2 Samuel 22
22
Two poems by David
David sings to the LORD
(Psalms 18.1-50)
1David sang a song to the LORD after the LORD had rescued him from his enemies, especially Saul. These are the words to David's song:
2Our LORD and our God,
you are my mighty rock,#22.2 mighty rock: The Hebrew text has “rock”, which is sometimes used in poetry to compare the LORD to a mountain where his people can run for protection from their enemies.
my fortress, my protector.
3You are the rock
where I am safe.
You are my shield,
my powerful weapon,#22.3 powerful weapon: The Hebrew has “the horn”, which refers to the horn of a bull, one of the most powerful animals in ancient Palestine.
and my place of shelter.
You rescue me and keep me
from being hurt.
4I praise you, our LORD!
I prayed to you,
and you rescued me
from my enemies.
5Death, like ocean waves,
surrounded me,
and I was almost swallowed
by its flooding waters.
6Ropes from the world
of the dead
had coiled around me,
and death had set a trap
in my path.
7I was in terrible trouble
when I called out to you,
but from your temple
you heard me
and answered my prayer.
8Earth shook and shivered!
The columns supporting the sky#22.8 columns…sky: The sky was sometimes described as a dome that was held up by a foundation or pillars.
rocked back and forth.
You were angry
9and breathed out smoke.
Scorching heat and fiery flames
spewed from your mouth.
10You opened the heavens
like curtains,
and you came down
with storm clouds
under your feet.
11You rode on the backs
of flying creatures.#22.11 flying creatures: These were supernatural beings (see the note at 6.2).
You appeared#22.11 appeared: Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts “swooped down” (see Psalm 18.10).
with the wind as wings.
12Darkness was your tent!
Thunderclouds filled the sky,
hiding you from sight.
13Fiery coals lit up the sky
in front of you.
14 LORD Most High, your voice
thundered from the heavens.
15You scattered your enemies
with arrows of lightning.
16You roared at the sea,
and its deepest channels
could be seen.
You snorted,
and the earth shook
to its foundations.
17You reached down from heaven,
and you lifted me
from deep in the ocean.
18You rescued me from enemies
who were hateful
and too powerful for me.
19On the day disaster struck,
they came and attacked,
but you defended me.
20When I was fenced in,
you freed and rescued me
because you love me.
21You are good to me, LORD,
because I do right,
and you reward me
because I am innocent.
22I do what you want
and never turn to do evil.
23I keep your laws in mind
and never turn away
from your teachings.
24I obey you completely
and guard against sin.
25You have been good to me
because I do right;
you have rewarded me
for being innocent
by your standards.
26You are always loyal
to your loyal people,
and you are faithful
to the faithful.
27With all who are sincere
you are sincere,
but you treat the unfaithful
as their deeds deserve.
28You rescue the humble,
but you look for ways
to put down the proud.
29Our LORD and God,
you are my lamp.
You turn darkness to light.
30You help me defeat armies
and capture cities.
31Your way is perfect, LORD,
and your word is correct.
You are a shield for those
who run to you for help.
32You alone are God!
Only you are a mighty rock.#22.32 mighty rock: See the note at 22.2.
33You are my strong fortress,
and you set me free.
34You make my feet run as fast#He 3.19.
as those of a deer,
and you help me stand
on the mountains.
35You teach my hands to fight
and my arms to use
a bow of bronze.
36You alone are my shield,
and by coming to help me,
you have made me famous.
37You clear the way for me,
and now I won't stumble.
38I kept chasing my enemies
until I caught them
and destroyed them.
39I destroyed them!
I stuck my sword
through my enemies,
and they were crushed
under my feet.
40You helped me win victories
and forced my attackers
to fall victim to me.
41You made my enemies run,
and I killed them.
42They cried out for help,
but no one saved them;
they called out to you,
but there was no answer.
43I ground them to dust,
and I squashed them
like mud in the streets.
