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2 Samuel 22

New International Reader’s Version



1 David sang the words of this song to the LORD. He sang them when the LORD saved him from the power of all his enemies and of Saul. 2 He said, ‘The LORD is my rock and my fort. He is the God who saves me. 3 My God is my rock. I go to him for safety. He is like a shield to me. He’s the power that saves me. He’s my place of safety. I go to him for help. He’s my Saviour. He saves me from those who want to hurt me. 4 I called out to the LORD. He is worthy of praise. He saved me from my enemies. 5 ‘The waves of death were all around me. A destroying flood swept over me. 6 The ropes of the grave were tight around me. Death set its trap in front of me. 7 When I was in trouble I called out to the LORD. I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice. My cry for help reached his ears. 8 ‘The earth trembled and shook. The pillars of the heavens rocked to and fro. They trembled because the LORD was angry. 9 Smoke came out of his nose. Flames of fire came out of his mouth. Burning coals blazed out of it. 10 He opened the heavens and came down. Dark clouds were under his feet. 11 He got on the cherubim and flew. The wings of the wind lifted him up. 12 He covered himself with darkness. The dark rain clouds of the sky were like a tent around him. 13 From the brightness all around him flashes of lightning blazed out. 14 The LORD thundered from heaven. The voice of the Most High God was heard. 15 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy. He sent flashes of lightning and chased them away. 16 The bottom of the sea could be seen. The foundations of the earth were uncovered. It happened when the LORD’s anger blazed out. It came like a blast of breath from his nose. 17 ‘He reached down from heaven. He took hold of me. He lifted me out of deep waters. 18 He saved me from my powerful enemies. He set me free from those who were too strong for me. 19 They stood up to me when I was in trouble. But the LORD helped me. 20 He brought me out into a wide and safe place. He saved me because he was pleased with me. 21 ‘The LORD has been good to me because I do what is right. He has rewarded me because I lead a pure life. 22 I have lived the way the LORD wanted me to. I’m not guilty of turning away from my God. 23 I keep all his laws in mind. I haven’t turned away from his commands. 24 He knows that I am without blame. He knows I’ve kept myself from sinning. 25 The LORD has rewarded me for doing what is right. He has rewarded me because I haven’t done anything wrong. 26 ‘LORD, to those who are faithful you show that you are faithful. To those who are without blame you show that you are without blame. 27 To those who are pure you show that you are pure. But to those whose paths are crooked you show that you are clever. 28 You save those who aren’t proud. But you watch the proud to bring them down. 29 LORD, you are my lamp. You bring light into my darkness. 30 With your help I can attack a troop of soldiers. With the help of my God I can climb over a wall. 31 ‘God’s way is perfect. The LORD’s word doesn’t have any flaws. He protects like a shield all who go to him for safety. 32 Who is God except the LORD? Who is the Rock except our God? 33 God gives me strength for the battle. He keeps my way secure. 34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. He causes me to stand on the highest places. 35 He trains my hands to fight every battle. My arms can bend a bow of bronze. 36 LORD, you shield me with your saving help. Your help has made me great. 37 You give me a wide path to walk in so that I don’t twist my ankles. 38 ‘I chased my enemies and crushed them. I didn’t turn back until they were destroyed. 39 I crushed them completely so that they couldn’t get up. They fell under my feet. 40 LORD, you gave me strength to fight the battle. You caused my enemies to be humble in front of me. 41 You made them turn their backs and run away. So I destroyed my enemies. 42 They cried out for help. But there was no one to save them. They called out to the LORD. But he didn’t answer them. 43 I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth. I pounded them and walked on them like mud in the streets. 44 ‘You saved me when people attacked me. You have kept me as the ruler over nations. People I didn’t know serve me now. 45 People from other lands bow down to me in fear. As soon as they hear about me, they obey me. 46 All of them give up hope. They come trembling out of their hiding places. 47 ‘The LORD lives! Give praise to my Rock! Give honour to my God, the Rock! He is my Saviour! 48 He is the God who pays back my enemies. He brings the nations under my control. 49 He sets me free from my enemies. You have honoured me more than them. You have saved me from a man who wanted to hurt me. 50 LORD, I will praise you among the nations. I will sing your praise. 51 He gives his king great victories. He shows his faithful love to his anointed king. He shows it to David and his family for ever.’ 

