2 Samuel 22

¹ David sang the words of this song to the LORD when the LORD had rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

² This is what he sang: I "O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,

³ my God, my rock of refuge! My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge, my savior, from violence you keep me safe.

⁴ 'Praised be the LORD,' I exclaim, and I am safe from my enemies.

⁵ "The breakers of death surged round about me, the floods of perdition overwhelmed me;

⁶ The cords of the nether world enmeshed me, the snares of death overtook me.

⁷ In my distress I called upon the LORD and cried out to my God; From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry reached his ears.

⁸ "The earth swayed and quaked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and shook when his wrath flared up.

⁹ Smoke rose from his nostrils, and a devouring fire from his mouth; he kindled coals into flame.

¹⁰ He inclined the heavens and came down, with dark clouds under his feet.

¹¹ He mounted a cherub and flew, borne on the wings of the wind.

¹² He made darkness the shelter about him, with spattering rain and thickening clouds.

¹³ From the brightness of his presence coals were kindled to flame.

¹⁴ "The LORD thundered from heaven; the Most High gave forth his voice.

¹⁵ He sent forth arrows to put them to flight; he flashed lightning and routed them.

¹⁶ Then the wellsprings of the sea appeared, the foundations of the earth were laid bare, At the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the wind of his wrath.

¹⁷ "He reached out from on high and grasped me; he drew me out of the deep waters.

¹⁸ He rescued me from my mighty enemy, from my foes, who were too powerful for me.

¹⁹ They attacked me on my day of calamity, but the LORD came to my support.

²⁰ He set me free in the open, and rescued me, because he loves me.

²¹ "The LORD rewarded me according to my justice; according to the cleanness of my hands he requited me.

²² For I kept the ways of the LORD and was not disloyal to my God.

²³ For his ordinances were all present to me, and his statutes I put not from me;

²⁴ But I was wholehearted toward him, and I was on my guard against guilt.

²⁵ And the LORD requited me according to my justice, according to my innocence in his sight.

²⁶ "Toward the faithful you are faithful; toward the wholehearted you are wholehearted;

²⁷ Toward the sincere you are sincere; but toward the crooked you are astute.

²⁸ You save lowly people, though on the lofty your eyes look down.

²⁹ You are my lamp, O LORD! O my God, you brighten the darkness about me.

³⁰ For with your aid I run against an armed band, and by the help of my God I leap over a wall.

³¹ God's way is unerring; the promise of the LORD is fire-tried; he is a shield to all who take refuge in him."

³² "For who is God except the LORD? Who is a rock save our God?

³³ The God who girded me with strength and kept my way unerring;

³⁴ Who made my feet swift as those of hinds and set me on the heights;

³⁵ Who trained my hands for war till my arms could bend a bow of brass.

³⁶ "You have given me your saving shield, and your help has made me great.

³⁷ You made room for my steps; unwavering was my stride.

³⁸ I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, nor did I turn again till I made an end of them.

³⁹ I smote them and they did not rise; they fell beneath my feet.

⁴⁰ "You girded me with strength for war; you subdued my adversaries beneath me.

⁴¹ My enemies you put to flight before me and those who hated me I destroyed.

⁴² They cried for help-but no one saved them; to the LORD--but he answered them not.

⁴³ I ground them fine as the dust of the earth; like the mud in the streets I trampled them down.

⁴⁴ "You rescued me from the strife of my people; you made me head over nations. A people I had not known became my slaves;

⁴⁵ as soon as they heard me, they obeyed.

⁴⁶ The foreigners fawned and cringed before me; they staggered forth from their fortresses."

⁴⁷ "The LORD live! And blessed be my Rock! Extolled be my God, rock of my salvation.

⁴⁸ O God, who granted me vengeance, who made peoples subject to me

⁴⁹ and helped me escape from my enemies, Above my adversaries you exalt me and from the violent man you rescue me.

⁵⁰ Therefore will I proclaim you, O LORD, among the nations, and I will sing praise to your name,

⁵¹ You who gave great victories to your king and showed kindness to your anointed, to David and his posterity forever."