2 Samuel 22:1-20

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.

²He 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!
⁴Because he is praiseworthy,^[b]
    I cried out to the Lord,
    and I was saved from my enemies.
⁵Death’s waves were all around me;
    rivers of wickedness terrified me.
⁶The cords of the grave^[c] surrounded me;
    death’s traps held me tight.
⁷In 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.

⁸The earth rocked and shook;
    the sky’s foundations trembled
    and reeled because of God’s anger.
⁹Smoke went up from God’s nostrils;
    out of his mouth came a devouring fire;
    flaming coals blazed out in front of him!
¹⁰God parted the skies and came down;
    thick darkness was beneath his feet.
¹¹God mounted the heavenly creatures and flew;
    he was seen on the wind’s wings.
¹²God made darkness his covering;
    water gathered in dense clouds!
¹³Coals of fire blazed out of the brightness before him.
¹⁴The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the Most High made his voice heard.
¹⁵God shot arrows, scattering the enemy;
    he sent the lightning and whipped them into confusion.
¹⁶The 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.

¹⁷From on high God reached down and grabbed me;
    he took me out of deep waters.
¹⁸God saved me from my powerful enemy,
    saved me from my foes, who were too much for me.
¹⁹They came at me on the very day of my distress,
    but the Lord was my support.
²⁰He brought me out to wide-open spaces;
    he pulled me out, because he is pleased with me.