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2 Samuel 22
New Catholic Bible
2 Samuel 22
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 22[a]
Song of Thanksgiving. 1 David sang to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hands of Saul. 2 He sang:
“The Lord is my rock,
my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock in whom I take refuge.
3 You are my shield and my saving strength,
my stronghold and my refuge,
my savior who delivers me from violence.
4 I call upon the Lord
who is worthy of all praise;
then I shall be saved from my enemies.
5 The waves of death encompassed me,
and the destructive torrents assailed me.
6 The bonds of Sheol enmeshed me;
the snares of death confronted me.
7 In my distress I called out to the Lord;
I called to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
8 “The earth quaked and shook;
the foundations of the heavens trembled,
quaking because of his blazing anger.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils,
while a devouring fire poured forth from his mouth
that kindled coals into flame.
10 “He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds lay under his feet.
11 He descended on the back of a cherub and flew,
soaring swiftly on the wings of the wind.
12 “He used the darkness as his covering;
dense thunderclouds were his canopy.
13 From the radiance before him
coals were kindled into burning fire.
14 “The Lord thundered from the heavens,
and the Most High caused his voice to resound.
15 He shot his arrows and scattered them;
he hurled forth his lightning bolts and routed them.
16 “Then the depths of the sea were exposed,
and the earth’s foundations ware laid bare.
This occurred at the rebuke of the Lord,
at the blast of breath from his nostrils.
17 “He reached down from on high and snatched me up;
he drew me out of the watery depths.
18 He delivered me from my mighty enemy,
from my foes who were too powerful for me.
19 “They confronted me in my hour of calamity,
but the Lord came forward to support me.
20 He set me free in a spacious field;
he rescued me because he loves me.
21 “The Lord has rewarded me for my righteousness;
because my hands were pure he has recompensed me.
22 [b]For I have kept the ways of the Lord
and have not followed the path of wickedness.
23 “His laws are clearly known to me,
and I have not failed to observe his decrees.
24 I was blameless in his sight,
and I kept myself free from sin.
25 Therefore, the Lord has rewarded my righteousness,
the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to the blameless you show yourself blameless.
27 To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the perverse you show yourself to be shrewd.
28 Those who are humble you save,
but you ignore those who are haughty.
29 “You, O Lord, are my lamp;
my God will enlighten my darkness.
30 With your help I can storm a rampart;
with my God to aid me I can scale any wall.
31 The way of God is blameless;
the Lord’s promise has proved true.
He is a shield to all
who take refuge in him.
32 “For who is God except the Lord?
Who is a rock aside from our God?
33 The God who girds me with strength
has kept my feet free of obstacles.
34 This God has made my feet swift as a deer’s
and set me securely on the heights.
35 He trains my hands for war
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 “You have given me the shield of salvation;
you stoop down to make me great.
37 You broaden the path for my steps,
and my feet have not slipped.
38 “I pursued my enemies and destroyed them;
I did not turn back until I made an end of them.
39 I crushed them completely and they did not rise;
they fell under my feet.
40 “You girded me with strength for the battle;
you subdued my assailants beneath me.
41 You caused my enemies to retreat before me,
and those who hated me I destroyed.
42 “They cried out for help,
but there was no one to save them.
They cried out to the Lord,
but he did not answer them.
43 I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I trampled them down like dust in the streets.
44 “You have delivered me from the strife of my people;
you made me the head of the nations;
a people I did not know became my subjects.
45 Foreigners came forth cringing before me;
as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.
46 Having become disheartened,
they came forth trembling from their strongholds.
47 “The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock.
Exalted be the God of my salvation
48 O God, you granted me vengeance
and subjected entire nations to me.
49 You freed me from my enemies
and exalted me above my adversaries,
delivering me from violent men.
50 “For this I will praise you among the nations, O Lord,
and sing praise to your name.
51 You have given great victories to your king,
and you have shown steadfast love to your anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 22:1 This passage and Ps 18 are essentially the same with a few differences. David’s musical talents as composer and harpist are evident in this hymn of thanksgiving.
- 2 Samuel 22:22 This section seems to deny David’s sinfulness, but is more of a tribute to God’s forgiveness and faithfulness (i.e., in God’s eyes, all is forgiven and David is “whiter than snow;” Ps 51:7).
2 Samuel 22
New International Version
2 Samuel 22
New International Version
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. 2 He said:
“The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
3 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.
4 “I called to the Lord, who is worthy(J) of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.
5 The waves(K) of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
6 The cords of the grave(L) coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
7 “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.
8 The earth(O) trembled and quaked,(P)
the foundations(Q) of the heavens[c] shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
9 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)
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 22:3 Or sovereign
- 2 Samuel 22:3 Horn here symbolizes strength.
- 2 Samuel 22:8 Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains
- 2 Samuel 22:11 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts appeared
- 2 Samuel 22:12 Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrew massed
- 2 Samuel 22:25 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) to the cleanness of my hands
- 2 Samuel 22:30 Or can run through a barricade
- 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
- 2 Samuel 22:36 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text shield; / you stoop down to make
- 2 Samuel 22:46 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text they arm themselves
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