2 Samuel 22
1AND David addressed the Lord in the words of this ode: on the day the Lord delivered him out of the hands of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul,
2he said in a psalm:
O Lord, Thou art my rock and my fortress.
It is He who delivered me; He shall be my God.
3He will be my guard, in Him I will trust;
He is my defence, and the horn of my salvation—
My helper and my refuge for safety.
From an unrighteous man Thou wilt save me.
4On the Lord, Who is praiseworthy, I will call,
And I shall be saved from mine enemies.
5Because troubles of death have surrounded me—
Floods of iniquity have filled me with horror—
6The pangs of death have compassed me about—
The bitterness of death hath invaded me.
7In my distress I will call on the Lord,
And to my God I will cry aloud.
From His holy temple He will hear my voice,
My cry will certainly reach His ears.
8The earth indeed was shaken—it trembled—
The fountains of heaven were convulsed, and quivered,
Because the Lord was incensed.
9At His indignation a smoke ascended,
A fire from His mouth devoureth.
By it coals are kindled to a glow.
10He bowed the heavens and came down,
And darkness was under His feet.
11He sat on the cherubim, and flew,
And appeared on the wings of wind.
12But He made darkness His covering;
His pavilion around Him was darkness of waters;
He condensed it with clouds of air.
13From the flashing lightning before Him
Flaming fires were kindled.
14The Lord thundered from heaven,
The Most High uttered His voice.
15He sent forth His bolts and scattered them:
He darted His lightning, and confounded them.
16Then were seen the outlets of the sea;
And the foundations of the earth were disclosed,
At the rebuke of the Lord—
At the blast of the breath of His anger.
17He sent from on high and took me;
He drew me out of many waters:
18He delivered me from mine enemies’ strength—
From them who hated me;
Because they were stronger than I.
19The days of my distress came on me unawares,
But the Lord was my firm support,
20And brought me out to a roomy place,
And delivered me, because He delighted in me.
21The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands He recompensed me;
22Because I kept the ways of the Lord,
And did not wickedly depart from my God—
23Because all His judgments were before me,
And from His statutes I did not depart;
24I therefore shall be blameless before Him,
And I will guard myself from my iniquity;
25And the Lord will reward me according to my righteousness—
According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
26With the beneficent Thou wilt shew Thyself beneficent,
With an upright man Thou wilt deal uprightly.
27With a warrior Thou wilt be a warrior,
And with the wily Thou wilt practice wiles.
28Thou wilt save the people who are dejected,
But haughty countenances Thou wilt bring down.
29Because Thou, O Lord, art my lamp,
Therefore the Lord will illume my darkness.
30For by Thee I can run like an honoured soldier,
And overleap walls by the help of my God.
31He is mighty Whose way is blameless.
The Word of the Lord is strong—is tried.
He is the defender of all them who trust in Him.
32Who is mighty, besides the Lord?
Who can build up, but our God?
33He who strengtheneth me is the Mighty One,
He hath cleared my way which is blameless.
34Thou makest my feet like the feet of hinds,
And steadiest me on the high places.
35Thou instructest my hands for battle,
And hast by my arm broken the bow of steel.
36Thou hast given me a guard for my safety;
And Thy attention hath enabled me
37To enlarge my steps under me,
So that my feet have not slipped.
38I shall pursue my enemies and destroy them,
And will not turn back till I consume them.
39I will break them so that they shall not rise,
When they shall have fallen under my feet.
40For Thou wilt gird me with strength for battle,
And bend under me my antagonists.
41Thou hast given me the back of my enemies;
And them who hate me Thou hast put to death.
42They may cry aloud but there is no help—
To the Lord, but He will not answer them.
43I beat them small as the dust of the earth;
I trampled them like the dirt of highways.
44From the tumult of tribes Thou wilt save me;
Thou wilt keep me to be the head of nations.
45A people which I knew not shall be my slaves,
Strangers have yielded me feigned obedience.
Soon as they heard they became submissive.
46Strange children shall be exposed to contempt;
They shall tumble down from their places of defence.
47The Lord liveth! and blessed be He, my guard!
Let my God, my safeguard, be exalted—
48The mighty Lord Who is my avenger,
Who chastiseth the people under me,
Who leadeth me out from my enemies,—
49From them who are stirred up against me Thou wilt raise me up.
From the man of violence, Thou wilt deliver me.
50For this cause I will give Thee thanks, O Lord, among the nations.
I will sing melodiously to Thy name.
51He is magnifying the deliverances of His own king,
And shewing mercy to His anointed—
To David and his seed forever.