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2 Samuel 22

English Standard Version



1 And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. (Ex 15:1; Jud 5:1; 1Ch 16:7) 2 He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, (De 32:4; Ps 18:2; Ps 31:3; Ps 71:3; Ps 91:2; Ps 144:2) 3 my[1] 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. (Ge 15:1; 2Sa 22:31; 2Sa 22:32; 2Sa 22:47; Ps 9:9; Ps 14:6; Ps 46:7; Ps 46:11; Ps 59:9; Ps 59:16; Ps 62:2; Ps 62:6; Ps 71:7; Pr 18:10; Jer 16:19; Lu 1:69; Heb 2:13) 4 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. (1Ch 16:25; Ps 48:1; Ps 96:4) 5 “For the waves of death encompassed me, the torrents of destruction assailed me;[2] (Ps 42:7; Ps 93:4; Jon 2:3) 6 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me. (Ps 116:3) 7 “In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears. (Ps 18:6; Ps 116:4; Ps 120:1; Jon 2:2) 8 “Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked, because he was angry. (Jud 5:4; Job 26:11; Ps 77:18; Ps 97:4) 9 Smoke went up from his nostrils,[3] and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him. (2Sa 22:13) 10 He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under his feet. (Ex 20:21; 1Ki 8:12; Ps 97:2; Ps 144:5; Isa 64:1) 11 He rode on a cherub and flew; he was seen on the wings of the wind. (Ps 104:3) 12 He made darkness around him his canopy, thick clouds, a gathering of water. (2Sa 22:10; Job 36:29) 13 Out of the brightness before him coals of fire flamed forth. (2Sa 22:9) 14 The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice. (Job 37:4; Ps 29:3) 15 And he sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning, and routed them. (De 32:23; Ps 7:13; Ps 77:17; Ps 144:6; Hab 3:11) 16 Then the channels of the sea were seen; the foundations of the world were laid bare, at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. (Ex 15:8) 17 “He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. (Ps 144:7) 18 He rescued 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 calamity, but the Lord was my support. 20 He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. (2Sa 15:26; Ps 31:8; Ps 118:5) 21 “The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. (1Sa 26:23; 1Ki 8:32; Ps 7:8; Ps 24:4) 22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God. (Ge 18:19; Pr 8:32) 23 For all his rules were before me, and from his statutes I did not turn aside. (Ps 119:30; Ps 119:102) 24 I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt. (Ge 6:9; Ge 17:1; Job 1:1) 25 And the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight. (2Sa 22:21) 26 “With the merciful you show yourself merciful; with the blameless man you show yourself blameless; (2Sa 22:24; Mt 5:7) 27 with the purified you deal purely, and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous. 28 You save a humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. (Ps 72:12; Isa 2:11; Isa 2:17; Lu 1:51) 29 For you are my lamp, O Lord, and my God lightens my darkness. (2Sa 21:17; Job 29:3; Ps 27:1) 30 For by you I can run against a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall. 31 This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. (De 32:4; 2Sa 22:3; Ps 5:12; Ps 33:20; Ps 59:11; Ps 84:9; Pr 30:5; Mt 5:48) 32 “For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? (2Sa 22:2) 33 This God is my strong refuge and has made my[4] way blameless.[5] (2Sa 22:2; Ps 28:8; Ps 31:3) 34 He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. (De 32:13; De 33:29; 2Sa 2:18; Isa 58:14) 35 He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. (Ps 144:1) 36 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your gentleness made me great. 37 You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet[6] did not slip; (Pr 4:12) 38 I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and did not turn back until they were consumed. 39 I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise; they fell under my feet. (Mal 4:3) 40 For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. (Ps 44:5; Ps 59:1) 41 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,[7] those who hated me, and I destroyed them. (Ex 23:27) 42 They looked, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them. (1Sa 28:6; Pr 1:28; Isa 1:15; Mic 3:4) 43 I beat them fine as the dust of the earth; I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets. (2Ki 13:7; Isa 10:6; Mic 7:10; Zec 10:5) 44 “You delivered me from strife with my people;[8] you kept me as the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me. (2Sa 8:1; Isa 55:5) 45 Foreigners came cringing to me; as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me. 46 Foreigners lost heart and came trembling[9] out of their fortresses. (Mic 7:17) 47 “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation, (De 32:15; 2Sa 22:3; 2Sa 22:32; Ps 89:26; Ps 95:1) 48 the God who gave me vengeance and brought down peoples under me, (Ps 144:2) 49 who brought me out from my enemies; you exalted me above those who rose against me; you delivered me from men of violence. (2Sa 22:40; Ps 140:1) 50 “For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations, and sing praises to your name. (Ro 15:9) 51 Great salvation he brings[10] to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.” (1Sa 16:12; 2Sa 7:12; Ps 89:20; Ps 89:29; Ps 144:10) 

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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.