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2 Samuel 20-22
New King James Version
2 Samuel 20-22
New King James Version
The Rebellion of Sheba
20 And there happened to be there a [a]rebel, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet, and said:
(A)“We have no share in David,
Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse;
(B)Every man to his tents, O Israel!”
2 So every man of Israel deserted David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the (C)men of Judah, from the Jordan as far as Jerusalem, remained loyal to their king.
3 Now David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten women, (D)his concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in seclusion and supported them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4 And the king said to Amasa, (E)“Assemble the men of Judah for me within three days, and be present here yourself.” 5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah. But he delayed longer than the set time which David had appointed him. 6 And David said to (F)Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take (G)your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find for himself fortified cities, and escape us.” 7 So Joab’s men, with the (H)Cherethites, the Pelethites, and (I)all the mighty men, went out after him. And they went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. 8 When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came before them. Now Joab was dressed in battle armor; on it was a belt with a sword fastened in its sheath at his hips; and as he was going forward, it fell out. 9 Then Joab said to Amasa, “Are you in health, my brother?” (J)And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab’s hand. And (K)he struck him with it (L)in the stomach, and his entrails poured out on the ground; and he did not strike him again. Thus he died.
Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. 11 Meanwhile one of Joab’s men stood near Amasa, and said, “Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David—follow Joab!” 12 But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he moved Amasa from the highway to the field and threw a garment over him, when he saw that everyone who came upon him halted. 13 When he was removed from the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.
14 And he went through all the tribes of Israel to (M)Abel and Beth Maachah and all the Berites. So they were gathered together and also went after [b]Sheba. 15 Then they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maachah; and they (N)cast up a siege mound against the city, and it stood by the rampart. And all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down.
16 Then a wise woman cried out from the city, “Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, ‘Come nearby, that I may speak with you.’ ” 17 When he had come near to her, the woman said, “Are you Joab?”
He answered, “I am.”
Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your maidservant.”
And he answered, “I am listening.”
18 So she spoke, saying, “They used to talk in former times, saying, ‘They shall surely seek guidance at Abel,’ and so they would end disputes. 19 I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up (O)the inheritance of the Lord?”
20 And Joab answered and said, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not so. But a man from the mountains of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has raised his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city.”
So the woman said to Joab, “Watch, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.” 22 Then the woman (P)in her wisdom went to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. Then he blew a trumpet, and they withdrew from the city, every man to his tent. So Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.
David’s Government Officers
23 And (Q)Joab was over all the army of Israel; Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; 24 Adoram was (R)in charge of revenue; (S)Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; 25 Sheva was scribe; (T)Zadok and Abiathar were the priests; 26 (U)and Ira the Jairite was [c]a chief minister under David.
David Avenges the Gibeonites
21 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David (V)inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, “It is because of Saul and his [d]bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.” 2 So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but (W)of the remnant of the Amorites; the children of Israel had sworn protection to them, but Saul had sought to kill them (X)in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah.
3 Therefore David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless (Y)the inheritance of the Lord?”
4 And the Gibeonites said to him, “We will have no silver or gold from Saul or from his house, nor shall you kill any man in Israel for us.”
So he said, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”
5 Then they answered the king, “As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the territories of Israel, 6 let seven men of his descendants be delivered (Z)to us, and we will hang them before the Lord (AA)in Gibeah of Saul, (AB)whom the Lord chose.”
And the king said, “I will give them.”
7 But the king spared (AC)Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of (AD)the Lord’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 8 So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of (AE)Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of [e]Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she [f]brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite; 9 and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill (AF)before the Lord. So they fell, all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.
10 Now (AG)Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, (AH)from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.
11 And David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done. 12 Then David went and took the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the men of (AI)Jabesh Gilead who had stolen them from the street of [g]Beth Shan, where the (AJ)Philistines had hung them up, after the Philistines had struck down Saul in Gilboa. 13 So he brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there; and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged. 14 They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in (AK)Zelah, in the tomb of Kish his father. So they performed all that the king commanded. And after that (AL)God heeded the prayer for the land.
Philistine Giants Destroyed(AM)
15 When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint. 16 Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of [h]the (AN)giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David. 17 But (AO)Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, (AP)“You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the (AQ)lamp of Israel.”
