2 Samuel 22
Evangelical Heritage Version
A Psalm by David
(Psalm 18)[a]
22 David spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day when the Lord had delivered him from the grasp of all his enemies, even from the grasp of Saul. 2 He said:
The Lord is my rocky cliff,
my stronghold, and my deliverer.
3 My God is my rock. I take refuge in him.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation,
my high fortress, my refuge, and my savior.
You save me from violence.
4 I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.
5 The waves of death swirled around me.
Floodwaters of destruction[b] rolled over me.
6 The ropes of the grave wrapped around me.
The traps of death threatened me.
7 In my distress I called to the Lord.
To my God I cried out.
He heard my voice from his temple.
My cry for help reached his ears.
8 Then the earth shook and quaked,
and the foundations of the heavens[c] trembled.
They shook because the Lord was angry.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils,
and fire out of his mouth devoured.
Coals were set on fire by it.
10 Then he tore open the heavens and came down.
A dark cloud was under his feet.
11 He rode upon a cherub,[d] and he flew.
He soared[e] on the wings of the wind.
12 He made the darkness around him his shelter,
the dark rain clouds of the sky.[f]
13 From the brightness in front of him, coals of fire burned.
14 Then the Lord thundered in the heavens.
The Most High raised his voice.
15 Then he shot his arrows and scattered the enemy.
He hurled great bolts of lightning and routed them.
16 Then the sources of the sea[g] were revealed,
and the foundations of the world were uncovered
by the rebuke of the Lord,
by the breath of wind from his nostrils.
17 He reached down from on high and took hold of me.
He drew me out of deep waters.
18 Because they were too strong for me,
he rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hate me.
19 They confronted me on the day of my disaster,
but the Lord supported me.
20 Then he brought me out into a wide open space.
He rescued me because he delighted in me.
21 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness.
According to the cleanness of my hands, he has repaid me,
22 because I have kept the ways of the Lord.
I have not done evil and departed from my God.
23 So all his just decrees remain before me,
and I have not turned away from his statutes.
24 I have been blameless with him.
I have kept myself from guilt.
25 The Lord has repaid me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands[h] in his sight.
26 To the merciful[i] you reveal yourself as merciful.
To the blameless person you reveal yourself as blameless.
27 To the pure you reveal yourself as pure,
but to the crooked you reveal yourself as crafty.[j]
28 Yes, you save humble people,
but your eyes are on the proud, and you bring them down.
29 Yes, you are my lamp, O Lord.
The Lord turns my darkness to light.
30 For with you I can charge against a battalion,[k]
and with my God I can jump over a wall.
31 This God—his way is blameless.
The speech of the Lord is pure.
He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
33 This God wraps me with strength[l]
and makes my way smooth.[m]
34 By making my feet like those of a deer,
he enables me to stand on high places.
35 Because he trains my hands for battle,
my arms can draw a bronze bow.
36 Then you give me the shield of your salvation.
Your response makes me great.
37 You widen the path under my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
38 I pursued my enemies, and I destroyed them.
Yes, I did not turn back until they were wiped out.
39 I wiped them out. I crushed them.
They could not rise again.
They fell beneath my feet.
40 You wrapped me with strength for battle.
You made those who rose up against me bow down to me.
41 You made my enemies turn their backs and flee.
I destroyed those who hate me.
42 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them.
They cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
43 So I ground them as fine as dust of the earth.
I scattered them and trampled them down like mud in the streets.
44 You delivered me from the accusations of my people.
You preserved me as the head of nations.
A people I did not know serve me.
45 Foreigners cringe before me.
As soon as they hear me, they obey me.
46 Foreigners fall exhausted.
They come trembling from their strongholds.
47 The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock!
May God, the Rock who saves me, be exalted!
48 This God, who avenges me, subdues peoples under me.
49 You delivered me from my enemies.
Yes, you exalted me above those who rose against me.
You rescued me from the violent man.
50 Therefore, I will thank you among the nations, Lord.
To your name I will make music.
51 By providing great salvation for his King,
he shows mercy to his Anointed One,
to David and to his Seed[n] forever.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 22:1 This psalm is a parallel version of Psalm 18. The numerous differences suggest that these are two different editions of the same song by David, not simply two copies of the same edition. For the most part, this translation makes note of only those differences that are significant textual variants. Many minor variants, such as differences between the marginal Hebrew reading and the reading in the main text, are not cited in the footnotes. The book of Psalms contains several other examples of two parallel editions of psalms by David.
