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22 David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul, and he said:

“Yahweh is my rock,
    my fortress,
    and my deliverer, even mine;
God is my rock in whom I take refuge;
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
    my high tower, and my refuge.
    My savior, you save me from violence.
I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised;
    So shall I be saved from my enemies.
For the waves of death surrounded me.
    The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
The cords of Sheol[a] were around me.
    The snares of death caught me.
In my distress, I called on Yahweh.
    Yes, I called to my God.
He heard my voice out of his temple.
    My cry came into his ears.
Then the earth shook and trembled.
    The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken,
    because he was angry.
Smoke went up out of his nostrils.
    Consuming fire came out of his mouth.
    Coals were kindled by it.
10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down.
    Thick darkness was under his feet.
11 He rode on a cherub, and flew.
    Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness a shelter around himself:
    gathering of waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
13 At the brightness before him,
    coals of fire were kindled.
14 Yahweh thundered from heaven.
    The Most High uttered his voice.
15 He sent out arrows and scattered them,
    lightning and confused them.
16 Then the channels of the sea appeared.
    The foundations of the world were laid bare by Yahweh’s rebuke,
    at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17 He sent from on high and 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 mighty for me.
19 They came on me in the day of my calamity,
    but Yahweh was my support.
20 He also brought me out into a large place.
    He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
21 Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness.
    He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands.
22 For I have kept Yahweh’s ways,
    and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his ordinances were before me.
    As for his statutes, I didn’t depart from them.
24 I was also perfect toward him.
    I kept myself from my iniquity.
25 Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
    According to my cleanness in his eyesight.
26 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful.
    With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect.
27     With the pure you will show yourself pure.
    With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
28 You will save the afflicted people,
    But your eyes are on the arrogant, that you may bring them down.
29 For you are my lamp, Yahweh.
    Yahweh will light up my darkness.
30 For by you, I run against a troop.
    By my God, I leap over a wall.
31 As for God, his way is perfect.
    Yahweh’s word is tested.
    He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God, besides Yahweh?
    Who is a rock, besides our God?
33 God is my strong fortress.
    He makes my way perfect.
34 He makes his feet like hinds’ feet,
    and sets me on my high places.
35 He teaches my hands to war,
    so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
36 You have also given me the shield of your salvation.
    Your gentleness has made me great.
37 You have enlarged my steps under me.
    My feet have not slipped.
38 I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them.
    I didn’t turn again until they were consumed.
39 I have consumed them,
    and struck them through,
    so that they can’t arise.
    Yes, they have fallen under my feet.
40 For you have armed me with strength for the battle.
    You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
41 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
    that I might cut off those who hate me.
42 They looked, but there was no one to save;
    even to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them.
43 Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth.
    I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad.
44 You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people.
    You have kept me to be the head of the nations.
    A people whom I have not known will serve me.
45 The foreigners will submit themselves to me.
    As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.
46 The foreigners will fade away,
    and will come trembling out of their close places.
47 Yahweh lives!
    Blessed be my rock!
Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
48     even the God who executes vengeance for me,
    who brings down peoples under me,
49     who brings me away from my enemies.
Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me.
    You deliver me from the violent man.
50 Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations,
    and will sing praises to your name.
51 He gives great deliverance to his king,
    and shows loving kindness to his anointed,
    to David and to his offspring, forever more.”

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Footnotes

  1. 22:6 Sheol is the place of the dead.

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.”

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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