2 Samuel 22

The Victory Song of David

¹Then David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song, on the day Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.[#This same song is recorded in Psa 18, with minor differences]

²And he said:

³I take refuge in God, my rock, my shield, and the strength of my salvation.[#So many LXX mss, Targum, Vulgate, and Psa 18:3. MT has “the God of my rock”; #Literally “horn”]

⁴I call upon Yahweh who is praiseworthy,

⁵For the breaker waves of death engulfed me;

⁶The ropes of Sheol entangled me;

⁷In my distress I called upon Yahweh, and to my God I called.

⁸The earth heaved and shook,

⁹Smoke went up from his nostrils and fire from his mouth.

¹⁰He bowed the heavens and came down;

¹¹He rode upon a cherub and flew;

¹²He put darkness as a canopy all around him,

¹³From the brightness before him

¹⁴Yahweh thundered from heaven,

¹⁵He sent arrows and he scattered them,

¹⁶Then the channels of water of the sea were exposed,

¹⁷He sent from a high position and took me;

¹⁸He delivered me from my strong enemies,

¹⁹They approached me on the day of my disaster,

²⁰He brought me out to a spacious place.

²¹Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness,

²²For I have kept the ways of Yahweh;

²³For all of his ordinances were before me,

²⁴I was blameless before him,

²⁵Yahweh has recompensed me according to my righteousness,

²⁶With the loyal, you act as loyal,

²⁷With the pure, you show yourself pure,

²⁸Humble people you will deliver,

²⁹For you, O Yahweh are my lamp,

³⁰For by you I can run a raid;

³¹This God, his way is blameless;

³²For who is God apart from Yahweh?

³³God is my strong refuge,

³⁴He makes my feet like a doe deer,[#Thus Qere; Kethib has “his feet”]

³⁵He trains my hands for the war,

³⁶You have given me the shield of your salvation;

³⁷You have broadened my steps beneath me;

³⁸I pursued those who hate me, and I destroyed them.

³⁹I wiped them out and I smashed them;

⁴⁰You have girded me with physical strength for the battle;

⁴¹My enemies you cause to retreat from me;[#Literally “Those who hate me you give to me back”]

⁴²They looked out, but there was no deliverer,

⁴³I beat them fine, like the dust of the earth;

⁴⁴You delivered me from the strife of my people;

⁴⁵Children of a foreign land came cringing to me;

⁴⁶Children of a foreign land lost heart

⁴⁷Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock!

⁴⁸God does vengeance for me,

⁴⁹He brings me out from my enemies,

⁵⁰Therefore I will extol you, Yahweh, among the nations!

⁵¹He makes great salvation for his king