- 2 Samuel 22:5 Literally rivers of belial
- 2 Samuel 22:8 Some ancient versions and Psalm 18:7 have the variant mountains.
- 2 Samuel 22:11 The cherubim are the powerful angels who serve as God’s honor guard.
- 2 Samuel 22:11 The translation follows some Hebrew manuscripts, ancient versions, and Psalm 18:10. Most Hebrew manuscripts read he was seen.
- 2 Samuel 22:12 Literally a sieve or gathering of waters, clouds of a cloudy sky
- 2 Samuel 22:16 Sources of the waters is the reading in the parallel text in Psalm 18:15.
- 2 Samuel 22:25 The words of my hands are not in the Hebrew text, but are in some ancient versions and Psalm 18:24.
- 2 Samuel 22:26 Or faithful
- 2 Samuel 22:27 Reveal yourself as crafty follows the reading of a few Hebrew manuscripts and Psalm 18:26.
- 2 Samuel 22:30 Or run through a barrier
- 2 Samuel 22:33 The translation follows a variant from a Dead Sea Scroll, which is supported by Psalm 18:32. The main Hebrew text here reads who is my stronghold.
- 2 Samuel 22:33 Or blameless
- 2 Samuel 22:51 The retention of the literal term seed is intended to show the continuity to this passage from the promise to Eve, which was passed through Abraham and David to Christ, the promised Seed of the Woman. By preserving David and his royal line, God carries on the messianic line that will reach its goal in Jesus. Grammatically, this collective word seed could be translated as a plural his descendants. It is true that this term applies to all the kings in the line of David, but here it focuses on the Messiah, who is the culmination of that line.
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 Living Translation
David’s Song of Praise
22 David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. 2 He sang:
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
3 my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
He is my refuge, my savior,
the one who saves me from violence.
4 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.
5 “The waves of death overwhelmed me;
floods of destruction swept over me.
6 The grave[a] wrapped its ropes around me;
death laid a trap in my path.
7 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I cried to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry reached his ears.
8 “Then the earth quaked and trembled.
The foundations of the heavens shook;
they quaked because of his anger.
9 Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
10 He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
11 Mounted on a mighty angelic being,[b] he flew,
soaring[c] on the wings of the wind.
12 He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.
13 A great brightness shone around him,
and burning coals[d] blazed forth.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
15 He shot arrows and scattered his enemies;
his lightning flashed, and they were confused.
16 Then at the command of the Lord,
at the blast of his breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.
17 “He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
18 He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
19 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the Lord supported me.
20 He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.
21 The Lord rewarded me for doing right;
he restored me because of my innocence.
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
23 I have followed all his regulations;
I have never abandoned his decrees.
24 I am blameless before God;
I have kept myself from sin.
25 The Lord rewarded me for doing right.
He has seen my innocence.
26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.
27 To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
28 You rescue the humble,
but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.
29 O Lord, you are my lamp.
The Lord lights up my darkness.
30 In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any wall.
31 “God’s way is perfect.
All the Lord’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
32 For who is God except the Lord?
Who but our God is a solid rock?
33 God is my strong fortress,
and he makes my way perfect.
34 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
35 He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
36 You have given me your shield of victory;
your help[e] has made me great.
37 You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.
38 “I chased my enemies and destroyed them;
I did not stop until they were conquered.
39 I consumed them;
I struck them down so they did not get up;
they fell beneath my feet.
40 You have armed me with strength for the battle;
you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
41 You placed my foot on their necks.
I have destroyed all who hated me.
42 They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue.
They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.
43 I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I trampled them[f] in the gutter like dirt.
44 “You gave me victory over my accusers.
You preserved me as the ruler over nations;
people I don’t even know now serve me.
45 Foreign nations cringe before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they submit.
46 They all lose their courage
and come trembling[g] from their strongholds.
47 “The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!
48 He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
he brings down the nations under me
49 and delivers me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
you save me from violent opponents.
50 For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.
51 You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever.”
Footnotes
- 22:6 Hebrew Sheol.
- 22:11a Hebrew a cherub.
- 22:11b As in some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Ps 18:10); other Hebrew manuscripts read appearing.
- 22:13 Or and lightning bolts.
- 22:36 As in Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text reads your answering.
- 22:43 As in Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Ps 18:42); Masoretic Text reads I crushed and trampled them.
- 22:46 As in parallel text at Ps 18:45; Hebrew reads come girding themselves.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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