BR)And brings down peoples under me,
49 Who also brings me out from my enemies;
You also raise me above (BS)those who rise up against me;
(BT)You rescue me from the violent person.
50 (BU)Therefore I will [z]give thanks to You, Lord, among the nations,
And I will sing praises to Your name.
51 (BV)He is a tower of [aa]salvation to His king,
And (BW)shows favor to His anointed,
(BX)To David and his [ab]descendants forever.”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 22:1 Lit palm
- 2 Samuel 22:1 Lit palm
- 2 Samuel 22:2 Lit crag
- 2 Samuel 22:3 As in LXX; MT God of my rock
- 2 Samuel 22:5 Or wickedness; Heb Belial
- 2 Samuel 22:6 I.e., the netherworld
- 2 Samuel 22:9 I.e., in his anger
- 2 Samuel 22:11 Many mss glided
- 2 Samuel 22:15 Lit confused
- 2 Samuel 22:23 Lit it
- 2 Samuel 22:24 Lit complete; or having integrity
- 2 Samuel 22:26 Lit complete; or having integrity
- 2 Samuel 22:26 Lit complete; or having integrity
- 2 Samuel 22:27 As in two Heb mss and Ps 18:26; MT pretend stupidity
- 2 Samuel 22:30 Or wall
- 2 Samuel 22:31 Lit complete; or having integrity
- 2 Samuel 22:33 Or sets free
- 2 Samuel 22:33 Lit complete; or having integrity
- 2 Samuel 22:33 Another reading is my
- 2 Samuel 22:34 Another reading is His
- 2 Samuel 22:36 Lit answering
- 2 Samuel 22:37 Lit ankles
- 2 Samuel 22:41 Or silenced
- 2 Samuel 22:46 Reading based on Ps 18:45; MT belt up themselves
- 2 Samuel 22:47 As in LXX; MT the God of the rock
- 2 Samuel 22:50 Or praise
- 2 Samuel 22:51 Lit acts of salvation
- 2 Samuel 22:51 Lit seed
2 Samuel 22
Common English Bible
2 Samuel 22
Common English Bible
David’s thanksgiving psalm
22 [a] David spoke the words of this song to the Lord after the Lord delivered him from the power of all his enemies and from Saul.
2 He said:
The Lord is my solid rock, my fortress, my rescuer.
3 My God is my rock—I take refuge in him!—
he’s my shield and my salvation’s strength,
my place of safety and my shelter.
My savior! Save me from violence!
4 Because he is praiseworthy,[b]
I cried out to the Lord,
and I was saved from my enemies.
5 Death’s waves were all around me;
rivers of wickedness terrified me.
6 The cords of the grave[c] surrounded me;
death’s traps held me tight.
7 In my distress I cried out to the Lord;
I cried out to my God.
God heard my voice from his temple;
my cry for help reached his ears.
8 The earth rocked and shook;
the sky’s foundations trembled
and reeled because of God’s anger.
9 Smoke went up from God’s nostrils;
out of his mouth came a devouring fire;
flaming coals blazed out in front of him!
10 God parted the skies and came down;
thick darkness was beneath his feet.
11 God mounted the heavenly creatures and flew;
he was seen on the wind’s wings.
12 God made darkness his covering;
water gathered in dense clouds!
13 Coals of fire blazed out of the brightness before him.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the Most High made his voice heard.
15 God shot arrows, scattering the enemy;
he sent the lightning and whipped them into confusion.
16 The seabeds were exposed;
the earth’s foundations were laid bare at the Lord’s rebuke,
at the angry blast of air coming from his nostrils.
17 From on high God reached down and grabbed me;
he took me out of deep waters.
18 God saved me from my powerful enemy,
saved me from my foes, who were too much for me.
19 They came at me on the very day of my distress,
but the Lord was my support.
20 He brought me out to wide-open spaces;
he pulled me out, because he is pleased with me.
21 The Lord rewarded me for my righteousness;
he restored me because my hands are clean,
22 because I have kept the Lord’s ways.
I haven’t acted wickedly against my God.
23 All his rules are right in front of me;
I haven’t turned away from any of his laws.
24 I have lived with integrity before him;
I’ve kept myself from wrongdoing.
25 And so the Lord restored me for my righteousness,
because I am clean in his eyes.
26 You deal faithfully with the faithful;
you show integrity toward the one who has integrity.
27 You are pure toward the pure,
but toward the crooked, you are tricky.
28 You are the one who saves people who suffer,
but your eyes are against the proud.
You bring them down!
29 You are my lamp, Lord;
the Lord illumines my darkness.
30 With you I can charge into battle;
with my God I can leap over a wall.
31 God! His way is perfect;
the Lord’s word is tried and true.
He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
32 Now really, who is divine except the Lord?
And who is a rock except our God?
33 Only God! My mighty fortress,
who makes my way[d] perfect,
34 who makes my step[e] as sure as the deer’s,
who lets me stand securely on the heights,
35 who trains my hands for war
so my arms can bend a bronze bow.
36 You’ve given me the shield of your salvation;
your help has made me great.
37 You’ve let me walk fast and safe,
without even twisting an ankle.
38 I chased my enemies and destroyed them!
I didn’t come home until I finished them off.
39 I ate them up! I struck them down!
They couldn’t get up;
they fell under my feet.
40 You equipped me with strength for war;
you brought my adversaries down underneath me.
41 You made my enemies turn tail from me;
I destroyed my foes.
42 They looked around, but there was no one to save them.
They looked to the Lord, but he wouldn’t answer them.
43 I crushed them like dust on the ground;
I stomped on them, trampled them like mud dumped in the streets.
44 You delivered me from struggles with many people;
you appointed me the leader of many nations.
Strangers come to serve me.
