2 Samuel 22

“The LORD is my rock,

my fortress,

and my deliverer, even mine;

³God is my rock in whom I take refuge;

my shield, and the horn of my salvation,

my high tower, and my refuge.

My saviour, you save me from violence.

⁴I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;

So shall I be saved from my enemies.

⁵For the waves of death surrounded me.

The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

⁶The cords of Sheol were around me.

The snares of death caught me.

⁷In my distress, I called on the LORD.

Yes, I called to my God.

He heard my voice out of his temple.

My cry came into his ears.

⁸Then the earth shook and trembled.

The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken,

because he was angry.

⁹Smoke went up out of his nostrils.

Consuming fire came out of his mouth.

Coals were kindled by it.

¹⁰He bowed the heavens also, and came down.

Thick darkness was under his feet.

¹¹He rode on a cherub, and flew.

Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind.

¹²He made darkness a shelter around himself,

gathering of waters, and thick clouds of the skies.

¹³At the brightness before him,

coals of fire were kindled.

¹⁴The LORD thundered from heaven.

The Most High uttered his voice.

¹⁵He sent out arrows and scattered them,

lightning and confused them.

¹⁶Then the channels of the sea appeared.

The foundations of the world were laid bare by the LORD’s rebuke,

at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

¹⁷He sent from on high and he took me.

He drew me out of many waters.

¹⁸He delivered me from my strong enemy,

from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

¹⁹They came on me in the day of my calamity,

but the LORD was my support.

²⁰He also brought me out into a large place.

He delivered me, because he delighted in me.

²¹The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness.

He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands.

²²For I have kept the LORD’s ways,

and have not wickedly departed from my God.

²³For all his ordinances were before me.

As for his statutes, I didn’t depart from them.

²⁴I was also perfect towards him.

I kept myself from my iniquity.

²⁵Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,

According to my cleanness in his eyesight.

²⁶With the merciful you will show yourself merciful.

With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect.

²⁷With the pure you will show yourself pure.

With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.

²⁸You will save the afflicted people,

but your eyes are on the arrogant, that you may bring them down.

²⁹For you are my lamp, LORD.

The LORD will light up my darkness.

³⁰For by you, I run against a troop.

By my God, I leap over a wall.

³¹As for God, his way is perfect.

The LORD’s word is tested.

He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.

³²For who is God, besides the LORD?

Who is a rock, besides our God?

³³God is my strong fortress.

He makes my way perfect.

³⁴He makes his feet like hinds’ feet,

and sets me on my high places.

³⁵He teaches my hands to war,

so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.

³⁶You have also given me the shield of your salvation.

Your gentleness has made me great.

³⁷You have enlarged my steps under me.

My feet have not slipped.

³⁸I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them.

I didn’t turn again until they were consumed.

³⁹I have consumed them,

and struck them through,

so that they can’t arise.

Yes, they have fallen under my feet.

⁴⁰For you have armed me with strength for the battle.

You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

⁴¹You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,

that I might cut off those who hate me.

⁴²They looked, but there was no one to save;

even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them.

⁴³Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth.

I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad.

⁴⁴You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people.

You have kept me to be the head of the nations.

A people whom I have not known will serve me.

⁴⁵The foreigners will submit themselves to me.

As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.

⁴⁶The foreigners will fade away,

and will come trembling out of their close places.

⁴⁷The LORD lives!

Blessed be my rock!

Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,

⁴⁸even the God who executes vengeance for me,

who brings down peoples under me,

⁴⁹who brings me away from my enemies.

Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me.

You deliver me from the violent man.

⁵⁰Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, amongst the nations,

and will sing praises to your name.

⁵¹He gives great deliverance to his king,

and shows loving kindness to his anointed,

to David and to his offspring, forever more.”