44You rescued me
from my stubborn people
and made me the leader
of foreign nations,
who are now my slaves.
45They obey and come crawling.
46They have lost all courage
and from their fortresses
they come trembling.
47You are the living LORD!
I will praise you!
You are a mighty rock.#22.47 mighty rock: See the note at 22.2.
I will honour you
for keeping me safe.
48You took revenge for me,
and you put nations
in my power.
49You protected me
from violent enemies,
and you made me much greater
than all of them.
50I will praise you, LORD,#Ro 15.9.
and I will honour you
among the nations.
51You give glorious victories
to your chosen king.
Your faithful love for David
and for his descendants
will never end.
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2 Samuel 22: CEVUK
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
2 Samuel 22
22
1 David spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul, 2and he said:
“The LORD is my rock,
my fortress,
and my deliverer, even mine;
3 God is my rock in whom I take refuge;
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
my high tower, and my refuge.
My savior, you save me from violence.
4 I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
5 For the waves of death surrounded me.
The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
6 The cords of Sheol#22:6 Sheol is the place of the dead. were around me.
The snares of death caught me.
7 In my distress, I called on the LORD.
Yes, I called to my God.
He heard my voice out of his temple.
My cry came into his ears.
8 Then the earth shook and trembled.
The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken,
because he was angry.
9 Smoke went up out of his nostrils.
Consuming fire came out of his mouth.
Coals were kindled by it.
10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down.
Thick darkness was under his feet.
11 He rode on a cherub, and flew.
Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness a shelter around himself,
gathering of waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
13At the brightness before him,
coals of fire were kindled.
14 The LORD thundered from heaven.
The Most High uttered his voice.
15 He sent out arrows and scattered them,
lightning and confused them.
16 Then the channels of the sea appeared.
The foundations of the world were laid bare by the LORD’s rebuke,
at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17 He sent from on high and 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 mighty for me.
19 They came on me in the day of my calamity,
but the LORD was my support.
20 He also brought me out into a large place.
He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
21 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness.
He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands.
22 For I have kept the LORD’s ways,
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his ordinances were before me.
As for his statutes, I didn’t depart from them.
24 I was also perfect toward him.
I kept myself from my iniquity.
25 Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
According to my cleanness in his eyesight.
26 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful.
With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect.
27 With the pure you will show yourself pure.
With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
28 You will save the afflicted people,
but your eyes are on the arrogant, that you may bring them down.
29 For you are my lamp, LORD.
The LORD will light up my darkness.
30 For by you, I run against a troop.
By my God, I leap over a wall.
31 As for God, his way is perfect.
The LORD’s word is tested.
He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God, besides the LORD?
Who is a rock, besides our God?
33God is my strong fortress.
He makes my way perfect.
34 He makes his feet like hinds’ feet,
and sets me on my high places.
35 He teaches my hands to war,
so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
36 You have also given me the shield of your salvation.
Your gentleness has made me great.
37 You have enlarged my steps under me.
My feet have not slipped.
38 I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them.
I didn’t turn again until they were consumed.
39 I have consumed them,
and struck them through,
so that they can’t arise.
Yes, they have fallen under my feet.
40 For you have armed me with strength for the battle.
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
41 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
that I might cut off those who hate me.
42 They looked, but there was no one to save;
even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them.
43Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth.
I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad.
44 You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people.
You have kept me to be the head of the nations.
A people whom I have not known will serve me.
45 The foreigners will submit themselves to me.
As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.
46 The foreigners will fade away,
and will come trembling out of their close places.
47 The LORD lives!
Blessed be my rock!
Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
48even the God who executes vengeance for me,
who brings down peoples under me,
49who brings me away from my enemies.
Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me.
You deliver me from the violent man.
50 Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations,
and will sing praises to your name.
51 He gives great deliverance to his king,
and shows loving kindness to his anointed,
to David and to his offspring, forever more.”
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