II Samuel 22
1David addressed the words of this song to GOD, after GOD had saved him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hands of Saul.
2He said:O ETERNAL One, my crag, my fortress, my deliverer!
3O God, the rock in which I take shelter:My shield, my mighty champion, my haven and refuge!My savior, You who rescue me from violence!
4All praise! I called on GOD And was delivered from my enemies.
5For the breakers of Death encompassed me,The torrents of Belial terrified me;
6The ropes of Sheol encircled me,The snares of Death engulfed me.
7In my anguish I called on the ETERNAL,Cried out to my God,Who from a heavenly abode heard my voice,Whose ears received my cry.
8Then the earth rocked and quaked,The foundations of heaven shook—Rocked by divine indignation.
9Smoke went up from God’s nostrils—Devouring fire from God’s mouth;Live coals blazing forth.
10[God] bent the sky and came down,Thick cloud beneath divine feet.
11[God] mounted a cherub and flew,And was seen on the wings of the wind.
12Pavilions of darkness all around,Dripping clouds, huge thunderheads;
13In the divine brillianceBlazed fiery coals.
14GOD thundered from heaven,The Most High gave forth voice—
15Letting shafts fly, and scattering them; Lightning, and routing them.
16The bed of the sea was exposed,The foundations of the world were laid bareBy the ETERNAL’s mighty roaring,At the blast of God’s breath.
17Reaching down from on high, [God] took me,Drawing me out of the mighty waters—
18Rescuing me from my fierce enemy,From foes too strong for me.
19They attacked me on my day of calamity,But GOD was my support.
20Bringing me out to freedom,Pleased with me enough to rescue me.
21GOD rewarded me according to my merit,Requiting the cleanness of my hands—
22For I have kept to the ways of GOD And have not been guilty before my God;
23For I am mindful of all God’s rulesAnd have not departed from God’s laws.
24I have been blameless before [God],And have guarded myself against sinning—
25And GOD has requited my meritAccording to my evident cleanness.
26With the loyal, You deal loyally;With the blameless hero, blamelessly.
27With the pure, You act in purity,And with the perverse, You are wily.
28To lowly folk You give victory,And You look with scorn on the haughty.
29You, O ETERNAL One, are my lamp; GOD lights up my darkness.
30With You, I can rush a barrier; “walls,” Aramaic gudda, “wall.” With my God, I can scale a wall.
31The way of God is perfect,The word of the ETERNAL is pure.[God] shields all who seek refuge.
32Truly, who is a god except the ETERNAL,Who is a rock except our God?—
33The God, my mighty stronghold, Who kept my path secure;
34Who made my legs like a deer’s,And set me firmly on the as a poetic form of bamoth; cf. Hab. 3.19; in contrast to others “my.” heights;
35Who trained my hands for battle—My arms can bend a bow of bronze!
36You have granted me the shield of Your protectionAnd Your providence has made me great.
37You have let me stride on freely;My feet have not slipped.
38I pursued my enemies and wiped them out,I did not turn back till I destroyed them.
39I destroyed them, I struck them down;They rose no more, they lay at my feet.
40You have girded me with strength for battle,Brought low my adversaries before me,
41Made my enemies turn tail before me,My foes—and I wiped them out.
42They looked, but there was none to deliver;To GOD, who did not answer them.
43I pounded them like dust of the earth,Stamped, crushed them like dirt of the streets.
44You have rescued me from the strife of peoples, Kept me to be at the head of nations;Peoples I knew not must serve me.
45Foreign peoples cringe before me,Are submissive at the mere report of me.
46Foreign peoples lose courageAnd come trembling out of their strongholds.
47The ETERNAL lives! Blessed is my rock!Exalted be God, the rockWho gives me victory;
48The God who has vindicated meAnd made peoples subject to me,
49Who rescued me from my enemies,Who raised me clear of my adversaries,Saved me from the lawless opposition!
50For this I sing Your praise, ETERNAL One, among the nationsAnd hymn Your name:
51Tower of victory and Ps. 18.51 read “He accords wondrous victories.” to Your king,Keeping faith with Your anointed,With David and his offspring evermore.