2 Samuel 22

David Sings to the Lord

1 s David sangt to the Lord the words of this song whent the Lord rescued him from the powert of all his enemies, including Saul.t

2 He said:
“The Lord is my high ridge,t my stronghold,ts my deliverer.

3 My Gods is my rocky summit where I take shelter,t
my shield, the horn that saves me,ts my stronghold,
my refuge, my savior. You save me from violence!t

4 I calledt to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,t
and I was delivered from my enemies.

5 The waves of death engulfed me;
the currentst of chaost overwhelmed me.t

6 The ropes of Sheolt tightened around me;t
the snares of death trapped me.t

7 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I called to my God.t
From his heavenly templet he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help.t

8 The earth heaved and shook;t
the foundations of the skyt trembled.t
They heaved because he was angry.

9 Smoke ascended fromt his nose;t
fire devoured as it came from his mouth;ts
he hurled down fiery coals.t

10 He made the sky sinkt as he descended;
a thick cloud was under his feet.

11 He mountedt a winged angelts and flew;
he glideds on the wings of the wind.s

12 He shrouded himself in darkness,s
in thick rain clouds.s

13 From the brightness in front of him
came coals of fire.s

14 The Lord thunderedt from the sky;
the sovereign Onet shouted loudly.ts

15 He shott arrows and scattered them,t
lightning and routed them.s

16 The depthst of the sea were exposed;
the inner regionst of the world were uncovered
by the Lord’s battle cry,t
by the powerful breath from his nose.t

17 He reached down from above and grabbed me;t
he pulled me from the surging water.t

18 He rescued me from my strong enemy,t
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.

19 They confrontedt me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me.t

20 He brought me out into a wide open place;
he delivered me because he was pleased with me.t

21 The Lord repaidt me for my godly deeds;t
he rewardedt my blameless behavior.t

22 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands;t
I have not rebelled against my God.t

23 For I am aware of all his regulations,t
and I do not reject his rules.t

24 I was blameless before him;
I kept myself from sinning.t

25 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds;t
he took notice of my blameless behavior.t

26 You prove to be loyalt to one who is faithful;t
you prove to be trustworthyt to one who is innocent.s

27 You prove to be reliablet to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptives to one who is perverse.t

28 You deliver oppressedt people,
but you watch the proud and bring them down.s

29 Indeed,t you are my lamp,sLord.
The Lord illuminess the darkness around me.t

30 Indeed,twith your helpt I can charget against an army;t
by my God’s powert I can jump over a wall.t

31 The one true God acts in a faithful manner;t
the Lord’s promise is reliable;t
he is a shield to all who take shelter in him.

32 Indeed,t who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protectort besides our God?t

33 The one true Godt is my mighty refuge;s
he removest the obstacles in my way.t

34 He gives me the agility of a deer;s
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.t

35 He trainst my hands for battle;t
my arms can bend even the strongest bow.t

36 You give met your protective shield;st
your willingness to help enables me to prevail.t

37 You widen my path;t
my feett do not slip.

38 I chase my enemies and destroy them;
I do not turn back until I wipe them out.

39 I wipe them out and beat them to death;
they cannot get up;
they fall at my feet.

40 You give me strength for battle;t
you make my foes kneel before me.t

41 You make my enemies retreat;t
I destroy those who hate me.

42 They cry out,s but there is no one to help them;t
they cry out to the Lord,t but he does not answer them.

43 I grind them as fine as the dust of the ground;
I crush them and stomp on them like clayt in the streets.

44 You rescue me from a hostile army;t
you preserve me as a leader of nations;
people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects.t

45 Foreigners are powerless before me;t
when they hear of my exploits, they submit to me.t

46 Foreigners lose their courage;t
they shake with fears as they leavet their strongholds.t

47 The Lord is alive!t
My protectort is praiseworthy!t
The God who delivers met is exalted as king!t

48 The one true God completely vindicates me;t
he makes nations submit to me.t

49 He delivers me from my enemies;t
you snatch me awayt from those who attack me;t
you rescue me from violent men.

50 So I will give you thanks, O Lord, before the nations!s
I will sing praises to you.t

51 He gives his chosen king magnificent victories;s
he is faithful to his chosen ruler,t
to David and to his descendants forever!”

