Second Book of Samuel 22

¹ David addressed the words of this song to Yahweh when Yahweh had delivered him from all his enemies and from the hands of Saul.

² He said: Yahweh is my rock and my bastion,

³ my deliverer is my God. I take refuge in him, my rock, my shield, my horn of salvation, my stronghold and my refuge. From violence you rescue me.

⁴ He is to be praised; on Yahweh I call and am saved from my enemies.

⁵ The waves of death encircled me, the torrents of Belial burst on me;

⁶ the cords of Sheol girdled me, the snares of death were before me.

⁷ In my distress I called to Yahweh and to my God I cried; from his Temple he heard my voice, my cry came to his ears.

⁸ Then the earth quivered and quaked, the foundations of the heavens trembled (they quivered because he was angry);

⁹ from his nostrils a smoke ascended, and from his mouth a fire that consumed (live embers were kindled at it).

¹⁰ He bent the heavens and came down, a dark cloud under his feet;

¹¹ he mounted a cherub and flew, and soared on the wings of the wind.

¹² Darkness he made a veil to surround him, his tent a watery darkness, dense cloud;

¹³ before him a flash enkindled hail and fiery embers.

¹⁴ Yahweh thundered from heaven, the Most High made his voice heard;

¹⁵ he let his arrows fly and scattered them, launched the lightnings and routed them.

¹⁶ The bed of the seas was revealed, the foundations of the world were laid bare at Yahweh’s muttered threat, at the blast of his nostrils’ breath.

¹⁷ He sends from on high and takes me, he draws me from deep waters,

¹⁸ he delivers me from my powerful enemy, from foes too strong for me.

¹⁹ They assailed me on my day of disaster, but Yahweh was my support;

²⁰ he freed me, set me at large, he rescued me, since he loves me.

²¹ Yahweh requites me as I act justly, as my hands are pure so he repays me,

²² since I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and not fallen away from my God.

²³ His judgements are all before me, his statutes I have not put from me;

²⁴ I am blameless in his presence, I keep sin at arm’s length.

²⁵ And Yahweh repays me as I act justly, as my purity is in his sight.

²⁶ Faithful you are with the faithful, blameless with the blameless,

²⁷ pure with the one who is pure, but crafty with the devious,

²⁸ you save a people that is humble and humiliate eyes that are haughty.

²⁹ Yahweh, you yourself are my lamp, my God lights up my darkness;

³⁰ with you I storm the barbican, with my God I leap the rampart.

³¹ This God, his way is blameless, the word of Yahweh is without dross. He it is who is the shield of all who take refuge in him.

³² Who else is God but Yahweh, who else a rock save our God?

³³ This God who girds me with strength and makes my way without blame,

³⁴ who makes my feet like the hinds’ and holds me from falling on the heights,

³⁵ who trains my hands for battle, my arms to bend a bow of bronze.

³⁶ You give me your saving shield and your armour covers me over.

³⁷ Wide room you have made for my steps under me; my feet have never faltered.

³⁸ I pursue my enemies and destroy them, nor turn back till an end is made of them;

³⁹ I strike them down, and they do not rise, they fall, they are under my feet.

⁴⁰ You have girt me with strength for the fight, bent down my assailants beneath me,

⁴¹ made my enemies turn their backs to me; and those who hate me I destroy.

⁴² They cry out, there is no one to save, to Yahweh, but there is no reply;

⁴³ I crush them fine as the dust of the squares, trample them like the mud of the streets.

⁴⁴ You deliver me from a people in revolt, you place me at the head of the nations, a people I did not know are now my servants,

⁴⁵ foreigners come wooing my favour, no sooner do they hear than they obey me,

⁴⁶ foreigners grow faint of heart, they come trembling out of their fastnesses.

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

⁴⁸ the God who gives me vengeance and crushes the peoples beneath me,

⁴⁹ who rescues me from my enemies. You lift me high above those who attack me, you deliver me from the man of violence.

⁵⁰ For this I will praise you, Yahweh, among the heathen, and sing praise to your name.

⁵¹ His king he saves and saves again, displays his love for his anointed, for David and his heirs for ever.