Invitation to Debate

18 “Come now, and (A)let us [a]debate your case,”
Says the Lord,
(B)Though your sins are as scarlet,
They shall become as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be like wool.
19 (C)If you are willing and obedient,
You will (D)eat the best of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be (E)devoured by the sword.”
For (F)the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:18 Or argue

“Let Us Reason”

18 
“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord.
[a]Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be like wool.
19 
“If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the best of the land;
20 
But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:18 There was a legend among the rabbis that on the Day of Atonement a scarlet woolen thread was tied to the door of the temple, and when the scapegoat reached the wilderness (Lev 16:10), if the sins of Israel were forgiven the thread would miraculously turn white.

18 “Come now, (A)let us reason[a] together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as (B)white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
19 (C)If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    (D)for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 1:18 Or dispute

18 “Come now, and let us (A)reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
(B)They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword”;
(C)For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

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18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Read full chapter

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 Psalm of Rescue

22 David spoke the words of this song to the Lord when the Lord rescued him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress [on the mountain] and my rescuer;(A)

[a]My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge,
My Savior—You save me from violence.(B)

“I call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.

“For the waves of death encompassed me;
The torrents of [b]destruction overwhelmed and terrified me.

“The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.

“In my distress I called upon the Lord;
I cried out to my God,
And from His temple [in the heavens] He heard my voice;
My cry for help came into His ears.

“Then the earth shook and quaked,
The foundations of the heavens trembled
And were shaken, because He was angry.

“Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
10 
“He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.
11 
“He rode on a cherub and flew;
He appeared upon the wings of the wind.
12 
“He made darkness [c]canopies around Him,
A mass of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
13 
“Out of the brightness before Him
Coals of fire were set aflame.
14 
“The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
15 
“He sent out arrows and scattered them;
Lightning, and confused them.
16 
“The channels of the sea appeared,
The foundations of the world were uncovered
At the rebuke 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 great waters.
18 
“He rescued me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
19 
“They came upon me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
20 
“He also brought me out to an open place;
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 rewarded me.
22 
“For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not acted wickedly against my God.
23 
“For all His judgments (legal decisions) were before me,
And from His statutes I did not turn aside.
24 
“I was also blameless before Him,
And kept myself from wrongdoing.
25 
“Therefore the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
According to my cleanness in His sight.
26 
“With the loving and loyal You show Yourself loving and loyal,
With the blameless You show Yourself blameless.
27 
“With the pure You show Yourself pure,
With the perverted You show Yourself astute.
28 
“And You save the afflicted people;
But Your eyes are on the haughty whom You abase (humiliate).
29 
“For You, O Lord, are my lamp;
The Lord illumines and dispels my darkness.
30 
“For by You I can run upon a troop;
By my God I can leap over a wall.
31 
“As for God, His way is blameless and perfect;
The word of the Lord is tested.
He is a shield to all those who take refuge and trust in Him.
32 
“For who is God, besides the Lord?
And who is a rock, besides our God?(C)
33 
“God is my strong fortress;
He sets the blameless in His way.
34 
“He makes my feet like the doe’s feet [firm and swift];
He sets me [secure and confident] on my high places.
35 
“He trains my hands for war,
So that my arms can bend (pull back) a bow of bronze.
36 
“You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,
And Your help and gentleness make me great.
37 
“You enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped.
38 
“I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,
And I did not turn back until they were consumed (eliminated).
39 
“I consumed them and shattered them, so that they did not rise;
They fell under my feet.
40 
“For You have surrounded me with strength for the battle;
You have subdued under me those who stood against me.
41 
“You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me [in retreat],
And I destroyed those who hated me.
42 
“They looked, but there was no savior for them
Even to the Lord [they looked], but He did not answer them.
43 
“Then I beat them as [small as] the dust of the earth;
I crushed and stamped them as the mire (dirt, mud) of the streets.
44 
“You also have rescued me from strife with my [own] people;
You have kept me as the head of the nations.
People whom I have not known served me.
45 
“Foreigners pretend obedience to me;
As soon as they hear [me], they obey me.
46 
“Foreigners lose heart;
They come trembling out of their strongholds.
47 
“The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
And exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation.
48 
“It is God who executes vengeance for me,
And brings down [and disciplines] the peoples under me,
49 
Who also brings me out from my enemies.
You even lift me above those who rise up against me;
You rescue me from the violent man.
50 
“For this I will give thanks and praise You, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing praises to Your name.
51 
“He is a tower of salvation and great deliverance to His king,
And shows lovingkindness to His anointed,
To David and his offspring forever.”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 22:3 Lit the God of my rock.
  2. 2 Samuel 22:5 Heb Belial.
  3. 2 Samuel 22:12 Some mss read His covering.

