The Lord Praised for Rescuing David.

For the music director. A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, [a]who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said,

18 “I love You, Lord, (A)my strength.”
The Lord is (B)my rock and (C)my fortress and my (D)savior,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My (E)shield and the (F)horn of my salvation, my (G)stronghold.
I call upon the Lord, who is (H)worthy to be praised,
And I am (I)saved from my enemies.

The (J)ropes of death encompassed me,
And the (K)torrents of [b]destruction [c]terrified me.
The (L)ropes of [d]Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
In my (M)distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice (N)from His temple,
And my (O)cry for help before Him came into His ears.

Then the (P)earth shook and quaked;
And the (Q)foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
Smoke went up [e]out of His nostrils,
And (R)fire from His mouth was devouring;
Coals burned from it.
He also (S)bowed the heavens down low, and came down
With thick (T)darkness under His feet.
10 He rode on a (U)cherub and flew;
And He sped on the (V)wings of the wind.
11 He made (W)darkness His hiding place, (X)His [f]canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds.
12 From the (Y)brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and (Z)coals of fire.
13 The Lord also (AA)thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
14 He (AB)sent out His arrows, and scattered them,
And lightning flashes in abundance, and [g]routed them.
15 Then the (AC)channels of water appeared,
And the foundations of the world were exposed
By Your (AD)rebuke, Lord,
At the blast of the (AE)breath of Your nostrils.

16 He (AF)sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of (AG)many waters.
17 He (AH)saved me from my strong enemy,
And from those who hated me, for they were (AI)too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in (AJ)the day of my disaster,
But (AK)the Lord was my support.
19 He also brought me out into an (AL)open place;
He rescued me, because (AM)He delighted in me.

20 The Lord has (AN)rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the (AO)cleanness of my hands He has repaid me.
21 For I have (AP)kept the ways of the Lord,
And have (AQ)not acted wickedly against my God.
22 For all (AR)His judgments were before me,
And I did not put away His (AS)statutes from me.
23 I was also [h](AT)blameless with Him,
And I (AU)kept myself from my wrongdoing.
24 Therefore the Lord has (AV)repaid me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

25 With (AW)the faithful You show Yourself faithful;
With the [i]blameless (AX)You prove Yourself blameless;
26 With the pure You show Yourself (AY)pure,
And with the crooked (AZ)You show Yourself [j]astute.
27 For You (BA)save an afflicted people,
But You humiliate (BB)haughty eyes.
28 For You (BC)light my lamp;
The Lord my God (BD)illumines my darkness.
29 For by You I can (BE)run at a [k]troop of warriors;
And by my God I can (BF)leap over a wall.

30 As for God, His way is [l](BG)blameless;
The (BH)word of the Lord is refined;
He is a (BI)shield to all who take refuge in Him.
31 For (BJ)who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a (BK)rock, except our God,
32 The God who (BL)encircles me with strength,
And [m]makes my way [n](BM)blameless?
33 He (BN)makes my feet like deer’s feet,
And (BO)sets me up on my high places.
34 He (BP)trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can (BQ)bend a bow of bronze.
35 You have also given me (BR)the shield of Your salvation,
And Your (BS)right hand upholds me;
And (BT)Your [o]gentleness makes me great.
36 You (BU)enlarge my steps under me,
And my [p](BV)feet have not slipped.

37 I (BW)pursued my enemies and overtook them,
And I did not turn back (BX)until they were consumed.
38 I shattered them, so that they were (BY)not able to rise;
They fell (BZ)under my feet.
39 For You have (CA)encircled me with strength for battle;
You have forced those who rose up against me (CB)to bow down under me.
40 You have also made my enemies (CC)turn their backs to me,
And I [q](CD)destroyed those who hated me.
41 They cried for help, but there was (CE)no one to save,
They cried to the Lord, but (CF)He did not answer them.
42 Then I beat them fine like the (CG)dust before the wind;
I emptied them out like the mud of the streets.

43 You have rescued me from the (CH)contentions of the people;
You have placed me as (CI)head of the nations;
A (CJ)people whom I have not known serve me.
44 As soon as they hear, they obey me;
Foreigners (CK)pretend to obey me.
45 Foreigners (CL)lose heart,
And (CM)come trembling out of their [r]fortresses.

