2 Samuel 22
King James Version
22 And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
2 And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
3 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 saviour; thou savest me from violence.
4 I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
6 The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;
7 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.
8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
11 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12 And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
13 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.
15 And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
16 And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17 He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;
18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
19 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.
20 He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
21 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.
25 Therefore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
26 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.
27 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
28 And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.
29 For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.
30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
31 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 For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God?
33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
34 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places.
35 He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.
37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.
38 I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.
39 And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.
40 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
41 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
42 They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the Lord, but he answered them not.
43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.
44 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 Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
46 Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.
47 The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
48 It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me.
49 And that bringeth me forth from mine 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 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.
51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.
2 Samuel 22
New King James Version
Praise for God’s Deliverance(A)
22 Then David (B)spoke to the Lord the words of this song, on the day when the Lord had (C)delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 And he (D)said:
(E)“The Lord is my rock and my (F)fortress and my deliverer;
3 The God of my strength, (G)in whom I will trust;
My (H)shield and the (I)horn[a] of my salvation,
My (J)stronghold and my (K)refuge;
My Savior, You save me from violence.
4 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
5 “When the waves of death surrounded me,
The floods of ungodliness [b]made me afraid.
6 The (L)sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
7 In my distress (M)I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He (N)heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry entered His ears.
8 “Then (O)the earth shook and trembled;
(P)The foundations of [c]heaven quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
9 Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring (Q)fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
10 He (R)bowed the heavens also, and came down
With (S)darkness under His feet.
11 He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
And He [d]was seen (T)upon the wings of the wind.
12 He made (U)darkness canopies around Him,
Dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
13 From the brightness before Him
Coals of fire were kindled.
14 “The Lord (V)thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
15 He sent out (W)arrows and scattered them;
Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them.
16 Then the channels of the sea (X)were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered,
At the (Y)rebuke of the Lord,
At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
17 “He(Z) sent from above, He took me,
He drew me out of many waters.
18 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me;
For they were too strong for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my (AA)support.
20 (AB)He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He (AC)delighted in me.
21 “The(AD) Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the (AE)cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me.
22 For I have (AF)kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all His (AG)judgments were before me;
And as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 I was also (AH)blameless before Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
25 Therefore (AI)the Lord has [e]recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to [f]my cleanness in His eyes.
26 “With (AJ)the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
27 With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And (AK)with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
28 You will save the (AL)humble[g] people;
But Your eyes are on (AM)the haughty, that You may bring them down.
29 “For You are my (AN)lamp, O Lord;
The Lord shall enlighten my darkness.
30 For by You I can run against a troop;
By my God I can leap over a (AO)wall.
31 As for God, (AP)His way is perfect;
(AQ)The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
32 “For (AR)who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
33 [h]God is my (AS)strength and power,
And He (AT)makes [i]my way (AU)perfect.
34 He makes [j]my feet (AV)like the feet of deer,
And (AW)sets me on my high places.
35 He teaches my hands [k]to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your gentleness has made me great.
37 You (AX)enlarged my path under me;
So my feet did not slip.
38 “I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
39 And I have destroyed them and wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen (AY)under my feet.
40 For You have (AZ)armed me with strength for the battle;
You have [l]subdued under me (BA)those who rose against me.
41 You have also [m]given me the (BB)necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
42 They looked, but there was none to save;
Even (BC)to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
43 Then I beat them as fine (BD)as the dust of the earth;
I trod them (BE)like dirt in the streets,
And I [n]spread them out.
44 “You(BF) have also delivered me from the [o]strivings of my people;
You have kept me as the (BG)head of the nations.
(BH)A people I have not known shall serve me.
45 The foreigners submit to me;
As soon as they hear, they obey me.
46 The foreigners fade away,
And [p]come frightened (BI)from their hideouts.
47 “The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let God be exalted,
The (BJ)Rock of my salvation!
48 It is God who avenges me,
And (BK)subdues the peoples under me;
49 He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the (BL)violent man.
50 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among (BM)the Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your (BN)name.