45 Foreigners grovel before me;
after hearing about me, they obey me.
46 Foreigners lose their nerve;
they come trembling out of their fortresses.[f]
47 The Lord lives! Bless God, my rock!
Let my God, the rock of my salvation, be lifted high!
48 This is the God who avenges on my behalf,
who subdues peoples before me,
49 who rescues me from my enemies.
You lifted me high above my adversaries;
you delivered me from violent people.
50 That’s why I thank you, Lord, in the presence of the nations.
That’s why I sing praises to your name.
51 You are the one who gives great victories to your king,
who shows faithful love to your anointed one—
to David and to his descendants forever.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 22:1 This poem also occurs in Psalm 18 with some variations.
- 2 Samuel 22:4 Heb uncertain
- 2 Samuel 22:6 Heb Sheol
- 2 Samuel 22:33 Qere; Kethib his way
- 2 Samuel 22:34 Qere; Kethib his step
- 2 Samuel 22:46 Or prisons
2 Samuel 22
Contemporary English Version
2 Samuel 22
Contemporary English Version
David Sings to the Lord
(Psalm 18.1-50)
22 David sang a song to the Lord after the Lord had rescued him from his enemies, especially Saul. These are the words to David's song:
2 Our Lord and our God,
you are my mighty rock,[a]
my fortress, my protector.
3 You are the rock
where I am safe.
You are my shield,
my powerful weapon,[b]
and my place of shelter.
You rescue me and keep me
safe from violence.
4 I praise you, our Lord!
I prayed to you,
and you rescued me
from my enemies.
5 Death, like ocean waves,
surrounded me,
and I was almost swallowed
by its flooding waters.
6 Ropes from the world
of the dead
had coiled around me,
and death had set a trap
in my path.
7 I was in terrible trouble
when I called out to you,
but from your temple
you heard me
and answered my prayer.
8 Earth shook and shivered!
The columns supporting the sky[c]
rocked back and forth.
You were angry
9 and breathed out smoke.
Scorching heat and fiery flames
spewed from your mouth.
10 You opened the heavens
like curtains,
and you came down
with storm clouds
under your feet.
11 You rode on the backs
of flying creatures.[d]
You appeared[e]
with the wind as wings.
12 Darkness was your tent!
Thunderclouds filled the sky,
hiding you from sight.
13 Fiery coals lit up the sky
in front of you.
14 Lord Most High, your voice
thundered from the heavens.
15 You scattered your enemies
with arrows of lightning.
16 You roared at the sea,
and its deepest channels
could be seen.
You snorted,
and the earth shook
to its foundations.
17 You reached down from heaven,
and you lifted me
from deep in the ocean.
18 You rescued me from enemies
who were hateful
and too powerful for me.
19 On the day disaster struck,
they came and attacked,
but you defended me.
20 When I was fenced in,
you freed and rescued me
because you love me.
21 You are good to me, Lord,
because I do right,
and you reward me
because I am innocent.
22 I do what you want
and never turn to do evil.
23 I keep your laws in mind
and never turn away
from your teachings.
24 I obey you completely
and guard against sin.
25 You have been good to me
because I do right;
you have rewarded me
for being innocent
by your standards.
26 You are always loyal
to your loyal people,
and you are faithful
to the faithful.
27 With all who are sincere
you are sincere,
but you treat the unfaithful
as their deeds deserve.
28 You rescue the humble,
but you look for ways
to put down the proud.
29 Our Lord and God,
you are my lamp.
You turn darkness to light.
30 You help me defeat armies
and capture cities.
31 Your way is perfect, Lord,
and your word is correct.
You are a shield for those
who run to you for help.
32 You alone are God!
Only you are a mighty rock.[f]
33 You are my strong fortress,
and you set me free.
34 (A) You make my feet run as fast
as those of a deer,
and you help me stand
on the mountains.
35 You teach my hands to fight
and my arms to use
a bow of bronze.
36 You alone are my shield,
and by coming to help me,
you have made me famous.
37 You clear the way for me,
and now I won't stumble.
38 I kept chasing my enemies
until I caught them
and destroyed them.
39 I destroyed them!
I stuck my sword
through my enemies,
and they were crushed
under my feet.
40 You helped me win victories
and forced my attackers
to fall victim to me.
41 You made my enemies run,
and I killed them.
42 They cried out for help,
but no one saved them;
they called out to you,
but there was no answer.
43 I ground them to dust,
and I squashed them
like mud in the streets.
44 You rescued me
from my stubborn people
and made me the leader
of foreign nations,
who are now my slaves.
45 They obey and come crawling.
46 They have lost all courage
and from their fortresses
they come trembling.
47 You are the living Lord!
I will praise you!
You are a mighty rock.[g]
I will honor you
for keeping me safe.
48 You took revenge for me,
and you put nations
in my power.
49 You protected me
from violent enemies,
and you made me much greater
than all of them.
50 (B) I will praise you, Lord,
and I will honor you
among the nations.
51 You give glorious victories
to your chosen king.
Your faithful love for David
and for his descendants
will never end.
Footnotes
- 22.2 mighty rock: The Hebrew text has “rock,” which is sometimes used in poetry to compare the Lord to a mountain where his people can run for protection from their enemies.
- 22.3 powerful weapon: The Hebrew has “the horn,” which refers to the horn of a bull, one of the most powerful animals in ancient Palestine.
- 22.8 columns … sky: The sky was sometimes described as a dome that was held up by a foundation or pillars.
- 22.11 flying creatures: These were supernatural beings (see the note at 6.2).
- 22.11 appeared: Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts “swooped down” (see Psalm 18.10).
- 22.32 mighty rock: See the note at 22.2.
- 22.47 mighty rock: See the note at 22.2.
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