David’s Psalm of Deliverance

22 (A)And David spoke (B)the words of this song to the Lord in the day that the Lord delivered 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 torrents of [e]destruction [f]overwhelmed me;
(K)The cords of [g]Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
(L)In my distress I called upon the Lord,
Yes, I [h]cried 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 [i]out of His nostrils,
(O)Fire from His mouth devoured;
(P)Coals were kindled by it.
10 “He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With (Q)thick darkness under His feet.
11 (R)And He rode on a cherub and flew;
And He [j]appeared on (S)the wings of the wind.
12 (T)And He made darkness [k]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 sent out arrows, and scattered them,
Lightning, and [l]routed them.
16 “Then the channels of the sea appeared,
The foundations of the world were [m]laid bare
By the rebuke of the Lord,
(X)At 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 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,
(AA)But the Lord was my support.
20 (AB)He also brought me forth into a broad place;
He rescued me, (AC)because He delighted in me.
21 (AD)The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness;
(AE)According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed 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 depart from [n]them.
24 (AH)I was also [o]blameless toward Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
25 (AI)Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to my cleanness before His eyes.
26 (AJ)With the [p]kind You show Yourself [q]kind,
With the [r]blameless You show Yourself [s]blameless;
27 (AK)With the pure You show Yourself pure,
(AL)And with the perverted You show Yourself [t]astute.
28 (AM)And You save an afflicted people;
(AN)But Your eyes are on the haughty whom You abase.
29 (AO)For You are my lamp, O Lord;
And the Lord illumines my darkness.
30 (AP)For by You I can [u]run upon a troop;
By my God I can leap over a wall.
31 (AQ)As for God, His way is [v]blameless;
(AR)The word of the Lord is tested;
(AS)He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
32 (AT)For who is God, besides the Lord?
(AU)And who is a rock, besides our God?
33 (AV)God is my strong fortress;
And He [w]sets the [x]blameless in [y]His way.
34 (AW)He makes [z]my feet like hinds’ 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 [aa]help makes me great.
37 (BB)You enlarge my steps under me,
And my [ab]feet have not slipped.
38 “I pursued my enemies and (BC)destroyed them,
And I did not turn back until they were consumed.
39 “And I have devoured them and shattered them, so that they did not rise;
And (BD)they fell under my feet.
40 “For You have girded me with strength for battle;
You have [ac]subdued under me (BE)those who rose up against me.
41 “You have also (BF)made my enemies turn their backs to me,
And I [ad]destroyed those who hated me.
42 (BG)They looked, but there was none to save;
(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 stamped them as the mire of the streets.
44 (BK)You have also delivered me from the contentions of my people;
(BL)You have kept me as head of the nations;
(BM)A people whom I have not known serve me.
45 (BN)Foreigners pretend obedience to me;
As soon as they hear, they obey me.
46 “Foreigners [ae]lose heart,
(BO)And [af]come trembling out of their [ag]fortresses.
47 “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be [ah](BP)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 even lift me above (BS)those who rise up against me;
(BT)You rescue me from the violent man.
50 (BU)Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the nations,
And I will sing praises to Your name.
51 (BV)He is a tower of [ai]deliverance to His king,
And (BW)shows lovingkindness to His anointed,
(BX)To David and his [aj]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 Lit God of my rock
  5. 2 Samuel 22:5 Heb Belial
  6. 2 Samuel 22:5 Or terrified
  7. 2 Samuel 22:6 I.e. the nether world
  8. 2 Samuel 22:7 Or called
  9. 2 Samuel 22:9 Or in His wrath
  10. 2 Samuel 22:11 Many mss read sped
  11. 2 Samuel 22:12 Or pavilions
  12. 2 Samuel 22:15 Lit confused
  13. 2 Samuel 22:16 Or uncovered
  14. 2 Samuel 22:23 Lit it
  15. 2 Samuel 22:24 Lit complete; or having integrity
  16. 2 Samuel 22:26 Or loyal
  17. 2 Samuel 22:26 Or loyal
  18. 2 Samuel 22:26 Lit complete; or having integrity
  19. 2 Samuel 22:26 Lit complete; or having integrity
  20. 2 Samuel 22:27 Lit twisted
  21. 2 Samuel 22:30 Or crush a troop
  22. 2 Samuel 22:31 Lit complete; or having integrity
  23. 2 Samuel 22:33 Or sets free
  24. 2 Samuel 22:33 Lit complete; or having integrity
  25. 2 Samuel 22:33 Another reading is my
  26. 2 Samuel 22:34 Another reading is His
  27. 2 Samuel 22:36 Lit answering
  28. 2 Samuel 22:37 Lit ankles
  29. 2 Samuel 22:40 Lit caused to bow down
  30. 2 Samuel 22:41 Or silenced
  31. 2 Samuel 22:46 Lit languish
  32. 2 Samuel 22:46 Lit gird themselves
  33. 2 Samuel 22:46 Lit fastnesses
  34. 2 Samuel 22:47 Lit the God of the rock
  35. 2 Samuel 22:51 I.e. victories; lit salvation
  36. 2 Samuel 22:51 Lit seed

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