2 Samuel 22

1David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song on the day Yahweh rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

2He said: “Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my own deliverer;

3my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence.

4I call on Yahweh, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

5For the waves of death swirled around me; the torrents of destruction terrified me.

6The cords of Sheol coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

7In my distress I called on Yahweh; I called to my God. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry reached his ears.

8Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and shook, because he was angry.

9Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire came from his mouth; burning coals blazed out from it.

10He bent the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet.

11He rode on a cherub and flew; he appeared on the wings of the wind.

12He made darkness a canopy around him: a mass of waters, thick clouds of the skies.

13Out of the brightness before him coals of fire blazed.

14Yahweh thundered from heaven; the Most High raised his voice.

15He shot arrows and scattered them; he sent lightning and routed them.

16Then the channels of the sea were exposed, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at the rebuke of Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

17He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

18He rescued me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.

19They confronted me on the day of my disaster, but Yahweh was my support.

20He brought me out into a wide-open place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.

21Yahweh has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

22For I have kept the ways of Yahweh and have not wickedly turned away from my God.

23For all his rulings are before me, and I have not turned aside from his statutes.

24I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.

25So Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.

26With the faithful you show yourself faithful; with the blameless warrior you show yourself blameless.

27With the pure you show yourself pure, but with the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

28You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the proud, to bring them down.

29For you are my lamp, Yahweh; Yahweh lights up my darkness.

30With you I can charge against a troop; with my God I can leap over a wall.

31As for God, his way is blameless; the word of Yahweh is proven true; he is a shield to all who take refuge in him.

32For who is God besides Yahweh? And who is a rock except our God?

33God is my strong fortress, and he has made my way blameless.

34He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and sets me secure on my heights.

35He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

36You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your help makes me great.

37You make a wide path for my steps beneath me, and my ankles have not given way.

38I pursued my enemies and destroyed them; I did not turn back until they were finished.

39I finished them off and crushed them, so that they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.

40You armed me with strength for battle; you made those who rose against me bow down beneath me.

41You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and I destroyed those who hated me.

42They looked for help, but there was no one to save them; they looked to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.

43I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I crushed them and trampled them like mud in the streets.

44You rescued me from the attacks of my people; you kept me as head of the nations; a people I did not know now serve me.

45Foreigners come cringing to me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.

46Foreigners lose heart; they come trembling out of their strongholds.

47Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,

48the God who gives me vengeance and brings peoples down under me,

49who brings me out from my enemies. You lift me high above those who rise against me; you deliver me from violent men.

50Therefore I will praise you among the nations, Yahweh, and sing praises to your name.

51He is a tower of salvation for his king; he shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”