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David’s Song of Praise

22 David spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord saved him from all who hated him, and from Saul. He said, “The Lord is my rock, my strong place, and the One Who sets me free. He is my God, my rock, where I go to be safe. He is my covering and the horn that saves me, my strong place where I go to be safe. You save me from being hurt. I call upon the Lord, Who should be praised. I am saved from those who hate me.

“For the waves of death were all around me. The storm that destroys made me afraid. The cords of the grave were around me. The nets of death came against me. In my trouble I called upon the Lord. Yes, I cried to my God. From His house He heard my voice. My cry for help came into His ears.

“Then the earth shook. The mountains were shaking. They shook because He was angry. Smoke went up from His nose. Fire that destroyed came from His mouth. Burnt pieces of wood were set on fire by it. 10 He tore open the heavens and came down, with darkness under His feet. 11 He sat on a cherub and flew. He was seen on the wings of the wind. 12 He made darkness around Him his tent, gathering waters, and clouds of the sky. 13 From the light before Him, burnt pieces of wood were set on fire. 14 “The Lord thundered from heaven. The Most High let His voice be heard. 15 He sent out arrows, and made them run. He sent lightning, and made them troubled and afraid. 16 Then the bottom of the sea was seen. The bottom of the world lost its covering, at the strong words of the Lord, at the rush of breath from His nose.

17 “He sent from above. He took me. He pulled me out of many waters. 18 He saved me from those strong ones who hated me. For they were too strong for me. 19 They came upon me in the day of my trouble. But the Lord held me up. 20 He brought me into a big place. He saved me, because He was pleased with me. 21 “The Lord has paid me for being right with Him. He has paid me for my clean hands. 22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord. I have not acted in sin against my God. 23 For all His Laws were in front of me, and I did not turn aside from them. 24 I was without blame before Him. I kept myself from guilt. 25 So the Lord has paid me for being right with Him, for being clean in His eyes.

26 “With the faithful You show Yourself faithful. With the one without blame You show Yourself without blame. 27 With the pure You show Yourself pure. But with the sinful, You show Yourself wise. 28 You save a troubled people. But Your eyes are on the proud whom You put to shame.

29 “For You are my lamp, O Lord. The Lord gives light to my darkness. 30 For by You I can run through an army. By my God I can jump over a wall. 31 As for God, His way is perfect. The Word of the Lord is proven true. He is a covering to all who go to Him to be safe.

32 “For who is God, but the Lord? Who is a Rock, except our God? 33 God is my strong place. He has made my way safe. 34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He sets me safe on high places. 35 He makes my hands ready for battle, so that my arms can use a bow of brass.

36 “You have given me the covering of Your saving power. Your help makes me strong. 37 You give me a big place for my steps. I have not fallen. 38 I went after those who hated me and destroyed them. I did not return until they were destroyed. 39 I destroyed them and cut them through, so that they did not rise. They fell under my feet. 40 For You have dressed me with strength for battle. You have put under me those who came against me. 41 You made those who fought me turn their backs to me. I destroyed those who hated me. 42 They looked, but there was no one to save them. They cried to the Lord, but He did not answer them. 43 Then I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth. I crushed and stepped on them like the mud of the streets.

44 “You have saved me from trouble with my people. You have kept me as head of the nations. People whom I have not known serve me. 45 Strangers obey me. As soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me. 46 Strangers lost their strength of heart. They came out of their secret places shaking with fear.

47 “The Lord lives. Thanks be to my Rock. May God be honored, the Rock that saves me. 48 He is the God Who punishes for me. He puts people under my rule. 49 He makes me free from those who hate me. You lift me above those who come against me. You save me from the man who wants to hurt me. 50 So I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord. I will sing praises to Your name. 51 With great power He saves His king. He shows loving-kindness to His chosen one, to David and his children 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