2 Samuel 22

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 David addressed the words of this song to Yahweh, when Yahweh had delivered him from theclutches of all his enemies and from the clutches of Saul.	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 He said: Yahweh is my rock and my fortress,	2 This is what he sang: I "O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,
3 my deliverer is my God. I take refuge in him, my rock, my shield, my saving strength, my stronghold,my place of refuge. My Saviour, you have saved me from violence;	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 I cal to Yahweh, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my foes.	4 'Praised be the LORD,' I exclaim, and I am safe from my enemies.
5 With Death's breakers closing in on me, Belial's torrents ready to swal ow me,	5 "The breakers of death surged round about me, the floods of perdition overwhelmed me;
6 Sheol's snares on every side of me, Death's traps lying ahead of me,	6 The cords of the nether world enmeshed me, the snares of death overtook me.
7 I cal ed to Yahweh in my anguish, I cried for help to my God, from his Temple he heard my voice, mycry came to his ears!	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 Then the earth quaked and rocked, the heavens' foundations shuddered, they quaked at his blazinganger.	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, from his mouth devouring fire (coals were kindled at it).	9 Smoke rose from his nostrils, and a devouring fire from his mouth; he kindled coals into flame.
10 He parted the heavens and came down, a storm-cloud underneath his feet;	10 He inclined the heavens and came down, with dark clouds under his feet.
11 riding one of the winged creatures, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.	11 He mounted a cherub and flew, borne on the wings of the wind.
12 He wrapped himself in darkness, his pavilion dark waters and dense cloud.	12 He made darkness the shelter about him, with spattering rain and thickening clouds.
13 A brightness lit up before him, hail and blazing fire.	13 From the brightness of his presence coals were kindled to flame.
14 Yahweh thundered from the heavens, the Most High made his voice heard.	14 "The LORD thundered from heaven; the Most High gave forth his voice.
15 He shot his arrows and scattered them, his lightning flashed and routed them.	15 He sent forth arrows to put them to flight; he flashed lightning and routed them.
16 The very springs of ocean were exposed, the world's foundations were laid bare, at the roaring ofYahweh, at the blast of breath from his nostrils!	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 down from on high, snatched me up, pul ed me from the watery depths,	17 "He reached out from on high and grasped me; he drew me out of the deep waters.
18 rescued me from my mighty foe, from my enemies who were stronger than I.	18 He rescued me from my mighty enemy, from my foes, who were too powerful for me.
19 They assailed me on my day of disaster, but Yahweh was there to support me,	19 They attacked me on my day of calamity, but the LORD came to my support.
20 he freed me, set me at large, he rescued me, because he loves me.	20 He set me free in the open, and rescued me, because he loves me.
21 Yahweh rewards me for my uprightness, as my hands are pure so he repays me,	21 "The LORD rewarded me according to my justice; according to the cleanness of my hands he requited me.
22 since I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and not fal en away from my God.	22 For I kept the ways of the LORD and was not disloyal to my God.
23 His judgements are al before me, his statutes I have not put away from me;	23 For his ordinances were all present to me, and his statutes I put not from me;
24 I am blameless before him, I keep myself clear of evil.	24 But I was wholehearted toward him, and I was on my guard against guilt.
25 Hence Yahweh repaid me for acting uprightly because he could see I was pure.	25 And the LORD requited me according to my justice, according to my innocence in his sight.
26 Faithful you are to the faithful, blameless with the blameless,	26 "Toward the faithful you are faithful; toward the wholehearted you are wholehearted;
27 sincere to the sincere but cunning to the crafty,	27 Toward the sincere you are sincere; but toward the crooked you are astute.
28 you save a people that is humble and humiliate those with haughty looks.	28 You save lowly people, though on the lofty your eyes look down.
29 Yahweh, you yourself are my lamp, my God lights up my darkness;	29 You are my lamp, O LORD! O my God, you brighten the darkness about me.
30 with you I storm the rampart with my God I can scale any wal .	30 For with your aid I run against an armed band, and by the help of my God I leap over a wall.
31 This God, his way is blameless; the word of Yahweh is refined in the furnace, for he alone is theshield of al who take refuge in him.	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 but Yahweh, who is a rock but our God:	32 "For who is God except the LORD? Who is a rock save our God?
33 this God who girds me with strength, who makes my way free from blame,	33 The God who girded me with strength and kept my way unerring;
34 who makes me as swift as a deer and sets me firmly on the heights,	34 Who made my feet swift as those of hinds and set me on the heights;
35 who trains my hands for battle my arms to bend a bow of bronze.	35 Who trained my hands for war till my arms could bend a bow of brass.
36 You give me your invincible shield, you never cease to listen to me,	36 "You have given me your saving shield, and your help has made me great.
37 you give me the strides of a giant, give me ankles that never weaken-	37 You made room for my steps; unwavering was my stride.
38 I pursue my enemies and exterminate them, not turning back till they are annihilated;	38 I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, nor did I turn again till I made an end of them.
39 I strike them down, and they cannot rise, they fal , they are under my feet.	39 I smote them and they did not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
40 You have girded me with strength for the fight, bent down my assailants beneath me,	40 "You girded me with strength for war; you subdued my adversaries beneath me.
41 made my enemies retreat before me; and those who hate me I destroy.	41 My enemies you put to flight before me and those who hated me I destroyed.
42 They cry out, there is no one to save, to Yahweh, but no answer comes.	42 They cried for help-but no one saved them; to the LORD--but he answered them not.
43 I crumble them like the dust of the squares, trample them like the mud of the streets.	43 I ground them fine as the dust of the earth; like the mud in the streets I trampled them down.
44 You free me from the quarrels of my people, you place me at the head of the nations, a people I didnot know are now my servants,	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 foreigners come wooing my favour, no sooner do they hear than they obey me,	45 as soon as they heard me, they obeyed.
46 foreigners grow faint of heart, they come trembling out of their fastnesses.	46 The foreigners fawned and cringed before me; they staggered forth from their fortresses."
47 Life to Yahweh! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be the God of my salvation,	47 "The LORD live! And blessed be my Rock! Extolled be my God, rock of my salvation.
48 the God who gives me vengeance and crushes the peoples under me,	48 O God, who granted me vengeance, who made peoples subject to me
49 who takes me away from my enemies. You lift me high above those who attack me, you deliver mefrom the man of violence.	49 and helped me escape from my enemies, Above my adversaries you exalt me and from the violent man you rescue me.
50 For this I wil praise you, Yahweh, among the nations, and sing praise to your name.	50 Therefore will I proclaim you, O LORD, among the nations, and I will sing praise to your name,
51 He saves his king, time after time, displays faithful love for his anointed, for David and his heirs forever.	51 You who gave great victories to your king and showed kindness to your anointed, to David and his posterity forever."