18 (AR)Now it happened afterward that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then (AS)Sibbechai the Hushathite killed [i]Saph, who was one of the sons of [j]the giant. 19 Again there was war at Gob with the Philistines, where (AT)Elhanan the son of [k]Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed (AU)the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
20 Yet again (AV)there was war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was born to [l]the giant. 21 So when he (AW)defied Israel, Jonathan the son of [m]Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.
22 (AX)These four were born to [n]the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
Praise for God’s Deliverance(AY)
22 Then David (AZ)spoke to the Lord the words of this song, on the day when the Lord had (BA)delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 And he (BB)said:
(BC)“The Lord is my rock and my (BD)fortress and my deliverer;
3 The God of my strength, (BE)in whom I will trust;
My (BF)shield and the (BG)horn[o] of my salvation,
My (BH)stronghold and my (BI)refuge;
My Savior, You save me from violence.
4 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
5 “When the waves of death surrounded me,
The floods of ungodliness [p]made me afraid.
6 The (BJ)sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
7 In my distress (BK)I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He (BL)heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry entered His ears.
8 “Then (BM)the earth shook and trembled;
(BN)The foundations of [q]heaven quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
9 Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring (BO)fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
10 He (BP)bowed the heavens also, and came down
With (BQ)darkness under His feet.
11 He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
And He [r]was seen (BR)upon the wings of the wind.
12 He made (BS)darkness canopies around Him,
Dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
13 From the brightness before Him
Coals of fire were kindled.
14 “The Lord (BT)thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
15 He sent out (BU)arrows and scattered them;
Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them.
16 Then the channels of the sea (BV)were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered,
At the (BW)rebuke of the Lord,
At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
17 “He(BX) sent from above, 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 strong for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my (BY)support.
20 (BZ)He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He (CA)delighted in me.
21 “The(CB) Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the (CC)cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me.
22 For I have (CD)kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all His (CE)judgments were before me;
And as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 I was also (CF)blameless before Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
25 Therefore (CG)the Lord has [s]recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to [t]my cleanness in His eyes.
26 “With (CH)the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
27 With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And (CI)with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
28 You will save the (CJ)humble[u] people;
But Your eyes are on (CK)the haughty, that You may bring them down.
29 “For You are my (CL)lamp, O Lord;
The Lord shall enlighten my darkness.
30 For by You I can run against a troop;
By my God I can leap over a (CM)wall.
31 As for God, (CN)His way is perfect;
(CO)The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
32 “For (CP)who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
33 [v]God is my (CQ)strength and power,
And He (CR)makes [w]my way (CS)perfect.
34 He makes [x]my feet (CT)like the feet of deer,
And (CU)sets me on my high places.
35 He teaches my hands [y]to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your gentleness has made me great.
37 You (CV)enlarged my path under me;
So my feet did not slip.
38 “I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
39 And I have destroyed them and wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen (CW)under my feet.
40 For You have (CX)armed me with strength for the battle;
You have [z]subdued under me (CY)those who rose against me.
41 You have also [aa]given me the (CZ)necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
42 They looked, but there was none to save;
Even (DA)to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
43 Then I beat them as fine (DB)as the dust of the earth;
I trod them (DC)like dirt in the streets,
And I [ab]spread them out.
44 “You(DD) have also delivered me from the [ac]strivings of my people;
You have kept me as the (DE)head of the nations.
(DF)A people I have not known shall serve me.
45 The foreigners submit to me;
As soon as they hear, they obey me.
46 The foreigners fade away,
And [ad]come frightened (DG)from their hideouts.
47 “The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let God be exalted,
The (DH)Rock of my salvation!
48 It is God who avenges me,
And (DI)subdues the peoples under me;
49 He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the (DJ)violent man.
50 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among (DK)the Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your (DL)name.
