2 Samuel – Chapter 22
Song of Thanksgiving
1David proclaimed the words of this song to the LORD when the LORD had rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the grasp of Saul.
2He said:
O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,
3my God, my rock of refuge!
My shield, my saving horn,
my stronghold, my refuge,
my savior, from violence you keep me safe
4Praised be the LORD, I exclaim!
I have been delivered from my enemies
5The breakers of death surged round about me,
the menacing floods terrified me;
6The cords of Sheol tightened;
the snares of death lay in wait for me
7In my distress I called out: LORD!
I cried out to my God;
From his temple he heard my voice,
my cry reached his ears
8The earth rocked and shook;
the foundations of the heavens trembled;
they shook as his wrath flared up
9Smoke rose in his nostrils,
a devouring fire from his mouth;
it kindled coals into flame
10He parted the heavens and came down,
a dark cloud under his feet
11Mounted on a cherub he flew,
borne along on the wings of the wind
12He made darkness the cover about him,
a mass of water, heavy thunderheads
13From the brightness of his presence
coals were kindled to flame
14The LORD thundered from heaven;
the Most High made his voice resound
15He let fly arrows and scattered them;
lightning, and dispersed them
16Then the bed of the sea appeared;
the world’s foundations lay bare,
At the roar of the LORD,
at the storming breath of his nostrils
17He reached down from on high and seized me,
drew me out of the deep waters
18He rescued me from my mighty enemy,
from foes too powerful for me
19They attacked me on a day of distress,
but the LORD came to my support
20He set me free in the open;
he rescued me because he loves me
21The LORD acknowledged my righteousness;
rewarded my clean hands
22For I kept the ways of the LORD;
I was not disloyal to my God
23His laws were all before me,
his decrees I did not cast aside
24I was honest toward him;
I was on guard against sin
25So the LORD rewarded my righteousness,
the cleanness of my hands in his sight
26 Toward the faithful you are faithful;
to the honest you are honest;
27Toward the sincere you are sincere;
but to the perverse you are devious
28Humble people you save,
though on the haughty your eyes look down
29You are my lamp, O LORD!
My God brightens the darkness about me
30With you I can rush an armed band,
with my God to help I can leap a wall
31God’s way is unerring;
the LORD’s promise is tried and true;
he is a shield for all who trust in him
32Truly, who is God except the LORD?
Who but our God is the rock?
33This God who girded me with might,
kept my way unerring,
34Who made my feet swift as a deer’s,
set me safe on the heights,
35Who trained my hands for war,
my arms to bend even a bow of bronze
36You have given me your protecting shield,
and your help has made me great
37You gave me room to stride;
my feet never stumbled
38I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till I destroyed them
39I struck them down, and they did not rise;
they fell dead at my feet
40You girded me with strength for war;
subdued adversaries at my feet
41My foes you put to flight before me;
those who hated me I destroyed
42They cried for help, but no one saved them,
cried to the LORD but got no answer
43I ground them fine as the dust of the earth;
like mud in the streets I trod them down
44You rescued me from the strife of my people;
you made me head over nations
A people I had not known became my slaves;
45Foreigners cringed before me;
as soon as they heard of me they obeyed
46Their courage failed;
they came trembling from their fortresses
47The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock!
Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation
48O God who granted me vindication,
subdued peoples under me,
49and helped me escape from my enemies,
Truly you have exalted me above my adversaries,
from the violent you have rescued me
50Thus I will proclaim you, LORD, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name
51You have given great victories to your king,
and shown kindness to your anointed,
to David and his posterity forever
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