2 Samuel 22

Chapter 22

David’s Song of Praise

1 David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul.

2 He sang:
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;3 my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
and my place of safety.
He is my refuge, my savior,
the one who saves me from violence.4 I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and he saved me from my enemies.5 “The waves of death overwhelmed me;
floods of destruction swept over me.6 The gravet wrapped its ropes around me;
death laid a trap in my path.7 But in my distress I cried out to the LORD;
yes, I cried to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry reached his ears.8 “Then the earth quaked and trembled.
The foundations of the heavens shook;
they quaked because of his anger.9 Smoke poured from his nostrils;
fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
Glowing coals blazed forth from him.10 He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.11 Mounted on a mighty angelic being,t he flew,
soaringt on the wings of the wind.12 He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.13 A great brightness shone around him,
and burning coalst blazed forth.14 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.15 He shot arrows and scattered his enemies;
his lightning flashed, and they were confused.16 Then at the command of the LORD,
at the blast of his breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.17 “He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters.18 He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
from those who hated me and were too strong for me.19 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
but the LORD supported me.20 He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.21 The LORD rewarded me for doing right;
he restored me because of my innocence.22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I have not turned from my God to follow evil.23 I have followed all his regulations;
I have never abandoned his decrees.24 I am blameless before God;
I have kept myself from sin.25 The LORD rewarded me for doing right.
He has seen my innocence.26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
to those with integrity you show integrity.27 To the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.28 You rescue the humble,
but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.29 O LORD, you are my lamp.
The LORD lights up my darkness.30 In your strength I can crush an army;
with my God I can scale any wall.31 “God’s way is perfect.
All the LORD’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.32 For who is God except the LORD?
Who but our God is a solid rock?33 God is my strong fortress,
and he makes my way perfect.34 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
enabling me to stand on mountain heights.35 He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.36 You have given me your shield of victory;
your helpt has made me great.37 You have made a wide path for my feet
to keep them from slipping.38 “I chased my enemies and destroyed them;
I did not stop until they were conquered.39 I consumed them;
I struck them down so they did not get up;
they fell beneath my feet.40 You have armed me with strength for the battle;
you have subdued my enemies under my feet.41 You placed my foot on their necks.
I have destroyed all who hated me.42 They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue.
They even cried to the LORD, but he refused to answer.43 I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I trampled themt in the gutter like dirt.44 “You gave me victory over my accusers.
You preserved me as the ruler over nations;
people I don’t even know now serve me.45 Foreign nations cringe before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they submit.46 They all lose their courage
and come tremblingt from their strongholds.47 “The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock!
May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!48 He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
he brings down the nations under me49 and delivers me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
you save me from violent opponents.50 For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.51 You give great victories to your king;
you show unfailing love to your anointed,
to David and all his descendants forever.”

2 Samuel 22

David's Song of Praise

1 David sang 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, my fortress and my deliverer;

3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent men you save me.

4 I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.

5 “The waves of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

6 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.

7 In my distress I called 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 trembled and quaked,
the foundations of the heavens shook;
they trembled because he was angry.

9 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.

10 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.

11 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.

12 He made darkness his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.

13 Out of the brightness of his presence
bolts of lightning blazed forth.

14 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.

15 He shot arrows and scattered the enemies ,
bolts of lightning and routed them.

16 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at the rebuke of the Lord,
at the blast of breath from his nostrils.

17 “He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.

18 He rescued 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.

20 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

21 “The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I have not done evil by turning from my God.

23 All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.

24 I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.

25 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness 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 crooked you show yourself shrewd.

28 You save the humble,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.

29 You are my lamp, O Lord;
the Lord turns my darkness into light.

30 With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.

31 “As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.

32 For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?

33 It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.

34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.

35 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

36 You give me your shield of victory;
you stoop down to make me great.

37 You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.

38 “I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

39 I crushed them completely, and they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.

40 You armed me with strength for battle;
you made my adversaries bow at my feet.

41 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.

42 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the Lord, but he did not answer.

43 I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.

44 “You have delivered me from the attacks of my people;
you have preserved me as the head of nations.
People I did not know are subject to me,

45 and foreigners come cringing to me;
as soon as they hear me, they obey me.

46 They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.

47 “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!

48 He is the God who avenges me,
who puts the nations under me,

49 who sets me free from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from violent men you rescued me.

50 Therefore I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.

51 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.”