51 “He(DM) is the tower of salvation to His king,
And shows mercy to His (DN)anointed,
To David and (DO)his descendants forevermore.”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 20:1 Lit. man of Belial
- 2 Samuel 20:14 Lit. him
- 2 Samuel 20:26 Or David’s priest
- 2 Samuel 21:1 Lit. house of bloodshed
- 2 Samuel 21:8 Merab, 1 Sam. 18:19; 25:44; 2 Sam. 3:14; 6:23
- 2 Samuel 21:8 Lit. bore to Adriel
- 2 Samuel 21:12 Beth Shean, Josh. 17:11
- 2 Samuel 21:16 Or Rapha
- 2 Samuel 21:18 Sippai, 1 Chr. 20:4
- 2 Samuel 21:18 Or Rapha
- 2 Samuel 21:19 Jair, 1 Chr. 20:5
- 2 Samuel 21:20 Or Rapha
- 2 Samuel 21:21 Shammah, 1 Sam. 16:9 and elsewhere
- 2 Samuel 21:22 Or Rapha
- 2 Samuel 22:3 Strength
- 2 Samuel 22:5 Or overwhelmed
- 2 Samuel 22:8 So with MT, LXX, Tg.; Syr., Vg. hills (cf. Ps. 18:7)
- 2 Samuel 22:11 So with MT, LXX; many Heb. mss., Syr., Vg. flew (cf. Ps. 18:10); Tg. spoke with power
- 2 Samuel 22:25 rewarded
- 2 Samuel 22:25 LXX, Syr., Vg. the cleanness of my hands in His sight (cf. Ps. 18:24); Tg. my cleanness before His word
- 2 Samuel 22:28 afflicted
- 2 Samuel 22:33 DSS, LXX, Syr., Vg. It is God who arms me with strength (cf. Ps. 18:32); Tg. It is God who sustains me with strength
- 2 Samuel 22:33 So with Qr., LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. (cf. Ps. 18:32); Kt. His
- 2 Samuel 22:34 So with Qr., LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. (cf. Ps. 18:33); Kt. His
- 2 Samuel 22:35 Lit. for the war
- 2 Samuel 22:40 Lit. caused to bow down
- 2 Samuel 22:41 given me victory over
- 2 Samuel 22:43 scattered
- 2 Samuel 22:44 contentions
- 2 Samuel 22:46 So with LXX, Tg., Vg. (cf. Ps. 18:45); MT gird themselves
2 Samuel 20-22
New International Version
2 Samuel 20-22
New International Version
Sheba Rebels Against David
20 Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted,
2 So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines(D) he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but had no sexual relations with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.
4 Then the king said to Amasa,(E) “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.” 5 But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.
6 David said to Abishai,(F) “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”[a] 7 So Joab’s men and the Kerethites(G) and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.
8 While they were at the great rock in Gibeon,(H) Amasa came to meet them. Joab(I) was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.
9 Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger(J) in Joab’s(K) hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri.
11 One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!” 12 Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt(L) there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him. 13 After Amasa had been removed from the road, everyone went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.
14 Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maakah and through the entire region of the Bikrites,[b](M) who gathered together and followed him. 15 All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maakah.(N) They built a siege ramp(O) up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down, 16 a wise woman(P) called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.” 17 He went toward her, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”
“I am,” he answered.
She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.”
“I’m listening,” he said.
18 She continued, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’ and that settled it. 19 We are the peaceful(Q) and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”(R)
20 “Far be it from me!” Joab replied, “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I’ll withdraw from the city.”
The woman said to Joab, “His head(S) will be thrown to you from the wall.”
22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice,(T) and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
David’s Officials
23 Joab(U) was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; 24 Adoniram[c](V) was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat(W) son of Ahilud was recorder; 25 Sheva was secretary; Zadok(X) and Abiathar were priests; 26 and Ira the Jairite[d] was David’s priest.
The Gibeonites Avenged
21 During the reign of David, there was a famine(Y) for three successive years; so David sought(Z) the face of the Lord. The Lord said, “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
2 The king summoned the Gibeonites(AA) and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.) 3 David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make atonement so that you will bless the Lord’s inheritance?”(AB)
4 The Gibeonites answered him, “We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death.”(AC)
“What do you want me to do for you?” David asked.
5 They answered the king, “As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel, 6 let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed(AD) before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul—the Lord’s chosen(AE) one.”
So the king said, “I will give them to you.”
7 The king spared Mephibosheth(AF) son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath(AG) before the Lord between David and Jonathan son of Saul. 8 But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah,(AH) whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab,[e] whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.(AI) 9 He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed them and exposed their bodies on a hill before the Lord. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death(AJ) during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning.(AK)
10 Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds touch them by day or the wild animals by night.(AL) 11 When David was told what Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, had done, 12 he went and took the bones of Saul(AM) and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead.(AN) (They had stolen their bodies from the public square at Beth Shan,(AO) where the Philistines had hung(AP) them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.)(AQ) 13 David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up.