51 “He(BO) is the tower of salvation to His king,
And shows mercy to His (BP)anointed,
To David and (BQ)his descendants forevermore.”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 22:3 Strength
- 2 Samuel 22:5 Or overwhelmed
- 2 Samuel 22:8 So with MT, LXX, Tg.; Syr., Vg. hills (cf. Ps. 18:7)
- 2 Samuel 22:11 So with MT, LXX; many Heb. mss., Syr., Vg. flew (cf. Ps. 18:10); Tg. spoke with power
- 2 Samuel 22:25 rewarded
- 2 Samuel 22:25 LXX, Syr., Vg. the cleanness of my hands in His sight (cf. Ps. 18:24); Tg. my cleanness before His word
- 2 Samuel 22:28 afflicted
- 2 Samuel 22:33 DSS, LXX, Syr., Vg. It is God who arms me with strength (cf. Ps. 18:32); Tg. It is God who sustains me with strength
- 2 Samuel 22:33 So with Qr., LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. (cf. Ps. 18:32); Kt. His
- 2 Samuel 22:34 So with Qr., LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. (cf. Ps. 18:33); Kt. His
- 2 Samuel 22:35 Lit. for the war
- 2 Samuel 22:40 Lit. caused to bow down
- 2 Samuel 22:41 given me victory over
- 2 Samuel 22:43 scattered
- 2 Samuel 22:44 contentions
- 2 Samuel 22:46 So with LXX, Tg., Vg. (cf. Ps. 18:45); MT gird themselves
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.
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
New Century Version
David’s Song of Praise
22 David sang this song to the Lord when the Lord saved him from Saul and all his other enemies. 2 He said:
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my Savior.
3 My God is my rock.
I can run to him for safety.
He is my shield and my saving strength,
my defender and my place of safety.
The Lord saves me from those who want to harm me.
4 I will call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I will be saved from my enemies.
5 “The waves of death came around me;
the deadly rivers overwhelmed me.
6 The ropes of death wrapped around me.
The traps of death were before me.
7 In my trouble I called to the Lord;
I cried out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my call for help reached his ears.
8 “The earth trembled and shook.
The foundations of heaven began to shake.
They trembled because the Lord was angry.
9 Smoke came out of his nose,
and burning fire came out of his mouth.
Burning coals went before him.
10 He tore open the sky and came down
with dark clouds under his feet.
11 He rode a creature with wings and flew.
He raced on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness his shelter,
surrounded by fog and clouds.
13 Out of the brightness of his presence
came flashes of lightning.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the Most High raised his voice.
15 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies.
His bolts of lightning confused them with fear.
16 The Lord spoke strongly.
The wind blew from his nose.
Then the valleys of the sea appeared,
and the foundations of the earth were seen.
17 “The Lord reached down from above and took me;
he pulled me from the deep water.
18 He saved me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me, because they were too strong for me.
19 They attacked me at my time of trouble,
but the Lord supported me.
20 He took me to a safe place.
Because he delights in me, he saved me.
21 “The Lord spared me because I did what was right.
Because I have not done evil, he has rewarded me.
22 I have followed the ways of the Lord;
I have not done evil by turning from my God.
23 I remember all his laws
and have not broken his rules.
24 I am innocent before him;
I have kept myself from doing evil.
25 The Lord rewarded me because I did what was right,
because I did what the Lord said was right.
26 “Lord, you are loyal to those who are loyal,
and you are good to those who are good.
27 You are pure to those who are pure,
but you are against those who are evil.
28 You save the humble,
but you bring down those who are proud.
29 Lord, you give light to my lamp.
The Lord brightens the darkness around me.
30 With your help I can attack an army.
With God’s help I can jump over a wall.
31 “The ways of God are without fault;
the Lord’s words are pure.
He is a shield to those who trust him.
32 Who is God? Only the Lord.
Who is the Rock? Only our God.
33 God is my protection.
He makes my way free from fault.
34 He makes me like a deer that does not stumble;
he helps me stand on the steep mountains.
35 He trains my hands for battle
so my arms can bend a bronze bow.
36 You protect me with your saving shield.
You have stooped to make me great.
37 You give me a better way to live,
so I live as you want me to.
38 I chased my enemies and destroyed them.
I did not quit till they were destroyed.
39 I destroyed and crushed them
so they couldn’t rise up again.
They fell beneath my feet.
40 You gave me strength in battle.
You made my enemies bow before me.
41 You made my enemies turn back,
and I destroyed those who hated me.
42 They called for help,
but no one came to save them.
They called to the Lord,
but he did not answer them.
43 I beat my enemies into pieces,
like dust on the ground.
I poured them out and walked on them
like mud in the streets.
44 “You saved me when my people attacked me.
You kept me as the leader of nations.
People I never knew serve me.
45 Foreigners obey me.
As soon as they hear me, they obey me.
46 They all become afraid
and tremble in their hiding places.
47 “The Lord lives!
May my Rock be praised!
Praise God, the Rock, who saves me!
48 God gives me victory over my enemies
and brings people under my rule.
49 He frees me from my enemies.
“You set me over those who hate me.
You saved me from violent people.
50 So I will praise you, Lord, among the nations.
I will sing praises to your name.
51 The Lord gives great victories to his king.
He is loyal to his appointed king,
to David and his descendants forever.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.