46 The Lord (CN)lives, and blessed be (CO)my rock;
And exalted be (CP)the God of my salvation,
47 The God who (CQ)executes vengeance for me,
And (CR)subdues peoples under me.
48 He (CS)rescues me from my enemies;
You indeed (CT)lift me above those who rise up against me;
You rescue me from a (CU)violent man.
49 Therefore I will (CV)give thanks to You among the nations, Lord,
And I will (CW)sing praises to Your name.
50 He gives great [s](CX)salvation to His king,
And shows faithfulness to (CY)His anointed,
To David and (CZ)his [t]descendants forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 18 Title 2 Sam 22:1-51
  2. Psalm 18:4 Or ungodliness; Heb Belial
  3. Psalm 18:4 Or were assailing; or terrifying
  4. Psalm 18:5 I.e., the netherworld
  5. Psalm 18:8 Or in His wrath
  6. Psalm 18:11 Or pavilion
  7. Psalm 18:14 Lit confused
  8. Psalm 18:23 Lit complete; or having integrity; or perfect
  9. Psalm 18:25 See note v 23
  10. Psalm 18:26 Lit twisted
  11. Psalm 18:29 Or wall
  12. Psalm 18:30 Or perfect
  13. Psalm 18:32 Or has made
  14. Psalm 18:32 Lit complete; or having integrity
  15. Psalm 18:35 Or condescension
  16. Psalm 18:36 Lit ankles
  17. Psalm 18:40 Or silenced
  18. Psalm 18:45 Or prisons
  19. Psalm 18:50 I.e., victories; lit salvations
  20. Psalm 18:50 Lit seed

Psalm 18

Praise for Deliverance

For the choir director. Of the servant of the Lord, David, who spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the power of Saul.(A) He said:

I love you, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock,
my fortress, and my deliverer,(B)
my God, my rock where I seek refuge,
my shield(C) and the horn of my salvation,(D)
my stronghold.
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(E)
and I was saved from my enemies.(F)

The ropes of death were wrapped around me;
the torrents of destruction terrified me.(G)
The ropes of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.(H)
I called to the Lord in my distress,
and I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,(I)
and my cry to him reached his ears.(J)

Then the earth shook and quaked;
the foundations of the mountains trembled;(K)
they shook because he burned with anger.
Smoke rose from his nostrils,
and consuming fire came from his mouth;
coals were set ablaze by it.[a](L)
He bent the heavens and came down,(M)
total darkness beneath his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub and flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.(N)
11 He made darkness his hiding place,
dark storm clouds his canopy around him.(O)
12 From the radiance of his presence,(P)
his clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals.
13 The Lord thundered from[b] heaven;
the Most High made his voice heard.[c](Q)
14 He shot his arrows and scattered them;
he hurled[d] lightning bolts and routed them.(R)
15 The depths of the sea became visible,
the foundations of the world were exposed,
at your rebuke, Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.(S)

16 He reached down from on high
and took hold of me;
he pulled me out of deep water.(T)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too strong for me.(U)
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.(V)
19 He brought me out to a spacious place;(W)
he rescued me because he delighted in me.(X)

20 The Lord rewarded me
according to my righteousness;(Y)
he repaid me
according to the cleanness of my hands.(Z)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord
and have not turned from my God to wickedness.(AA)
22 Indeed, I let all his ordinances guide me[e]
and have not disregarded his statutes.(AB)
23 I was blameless toward him(AC)
and kept myself from my iniquity.
24 So the Lord repaid me
according to my righteousness,(AD)
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.(AE)

25 With the faithful
you prove yourself faithful,
with the blameless
you prove yourself blameless,
26 with the pure
you prove yourself pure,
but with the crooked
you prove yourself shrewd.(AF)
27 For you rescue an oppressed people,(AG)
but you humble those with haughty eyes.(AH)
28 Lord, you light my lamp;
my God illuminates my darkness.(AI)
29 With you I can attack a barricade,[f]
and with my God I can leap over a wall.(AJ)

30 God—his way is perfect;(AK)
the word of the Lord is pure.(AL)
He is a shield to all who take refuge in him.(AM)
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(AN)
And who is a rock? Only our God.(AO)
32 God—he clothes me with strength(AP)
and makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer(AQ)
and sets me securely on the heights.[g](AR)
34 He trains my hands for war;(AS)
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.(AT)
35 You have given me the shield of your salvation;
your right hand upholds me,(AU)
and your humility exalts me.
36 You make a spacious place beneath me for my steps,(AV)
and my ankles do not give way.(AW)