14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish, at Zela(AR) in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that,(AS) God answered prayer(AT) in behalf of the land.(AU)
Wars Against the Philistines(AV)
15 Once again there was a battle between the Philistines(AW) and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. 16 And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels[f] and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. 17 But Abishai(AX) son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp(AY) of Israel will not be extinguished.(AZ)”
18 In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbekai(BA) the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.
19 In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair[g] the Bethlehemite killed the brother of[h] Goliath the Gittite,(BB) who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.(BC)
20 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. 21 When he taunted(BD) Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah,(BE) David’s brother, killed him.
22 These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.
David’s Song of Praise(BF)
22 David sang(BG) 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,(BH) my fortress(BI) and my deliverer;(BJ)
3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(BK)
my shield[i](BL) and the horn[j](BM) of my salvation.
He is my stronghold,(BN) my refuge and my savior—
from violent people you save me.
4 “I called to the Lord, who is worthy(BO) of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.
5 The waves(BP) of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
6 The cords of the grave(BQ) coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
7 “In my distress(BR) I called(BS) 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(BT) trembled and quaked,(BU)
the foundations(BV) of the heavens[k] shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire(BW) came from his mouth,
burning coals(BX) blazed out of it.
10 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds(BY) were under his feet.
11 He mounted the cherubim(BZ) and flew;
he soared[l] on the wings of the wind.(CA)
12 He made darkness(CB) his canopy around him—
the dark[m] rain clouds of the sky.
13 Out of the brightness of his presence
bolts of lightning(CC) blazed forth.
14 The Lord thundered(CD) from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
15 He shot his arrows(CE) 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(CF) of the Lord,
at the blast(CG) of breath from his nostrils.
17 “He reached down from on high(CH) and took hold of me;
he drew(CI) me out of deep waters.
18 He rescued(CJ) 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.(CK)
20 He brought me out into a spacious(CL) place;
he rescued(CM) me because he delighted(CN) in me.(CO)
21 “The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(CP)
according to the cleanness(CQ) of my hands(CR) he has rewarded me.
22 For I have kept(CS) the ways of the Lord;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
23 All his laws are before me;(CT)
I have not turned(CU) away from his decrees.
24 I have been blameless(CV) before him
and have kept myself from sin.
25 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(CW)
according to my cleanness[n] in his sight.
26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
27 to the pure(CX) you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(CY)
28 You save the humble,(CZ)
but your eyes are on the haughty(DA) to bring them low.(DB)
29 You, Lord, are my lamp;(DC)
the Lord turns my darkness into light.
30 With your help I can advance against a troop[o];
with my God I can scale a wall.
31 “As for God, his way is perfect:(DD)
The Lord’s word is flawless;(DE)
he shields(DF) all who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock(DG) except our God?(DH)
33 It is God who arms me with strength[p]
and keeps my way secure.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(DI)
he causes me to stand on the heights.(DJ)
35 He trains my hands(DK) for battle;
my arms can bend a bow(DL) of bronze.
36 You make your saving help my shield;(DM)
your help has made[q] me great.
37 You provide a broad path(DN) 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(DO) 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.(DP)
41 You made my enemies turn their backs(DQ) in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
42 They cried for help,(DR) but there was no one to save them—(DS)
to the Lord, but he did not answer.(DT)
43 I beat them as fine as the dust(DU) of the earth;
I pounded and trampled(DV) them like mud(DW) in the streets.
44 “You have delivered(DX) me from the attacks of the peoples;
you have preserved(DY) me as the head of nations.
People(DZ) I did not know now serve me,
45 foreigners cower(EA) before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.(EB)
46 They all lose heart;
they come trembling[r](EC) from their strongholds.
47 “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted(ED) be my God, the Rock, my Savior!(EE)
48 He is the God who avenges(EF) me,(EG)
who puts the nations under me,
49 who sets me free from my enemies.(EH)
You exalted me(EI) 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(EJ) of your name.(EK)
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 20:6 Or and do us serious injury
- 2 Samuel 20:14 See Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew Berites.
- 2 Samuel 20:24 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Kings 4:6 and 5:14); Hebrew Adoram
- 2 Samuel 20:26 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 23:38) Ithrite
- 2 Samuel 21:8 Two Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 1 Samuel 18:19); most Hebrew and Septuagint manuscripts Michal
- 2 Samuel 21:16 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
- 2 Samuel 21:19 See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew Jaare-Oregim.
- 2 Samuel 21:19 See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew does not have the brother of.
- 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
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.