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David’s Song of Praise

22 David sang this song to the Lord. He sang it when the Lord had saved him from Saul and all his other enemies. He said:

“The Lord is my rock, my place of safety, my Savior.
My God is my rock.
    I can run to him for safety.
He is my shield and my saving strength.
    The Lord is my high tower and my place of safety.
    The Lord saves me from those who want to harm me.
I will call to the Lord.
    He is worthy of praise.
    And I will be saved from my enemies.

“The waves of death came around me.
    The deadly rivers overwhelmed me.
The ropes of death wrapped around me.
    The traps of death were before me.
In my trouble I called to the Lord.
    I cried out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice.
    My call for help reached his ears.

“The earth trembled and shook.
    The foundations of heaven began to shake.
    They shook because the Lord was angry.
Smoke came out of his nose.
    Burning fire came out of his mouth.
    Burning coals went before him.
10 He tore open the sky and came down.
    Dark clouds were under his feet.
11 He rode a creature with wings and flew.
    He flew on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness his shelter around him,
    surrounded by fog and clouds.
13 Out of the brightness of his presence
    came flashes of lightning.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven.
    The Most High God raised his voice.
15 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies.
    His bolts of lightning confused them with fear.
16 The Lord spoke strongly.
    The wind blew from his nose.
The valleys of the sea appeared.
    The foundations of the earth were seen.

17 “The Lord reached down from above and took me.
    He pulled me from the deep water.
18 He saved me from my powerful enemies.
    Those who hated me were too strong for me.
19 They attacked me at my time of trouble.
    But the Lord supported me.
20 He took me to a safe place.
    Because he delights in me, he saved me.

21 “The Lord spared me because I did what was right.
    Because I have not done evil, he has rescued me.
22 I have followed the ways of the Lord.
    I have not done evil by turning from my God.
23 I remember all his laws.
    I have not broken his rules.
24 I have kept myself innocent before him.
    I have kept myself from doing evil.
25 The Lord rescued me because I did what was right.
    I did what the Lord said was right.

26 “Lord, you are loyal to those who are loyal.
    You are good to those who are good.
27 You are pure to those who are pure.
    But you are against those who are bad.
28 You save those who are not proud.
    But you make humble those who are proud.
29 Lord, you give light to my lamp.
    The Lord brightens the darkness around me.
30 With your help, I can attack an army.
    With God’s help, I can jump over a wall.

31 “The ways of God are without fault.
    The Lord’s words are pure.
He is a shield to those who trust him.
32 Who is God? Only the Lord.
    Who is the Rock? Only our God.
33 God is my protection.
    He makes my way free from fault.
34 He makes me like a deer, which does not stumble.
    He helps me stand on the steep mountains.
35 He trains my hands for battle.
    So my arms can bend a bronze bow.
36 You protect me with your saving shield.
    You have stooped to make me great.
37 You give me a better way to live.
    So I live as you want me to.
38 I chased my enemies and destroyed them.
    I did not quit till they were destroyed.
39 I destroyed and crushed them,
    so they couldn’t rise up again.
    They fell beneath my feet.
40 You gave me strength in battle.
    You made my enemies bow before me.
41 You made my enemies turn back.
    I destroyed those who hated me.
42 They called for help,
    but no one came to save them.
They called to the Lord,
    but he did not answer them.
43 I beat my enemies into pieces.
    They were like dust on the ground.
I pounded them out and walked on them
    like mud in the streets.

44 “You saved me when my people attacked me.
    You kept me as the leader of nations.
People I never knew serve me.
45 Foreigners obey me.
    As soon as they hear me, they obey me.
46 They all become afraid.
    They tremble in their hiding places.

47 “The Lord lives!
    May my Rock be praised!
    Praise God, the Rock, who saves me!
48 God gives me victory over my enemies.
    He brings people under my rule.
49 He frees me from my enemies.

“You set me over those who hate me.
    You saved me from cruel men.
50 So I will praise you, Lord, among the nations.
    I will sing praises to your name.
51 The Lord gives great victories to his king.
    He is loyal to his appointed king,
    to David and his descendants forever.”

David’s Song of Praise(A)

22 David sang(B) to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

“The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(F)
    my shield[a](G) and the horn[b](H) of my salvation.
He is my stronghold,(I) my refuge and my savior—
    from violent people you save me.