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. (B)He said,

(C)“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
    (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.
I call upon the Lord, who is (J)worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies.

(K)“For the waves of death encompassed me,
    the torrents of destruction assailed me;[b]
(L)the cords of Sheol entangled me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

(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.

“Then (O)the earth reeled and rocked;
    (P)the foundations of the heavens trembled
    and quaked, because he was angry.
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

  1. 2 Samuel 22:3 Septuagint (compare Psalm 18:2); Hebrew lacks my
  2. 2 Samuel 22:5 Or terrified me
  3. 2 Samuel 22:9 Or in his wrath
  4. 2 Samuel 22:33 Or his; also verse 34
  5. 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
  6. 2 Samuel 22:37 Hebrew ankles
  7. 2 Samuel 22:41 Or You gave me my enemies' necks
  8. 2 Samuel 22:44 Septuagint with the peoples
  9. 2 Samuel 22:46 Compare Psalm 18:45; Hebrew equipped themselves
  10. 2 Samuel 22:51 Or He is a tower of salvation

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. And he (D)said:

(E)“The Lord is my rock and my (F)fortress and my deliverer;
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.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.

“When the waves of death surrounded me,
The floods of ungodliness [b]made me afraid.
The (L)sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
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.

“Then (O)the earth shook and trembled;
(P)The foundations of [c]heaven quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
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

  1. 2 Samuel 22:3 Strength
  2. 2 Samuel 22:5 Or overwhelmed
  3. 2 Samuel 22:8 So with MT, LXX, Tg.; Syr., Vg. hills (cf. Ps. 18:7)
  4. 2 Samuel 22:11 So with MT, LXX; many Heb. mss., Syr., Vg. flew (cf. Ps. 18:10); Tg. spoke with power
  5. 2 Samuel 22:25 rewarded
  6. 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
  7. 2 Samuel 22:28 afflicted
  8. 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
  9. 2 Samuel 22:33 So with Qr., LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. (cf. Ps. 18:32); Kt. His
  10. 2 Samuel 22:34 So with Qr., LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. (cf. Ps. 18:33); Kt. His
  11. 2 Samuel 22:35 Lit. for the war
  12. 2 Samuel 22:40 Lit. caused to bow down
  13. 2 Samuel 22:41 given me victory over
  14. 2 Samuel 22:43 scattered
  15. 2 Samuel 22:44 contentions
  16. 2 Samuel 22:46 So with LXX, Tg., Vg. (cf. Ps. 18:45); MT gird themselves

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:

And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

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.

I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;

The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;

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.

Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.

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.

22 Samuel said,

(A)Does the Lord have as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, (B)to obey is better than a sacrifice,
And to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

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22 Samuel said,

“Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obedience to the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed [is better] than the fat of rams.

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22 And Samuel said,

(A)“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
    as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, (B)to obey is better than sacrifice,
    and to listen than the fat of rams.

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22 So Samuel said:

(A)“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, (B)to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.

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22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

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[a]Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, 10 who (A)rescued us from so great a danger of death, and will rescue us, He [b](B)on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, 11 if you also join in (C)helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by (D)many persons in our behalf for the favor granted to us through the prayers of many.

Paul’s Integrity

12 For our [c]proud confidence is this: the testimony of (E)our conscience, that in holiness and (F)godly sincerity, (G)not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 1:9 Lit But we ourselves
  2. 2 Corinthians 1:10 One early ms on whom we have set our hope that He will also
  3. 2 Corinthians 1:12 Or source of pride

Indeed, we felt within ourselves that we had received the sentence of death [and were convinced that we would die, but this happened] so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead. 10 He rescued us from so great a threat of death, and will continue to rescue us. On Him we have set our hope. And He will again rescue us [from danger and draw us near], 11 while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then thanks will be given by many persons on our behalf for the gracious gift [of deliverance] granted to us through the prayers of many [believers].

Paul’s Integrity

12 This is our [reason for] proud confidence: our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world [in general], and especially toward you, with pure motives and godly sincerity, not in human wisdom, but in the grace of God [that is, His gracious lovingkindness that leads people to Christ and spiritual maturity].

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Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us (A)rely not on ourselves (B)but on God (C)who raises the dead. 10 (D)He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. (E)On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 (F)You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf (G)for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

Paul's Change of Plans

12 For our boast is this, (H)the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity[a] and (I)godly sincerity, (J)not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 1:12 Some manuscripts holiness

Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should (A)not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10 (B)who delivered us from so great a death, and [a]does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, 11 you also (C)helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on [b]our behalf (D)for the gift granted to us through many.

Paul’s Sincerity

12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in [c]simplicity and (E)godly sincerity, (F)not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 1:10 NU shall
  2. 2 Corinthians 1:11 M your behalf
  3. 2 Corinthians 1:12 The opposite of duplicity

But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

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