37 I pursue my enemies and overtake them;
I do not turn back until they are wiped out.(AX)
38 I crush them, and they cannot get up;
they fall beneath my feet.(AY)
39 You have clothed me with strength for battle;(AZ)
you subdue my adversaries beneath me.(BA)
40 You have made my enemies retreat before me;[h](BB)
I annihilate those who hate me.(BC)
41 They cry for help, but there is no one to save them(BD)
they cry to the Lord, but he does not answer them.(BE)
42 I pulverize them like dust before the wind;(BF)
I trample them[i] like mud in the streets.(BG)

43 You have freed me from the feuds among the people;
you have appointed me the head of nations;(BH)
a people I had not known serve me.(BI)
44 Foreigners submit to me cringing;
as soon as they hear they obey me.(BJ)
45 Foreigners lose heart
and come trembling from their fortifications.(BK)

46 The Lord lives—blessed be my rock!
The God of my salvation is exalted.(BL)
47 God—he grants me vengeance(BM)
and subdues peoples under me.(BN)
48 He frees me from my enemies.
You exalt me above my adversaries;
you rescue me from violent men.(BO)
49 Therefore I will give thanks to you among the nations, Lord;
I will sing praises about your name.(BP)
50 He gives great victories to his king;(BQ)
he shows loyalty to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.(BR)

Footnotes

  1. 18:8 Or him
  2. 18:13 Some Hb mss, LXX, Tg, Jer; other Hb mss read in
  3. 18:13 Some Hb mss read voice, with hail and blazing coals
  4. 18:14 Or multiplied
  5. 18:22 Lit Indeed, all his ordinances have been in front of me
  6. 18:29 Or a ridge, or raiders
  7. 18:33 Or on my high places
  8. 18:40 Or You gave me the necks of my enemies
  9. 18:42 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Tg; other Hb mss read I poured them out

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. He said,

(C)The Lord is my [c]rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
[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.
I call upon the Lord, (H)who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.
For (I)the waves of death encompassed me;
(J)The floods of [e]destruction terrified me;
(K)The ropes of [f]Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
(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.
Then (M)the earth shook and quaked,
(N)The foundations of heaven were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
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

  1. 2 Samuel 22:1 Lit palm
  2. 2 Samuel 22:1 Lit palm
  3. 2 Samuel 22:2 Lit crag
  4. 2 Samuel 22:3 As in LXX; MT God of my rock
  5. 2 Samuel 22:5 Or wickedness; Heb Belial
  6. 2 Samuel 22:6 I.e., the netherworld
  7. 2 Samuel 22:9 I.e., in his anger
  8. 2 Samuel 22:11 Many mss glided
  9. 2 Samuel 22:15 Lit confused
  10. 2 Samuel 22:23 Lit it
  11. 2 Samuel 22:24 Lit complete; or having integrity
  12. 2 Samuel 22:26 Lit complete; or having integrity
  13. 2 Samuel 22:26 Lit complete; or having integrity
  14. 2 Samuel 22:27 As in two Heb mss and Ps 18:26; MT pretend stupidity
  15. 2 Samuel 22:30 Or wall
  16. 2 Samuel 22:31 Lit complete; or having integrity
  17. 2 Samuel 22:33 Or sets free
  18. 2 Samuel 22:33 Lit complete; or having integrity
  19. 2 Samuel 22:33 Another reading is my
  20. 2 Samuel 22:34 Another reading is His
  21. 2 Samuel 22:36 Lit answering
  22. 2 Samuel 22:37 Lit ankles
  23. 2 Samuel 22:41 Or silenced
  24. 2 Samuel 22:46 Reading based on Ps 18:45; MT belt up themselves
  25. 2 Samuel 22:47 As in LXX; MT the God of the rock
  26. 2 Samuel 22:50 Or praise
  27. 2 Samuel 22:51 Lit acts of salvation
  28. 2 Samuel 22:51 Lit seed

David’s Song of Thanksgiving

22 David spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the grasp of Saul. He said:(A)

The Lord is my rock, my fortress,(B) and my deliverer,
my God,[a] my rock where I seek refuge.
My shield, the horn of my salvation,(C) my stronghold,(D) my refuge,(E)
and my Savior, you save me from violence.
I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(F)
and I was saved from my enemies.
For the waves of death engulfed me;(G)
the torrents of destruction terrified me.
The ropes of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.(H)