2 Samuel 22

David's Song of Victory

1 When the LORD saved David from Saul and his other enemies, David sang this song to the LORD:

2 The LORD is my protector;
he is my strong fortress.
3 My God is my protection,
and with him I am safe.
He protects me like a shield;
he defends me and keeps me safe.
He is my savior;
he protects me and saves me from violence.
4 I call to the LORD,
and he saves me from my enemies.
Praise the LORD!
5 The waves of death were all around me;
the waves of destruction rolled over me.
6 The danger of death was around me,
and the grave set its trap for me.
7 In my trouble I called to the LORD;
I called to my God for help.
In his temple he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help.
8 Then the earth trembled and shook;
the foundations of the sky rocked and quivered
because God was angry!
9 Smoke poured out of his nostrils,
a consuming flame and burning coals from his mouth.
10 He tore the sky open and came down,
with a dark cloud under his feet.
11 He flew swiftly on his winged creature;t
he traveled on the wings of the wind.
12 He covered himself with darkness;
thick clouds, full oft water, surrounded him;
13 burning coals flamed up from the lightning before him.
14 Then the LORD thundered from the sky,
and the voice of Almighty God was heard.
15 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
with flashes of lightning he sent them running.
16 The floor of the ocean was laid bare,
and the foundations of the earth were uncovered
when the LORD rebuked his enemies
and roared at them in anger.
17 The LORD reached down from above and took hold of me;
he pulled me out of the deep waters.
18 He rescued me from my powerful enemies
and from all those who hate me—
they were too strong for me.
19 When I was in trouble, they attacked me,
but the LORD protected me.
20 He helped me out of danger;
he saved me because he was pleased with me.
21 The LORD rewards me because I do what is right;
he blesses me because I am innocent.
22 I have obeyed the law of the LORD;
I have not turned away from my God.
23 I have observed all his laws;
I have not disobeyed his commands.
24 He knows that I am faultless,
that I have kept myself from doing wrong.
25 And so he rewards me because I do what is right,
because he knows that I am innocent.
26 O LORD, you are faithful to those who are faithful to you,
and completely good to thoset who are perfect.
27 You are pure to those who are pure,
but hostile to those who are wicked.
28 You save those who are humble,
but you humble those who are proud.
29 You, LORD, are my light;
you dispel my darkness.
30 You give me strength to attack my enemies
and power to overcome their defenses.
31 This God—how perfect are his deeds,
how dependable his words!
He is like a shield
for all who seek his protection.
32 The LORD alone is God;
God alone is our defense.
33 This God is my strong refuge;
he makest my pathway safe.
34 He makes me sure-footed as a deer;
he keeps me safe on the mountains.
35 He trains me for battle,
so that I can use the strongest bow.
36 O LORD, you protect me and save me;
your help has made me great.
37 You have kept me from being captured,
and I have never fallen.
38 I pursue my enemies and defeat them;
I do not stop until I destroy them.
39 I strike them down, and they cannot rise;
they lie defeated before me.
40 You give me strength for the battle
and victory over my enemies.
41 You make my enemies run from me;
I destroy those who hate me.
42 They look for help, but no one saves them;
they call to the LORD, but he does not answer.
43 I crush them, and they become like dust;
I trample on them like mud in the streets.
44 You saved me from my rebellious people
and maintained my rule over the nations;
people I did not know have now become my subjects.
45 Foreigners bow before me;
when they hear me, they obey.
46 They lose their courage
and come tremblingt from their fortresses.
47 The LORD lives! Praise my defender!
Proclaim the greatness of the strong God who saves me!
48 He gives me victory over my enemies;
he subdues the nations under me
49 and saves me from my foes.
O LORD, you give me victory over my enemies
and protect me from violent men.
50 And so I praise you among the nations;
I sing praises to you.
51 God gives great victories to his king;
he shows constant love to the one he has chosen,
to David and his descendants forever.