“I called to the Lord, who is worthy(J) of praise,
    and have been saved from my enemies.
The waves(K) of death swirled about me;
    the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave(L) coiled around me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

“In my distress(M) I called(N) to the Lord;
    I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
    my cry came to his ears.
The earth(O) trembled and quaked,(P)
    the foundations(Q) of the heavens[c] shook;
    they trembled because he was angry.
Smoke rose from his nostrils;
    consuming fire(R) came from his mouth,
    burning coals(S) blazed out of it.
10 He parted the heavens and came down;
    dark clouds(T) were under his feet.
11 He mounted the cherubim(U) and flew;
    he soared[d] on the wings of the wind.(V)
12 He made darkness(W) his canopy around him—
    the dark[e] rain clouds of the sky.
13 Out of the brightness of his presence
    bolts of lightning(X) blazed forth.
14 The Lord thundered(Y) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.
15 He shot his arrows(Z) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
16 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at the rebuke(AA) of the Lord,
    at the blast(AB) of breath from his nostrils.

17 “He reached down from on high(AC) and took hold of me;
    he drew(AD) me out of deep waters.
18 He rescued(AE) me from my powerful enemy,
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
    but the Lord was my support.(AF)
20 He brought me out into a spacious(AG) place;
    he rescued(AH) me because he delighted(AI) in me.(AJ)

21 “The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(AK)
    according to the cleanness(AL) of my hands(AM) he has rewarded me.
22 For I have kept(AN) the ways of the Lord;
    I am not guilty of turning from my God.
23 All his laws are before me;(AO)
    I have not turned(AP) away from his decrees.
24 I have been blameless(AQ) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
25 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(AR)
    according to my cleanness[f] in his sight.

26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
27 to the pure(AS) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(AT)
28 You save the humble,(AU)
    but your eyes are on the haughty(AV) to bring them low.(AW)
29 You, Lord, are my lamp;(AX)
    the Lord turns my darkness into light.
30 With your help I can advance against a troop[g];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

31 “As for God, his way is perfect:(AY)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;(AZ)
    he shields(BA) all who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock(BB) except our God?(BC)
33 It is God who arms me with strength[h]
    and keeps my way secure.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(BD)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.(BE)
35 He trains my hands(BF) for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow(BG) of bronze.
36 You make your saving help my shield;(BH)
    your help has made[i] me great.
37 You provide a broad path(BI) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.

38 “I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
39 I crushed(BJ) them completely, and they could not rise;
    they fell beneath my feet.
40 You armed me with strength for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries before me.(BK)
41 You made my enemies turn their backs(BL) in flight,
    and I destroyed my foes.
42 They cried for help,(BM) but there was no one to save them—(BN)
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.(BO)
43 I beat them as fine as the dust(BP) of the earth;
    I pounded and trampled(BQ) them like mud(BR) in the streets.

44 “You have delivered(BS) me from the attacks of the peoples;
    you have preserved(BT) me as the head of nations.
People(BU) I did not know now serve me,
45     foreigners cower(BV) before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.(BW)
46 They all lose heart;
    they come trembling[j](BX) from their strongholds.

47 “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
    Exalted(BY) be my God, the Rock, my Savior!(BZ)
48 He is the God who avenges(CA) me,(CB)
    who puts the nations under me,
49     who sets me free from my enemies.(CC)
You exalted me(CD) above my foes;
    from a violent man you rescued me.
50 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing the praises(CE) of your name.(CF)

51 “He gives his king great victories;(CG)
    he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,(CH)
    to David(CI) and his descendants forever.”(CJ)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 22:3 Or sovereign
  2. 2 Samuel 22:3 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  3. 2 Samuel 22:8 Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains
  4. 2 Samuel 22:11 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts appeared
  5. 2 Samuel 22:12 Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrew massed
  6. 2 Samuel 22:25 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) to the cleanness of my hands
  7. 2 Samuel 22:30 Or can run through a barricade
  8. 2 Samuel 22:33 Dead Sea Scrolls, some Septuagint manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:32); Masoretic Text who is my strong refuge
  9. 2 Samuel 22:36 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text shield; / you stoop down to make
  10. 2 Samuel 22:46 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text they arm themselves