I called to the Lord in my distress;
I called to my God.(I)
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry for help reached his ears.
Then the earth shook and quaked;
the foundations of the heavens[b] trembled;(J)
they shook because he burned with anger.(K)
Smoke rose from his nostrils,
and consuming fire came from his mouth;
coals were set ablaze by it.[c]
10 He bent the heavens and came down,(L)
total darkness beneath his feet.
11 He rode on a cherub and flew,
soaring[d] on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness a canopy around him,
a gathering[e] of water and thick clouds.(M)
13 From the radiance of his presence,
blazing coals were ignited.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the Most High made his voice heard.(N)
15 He shot arrows and scattered them;(O)
he hurled lightning bolts and routed them.(P)
16 The depths of the sea became visible,
the foundations of the world were exposed
at the rebuke of the Lord,
at the blast of the breath(Q) of his nostrils.(R)

17 He reached down from on high
and took hold of me;
he pulled me out of deep water.(S)
18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy
and 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 support.
20 He brought me out to a spacious place;(T)
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

21 The Lord rewarded me
according to my righteousness;(U)
he repaid me
according to the cleanness of my hands.(V)
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord(W)
and have not turned from my God to wickedness.
23 Indeed, I let all his ordinances(X) guide me[f]
and have not disregarded his statutes.
24 I was blameless before him
and kept myself from my iniquity.
25 So the Lord repaid me
according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness[g] in his sight.

26 With the faithful
you prove yourself faithful,
with the blameless
you prove yourself blameless,
27 with the pure
you prove yourself pure,
but with the crooked
you prove yourself shrewd.
28 You rescue an oppressed people,(Y)
but your eyes are set against the proud—
you humble them.(Z)
29 Lord, you are my lamp;
the Lord illuminates my darkness.(AA)
30 With you I can attack a barricade,[h]
and with my God I can leap over a wall.(AB)
31 God—his way is perfect;(AC)
the word of the Lord is pure.(AD)
He is a shield to all who take refuge in him.

32 For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is a rock? Only our God.
33 God is my strong refuge;[i]
he makes my way perfect.[j]
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer
and sets me securely on the[k] heights.[l]
35 He trains my hands for war;(AE)
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 You have given me the shield of your salvation;(AF)
your help[m] exalts me.
37 You make a spacious place beneath me for my steps,
and my ankles do not give way.
38 I pursue my enemies and destroy them;
I do not turn back until they are wiped out.
39 I wipe them out and crush them,
and they do not rise;
they fall beneath my feet.
40 You have clothed me with strength for battle;
you subdue my adversaries beneath me.(AG)
41 You have made my enemies retreat before me;[n]
I annihilate those who hate me.
42 They look, but there is no one to save them—
they look to the Lord, but he does not answer them.(AH)
43 I pulverize them like dust of the earth;
I crush them and trample them like mud in the streets.(AI)

44 You have freed me from the feuds among my people;(AJ)
you have preserved me as head of nations;
a people I had not known serve me.(AK)
45 Foreigners submit to me cringing;
as soon as they hear, they obey me.
46 Foreigners lose heart
and come trembling from their fortifications.(AL)

47 The Lord lives—blessed be my rock!
God, the rock of my salvation,(AM) is exalted.
48 God—he grants me vengeance
and casts down peoples under me.(AN)
49 He frees me from my enemies.
You exalt me above my adversaries;
you rescue me from violent men.(AO)

50 Therefore I will give thanks to you among the nations, Lord;
I will sing praises about your name.(AP)
51 He is a tower of salvation for[o] his king;
he shows loyalty to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. 22:3 LXX, Ps 18:2 read my God; MT reads God of
  2. 22:8 Some Hb mss, Syr, Vg read mountains; Ps 18:7
  3. 22:9 Or him
  4. 22:11 Some Hb mss; other Hb mss, Syr, Tg read he was seen
  5. 22:12 Or sieve, or mass; Hb obscure
  6. 22:23 Lit Indeed, all his ordinances have been in front of me
  7. 22:25 LXX, Syr, Vg read to the cleanness of my hands; Ps 18:24
  8. 22:30 Or a ridge, or raiders
  9. 22:33 DSS, some LXX mss, Syr, Vg read God clothes me with strength; Ps 18:32
  10. 22:33 Some LXX mss, Syr; MT reads he sets free the blameless his way; Hb obscure
  11. 22:34 LXX; some Hb mss read my; other Hb mss read his
  12. 22:34 Or on my high places
  13. 22:36 LXX reads humility; Ps 18:35
  14. 22:41 Lit you gave me the neck of my enemies
  15. 22:51 DSS read he gives great victory to