2 Samuel 22 (ARST)

1After Yahweh had rescued David from Saul and his other enemies, David sang a song to Yahweh.And David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

2This is what he sang: “Yahweh, you are like a huge rock on top of which I can hide. You are like a fortress, and you rescue me.He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.

3Yahweh, you protect me. You are like a shield, and you are the powerful one who saves me. You are like a place where I find refuge. You save me from those who act violently toward me.My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence.

4I call out to you, Yahweh. You deserve to be praised, and you rescue me from my enemies.I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.

5I almost died. It was as if a huge wave had crashed over me, and almost destroyed me like a flood.For the waves of death engulfed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.

6I thought that I would die. It was as though death had wrapped ropes around me, and it was as though I were in a trap where I would surely die.The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

7But when I was very distressed, I called out to you, Yahweh. I cried out to you, my God. You heard me from your temple. You listened when I called to you to help me.In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried out to my God. And from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears.

8Then it was as though the earth quaked and shook. It was as though the foundations that held up the sky trembled, because you were angry.Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the heavens trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.

9It was as though smoke poured out of your nostrils and burning coals and fire that burns everything came out of your mouth.Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth.

10You tore open the skies and came down. There was a thick dark cloud under your feet.He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.

11You rode through the sky on a winged creature. The wind enabled you to travel swiftly, like a bird.He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.

12The darkness was around you, like a blanket thick clouds that were full of water surrounded you.He made darkness a canopy around Him, a gathering of water and thick clouds.

13Out of the lightning in front of you fire from burning coals flamed.From the brightness of His presence coals of fire blazed forth.

14Then, Yahweh, you spoke like thunder from the sky. It was your voice, God, you who are greater than all other gods, that was heard.The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

15When you sent flashes of lightning, it was as though you shot your arrows and scattered your enemies.He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed them.

16Then the bottom of the ocean was uncovered. The foundations of the world could be seen when you shouted, going into battle against our enemies and angry at them.The channels of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

17Yahweh, you reached down from heaven and lifted me up. You pulled me up from the deep water.He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.

18You rescued me from my strong enemies, from those who hated me. I could not defeat them because they were very strong.He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me.

19They attacked me when I was experiencing troubles, but Yahweh, you protected me.They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD was my support.

20You brought me into a place where I was safe. You rescued me because you were pleased with me.He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me.

21Yahweh, you rewarded me because I do what is right. You did good things for me because I was innocent.The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.

22Yahweh, I have obeyed your laws. I have not stopped worshiping you, my God.For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God.

23All of your decrees were in my mind, and I did not stop obeying all your decrees.For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.

24You know that I have not done anything that is evil. I have kept myself from doing things for which you would punish me.And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity.

25So you have rewarded me in return for my doing what is right, because you know that I am innocent of doing wrong things.So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight.

26Yahweh, you are faithful to those who always trust in you, and you always do what is good to those whose behavior is always good.To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;

27You act sincerely toward those whose inner beings are pure, but you are hostile to those who are perverse.to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.

28You rescue those who are humble, but you watch those who are proud and humiliate them.You save an afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.

29Yahweh, you are like a lamp that causes it to become light when I am in the darkness.For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness.

30With your strength I can break through a line of soldiers blocking my way; I can climb over the wall that surrounds their city.For in You I can charge an army; with my God I can scale a wall.

31My God whom I worship, everything that you do is perfect. You always do what you promise that you will do. You are like a shield to all those who request you to protect them.As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

32Yahweh, you are the only one who is God. Only you are like a huge rock on top of which which we are protected.For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?

33God, you whom I worship are a strong refuge for me. You lead anyone who is pure in the way he should go.God is my strong fortress, and He makes my way clear.

34When I walk in the mountains, you enable me to walk safely as a deer runs, without stumbling.He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.

35You teach me how to fight in a battle in order that I can shoot arrows well from a very strong bow.He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

36It is as though you have given me a shield by which you have saved me, and you have answered my prayers and caused me to become famous.You have given me Your shield of salvation, and Your gentleness exalts me.

37You have not allowed my enemies to capture me, and I have not fallen down during battle.You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.

38I pursued my enemies and defeated them. I did not stop fighting them until they were all killed.I pursued my enemies and destroyed them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.

39I struck them down. I stabbed them with my sword, and they fell down at my feet and did not stand up again.I devoured and crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet.

40You have given me strength for fighting battles and caused those who were attacking me to fall down; I trampled on them.You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.

41You caused my enemies to turn and run away from me. I destroyed those who hated me.You have made my enemies retreat before me; I destroyed those who hated me.

42They looked for someone to rescue them, but no one did. They cried out to you, Yahweh, for help, but you did not answer them.They looked, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but He did not answer.

43I crushed them, and they became like tiny particles of dust. I trampled them, and they became like mud in the streets.I ground them as the dust of the earth; I crushed and trampled them like mud in the streets.

44You rescued me from those who tried to rebel against me, and you appointed me to rule many nations. People whom I did not know previously are now under my authority.You have delivered me from the strife of my people; You have preserved me as the head of nations; a people I had not known shall serve me.

45Foreigners humbly bowed down in front of me. As soon as they heard about me, they obeyed me.Foreigners cower before me; when they hear me, they obey me.

46They became afraid, and they came to me, trembling, from the places where they were hiding.Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.

47Yahweh, you are alive! I praise you! You are like a huge rock on top of which I am safe! You are the one who rescues me. Everyone should exalt you.The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted—

48You enable me to conquer my enemies, and you cause people of other nations to be under my authority.the God who avenges me and brings down nations beneath me,

49You delivered me from my enemies, and you caused me to be honored more than they were. You rescued me from men who always acted violently.who frees me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.

50Because of all this, I praise you among many people groups, and I sing to praise you.Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.

51You enable me, whom you appointed to be king, to conquer my enemies. You faithfully love me, David, and you will love my descendants forever.”Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”

2 Samuel 22

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2 Samuel 22

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