The Second of Samuel 22:1-51

  • David praises God for his acts of salvation (1-51)

    • “Jehovah is my crag” (2)

    • Jehovah loyal to the loyal ones (26)

22  And David spoke to Jehovah the words of this song+ in the day that Jehovah rescued him out of the hand of all his enemies+ and out of Saul’s hand.+ 2  He said: “Jehovah is my crag and my stronghold+ and the One who rescues me.+  3  My God is my rock,+ in whom I take refuge,My shield+ and my horn* of salvation,* my secure refuge*+And my place to flee,+ my savior;+ you who save me from violence.  4  I call on Jehovah, who is worthy of praise,And I will be saved from my enemies.  5  The waves of death broke all around me;+Flash floods of worthless men terrified me.+  6  The ropes of the Grave* surrounded me;+The snares of death confronted me.+  7  In my distress I called on Jehovah,+To my God I kept calling. Then from his temple he heard my voice,And my cry for help reached his ears.+  8  Back and forth the earth began to shake and rock;+The foundations of the heavens trembled+And shook back and forth because he had been angered.+  9  Smoke ascended from his nostrils,And a consuming fire came from his mouth;+Glowing coals blazed from him. 10  He made the heavens bend as he descended,+And thick gloom was beneath his feet.+ 11  He rode on a cherub+ and came flying. He was visible on the wings of a spirit.*+ 12  Then he put darkness around him as a shelter,+In dark waters and thick clouds. 13  From the brightness before him fiery coals blazed. 14  Then Jehovah began to thunder from heaven;+The Most High made his voice heard.+ 15  He shot his arrows+ and scattered them;Lightning, and he threw them into confusion.+ 16  The bed of the sea became visible;+The foundations of the land were exposed by the rebuke of Jehovah,By the blast of the breath from his nostrils.+ 17  He reached down from on high;He took hold of me and pulled me from deep waters.+ 18  He rescued me from my strong enemy,+From those hating me, who were stronger than I was. 19  They confronted me on the day of my disaster,+But Jehovah was my support. 20  He brought me out into a place of safety;*+He rescued me because he was pleased with me.+ 21  Jehovah rewards me according to my righteousness;+He repays me according to the innocence* of my hands.+ 22  For I have kept the ways of Jehovah,And I have not wickedly abandoned my God. 23  All his judgments+ are before me;I will not deviate from his statutes.+ 24  I will remain blameless+ before him,And I will keep myself from error.+ 25  May Jehovah repay me according to my righteousness,+According to my innocence before him.+ 26  With someone loyal you act in loyalty;+With the blameless, mighty man, you deal blamelessly;+ 27  With the pure you show yourself pure,+But with the crooked you show yourself shrewd.*+ 28  For you save those who are humble,+But your eyes are against the haughty, and you abase them.+ 29  For you are my lamp, O Jehovah;+It is Jehovah who lights up my darkness.+ 30  With your help I can charge against a marauder band;By God’s power I can scale a wall.+ 31  The way of the true God is perfect;+The saying of Jehovah is refined.+ He is a shield to all those taking refuge in him.+ 32  For who is a God besides Jehovah?+ And who is a rock except our God?+ 33  The true God is my strong fortress,+And he will make my way perfect.+ 34  He makes my feet like those of a deer;He makes me stand on high places.+ 35  He trains my hands for warfare;My arms can bend a bow of copper. 36  You give me your shield of salvation,And your humility makes me great.+ 37  You widen the path for my footsteps;My feet* will not slip.+ 38  I will pursue my enemies and annihilate them;I will not return until they are wiped out. 39  And I will wipe them out and crush them, so that they will not rise up;+They will fall under my feet. 40  You will equip me with strength for the battle;+You will make my foes collapse under me.+ 41  You will make my enemies retreat from me;*+I will put an end to* those who hate me.+ 42  They cry for help, but there is no one to save them;They even cry to Jehovah, but he does not answer them.+ 43  I will pound them as fine as the dust of the earth;I will pulverize and trample them like mud in the streets. 44  You will rescue me from the faultfinding of my people.+ You will safeguard me to be the head of nations;+A people whom I have not known will serve me.+ 45  Foreigners will come cringing before me;+What they hear about me will make them obey me.* 46  Foreigners will lose courage;*They will come trembling from their strongholds. 47  Jehovah is alive! Praised be my Rock!+ Let the God of the rock of my salvation be exalted.+ 48  The true God executes vengeance for me;+He subdues the peoples under me;+ 49  He rescues me from my enemies. You lift me high+ above those who attack me;You save me from the man of violence.+ 50  That is why I will thank you, O Jehovah, among the nations,+And to your name I will sing praises:*+ 51  He performs great acts of salvation* for his king;+He displays loyal love to his anointed one,To David and his offspring* forever.”+

Footnotes

Or “my powerful savior.”
Or “secure height.”
Or “Sheol,” that is, the common grave of mankind. See Glossary.
Or “of the wind.”
Or “a roomy place.”
Lit., “the cleanness.”
Or possibly, “act as silly.”
Or “ankles.”
Or “You will give me the backs of my enemies.”
Lit., “silence.”
Lit., “At the hearing of the ear, they will obey me.”
Or “fade away.”
Or “make music.”
Or “great victories.”
Lit., “seed.”