22
David’s Song of Deliverance
1And David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him from the #22:1 Lit palmhand of all his enemies and from the #22:1 Lit palmhand of Saul. 2He said,
“Yahweh is my #22:2 Lit cragrock and my fortress and my deliverer;
3 # 22:3 Lit God of my rock My 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.
4“I call upon Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.
5“For the waves of death encompassed me;
The torrents of #22:5 Heb Belialvileness terrorized me;
6The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
7“In my distress I called upon Yahweh,
And I called to my God;
And out of His temple He heard my voice,
And my cry for help came into His ears.
8“Then the earth shook and quaked;
The foundations of heaven were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
9“Smoke went up #22:9 Or in His wrathout of His nostrils,
And fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.
10“He bowed the heavens and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.
11“He rode on a cherub and flew;
And He #22:11 Many mss spedappeared upon the wings of the wind.
12“And He made darkness #22:12 Or pavilionscanopies around Him,
A mass of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
13“From the brightness before Him
Coals of fire were kindled.
14“Yahweh thundered from heaven,
And the Most High gave forth His voice.
15“And He sent out arrows, and scattered them,
Lightning, and #22:15 Or routed themthrew them into confusion.
16“Then the channels of the sea appeared,
The foundations of the world were #22:16 Or uncoveredlaid bare
By the rebuke of Yahweh,
At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
17“He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
18“He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
19“They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
But Yahweh was my support.
20“He brought me forth also into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
21“Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
22“For I have kept the ways of Yahweh,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
23“For all His #22:23 Or judgmentjudgments were before me,
And as for His statutes, I did not depart from #22:23 Lit itthem.
24“I was also #22:24 Or complete, having integrityblameless toward Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
25“Therefore Yahweh has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to my cleanness before His eyes.
26“With the #22:26 Or holykind You show Yourself #22:26 Or holykind,
With the #22:26 Or having integrity; lit mightyblameless You show Yourself #22:26 Or having integrity; lit mightyblameless;
27With the pure You show Yourself pure,
And with the crooked You show Yourself #22:27 Lit twistedastute.
28“And You save an afflicted people;
But Your eyes are on the haughty whom You bring down.
29“For You are my lamp, O Yahweh;
And Yahweh illumines my darkness.
30“For by You I can #22:30 Or crush a trooprun upon a troop;
By my God I can leap over a wall.
31“As for God, His way is #22:31 Or having integrity; lit complete, perfectblameless;
The word of Yahweh is #22:31 Or tested, cf. Prov 30:5tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
32“For who is God, but Yahweh?
And who is a rock, but our God?
33“God is my strong fortress;
And He #22:33 Or sets freesets the #22:33 Or having integrity; lit complete, perfectblameless in #22:33 Or myHis way.
34“He makes #22:34 Or Hismy feet like hinds’ feet,
And sets me on my high places.
35“He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36“You have also given me the shield of Your salvation,
And Your answer to me makes me great.
37“You enlarge my steps under me,
And my ankles have not given way.
38“I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,
And I did not turn back until they were consumed.
39“And I have consumed them and crushed them, so that they did not rise;
And they fell under my feet.
40“For You have girded me with strength for battle;
You have #22:40 Lit caused to bow downsubdued under me those who rose up against me.
41“#22:41 Lit And as for my enemies, You have given me their necksYou have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
And I #22:41 Or silenceddestroyed those who hated me.
42“They looked, but there was none to save;
Even to Yahweh, but He did not answer them.
43“Then I beat them fine as the dust of the earth;
I pulverized and stamped them as the mire of the streets.
44“You have also delivered me from the contentions of my people;
You have kept me as head of the nations;
A people whom I have not known serve me.
45“Foreigners cower before me;
As soon as they hear, they obey me.
46“Foreigners fade away,
And #22:46 Lit gird themselves; the Heb is difficultcome trembling out of their #22:46 Lit fastnessesfortresses.
47“Yahweh lives, and blessed be my rock;
And let #22:47 Lit the God of the rockGod, the rock of my salvation, be lifted high,
48The God who executes vengeance for me,
And brings down peoples under me,
49Who also brings me out from my enemies;
You even lift me above those who rise up against me;
You rescue me from the violent man.
50“Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Yahweh, among the nations,
And I will sing praises to Your name.
51“He #22:51 Or is a towergives great salvation to His king,
And shows lovingkindness to His anointed,
To David and his seed forever.”