The Second Book of Samuel

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 22 -

(Psalm 18:1–50)

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.

He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.

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.

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.

For the waves of death engulfed me; the torrents of chaos overwhelmed me.

The cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted 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.

Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the heavens

(a)

trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.

Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; glowing coals blazed forth.

He parted the heavens and came down with dark clouds beneath His feet.

He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared (b) on the wings of the wind.

He made darkness a canopy around Him, a gathering of water and thick clouds.

From the brightness of His presence coals of fire

(c)

blazed forth.

The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

He shot His arrows and scattered the foes; He hurled lightning and routed 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.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.

He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from foes too mighty for me.

They confronted me in my day of calamity, but the LORD was my support.

He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me.

The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.

For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God.

For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.

And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity.

So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight.(d)

To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;

to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.

You save an afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.

For You, O LORD, are my lamp; the LORD lights up my darkness.

For in You I can charge an army; with my God I can scale a wall.

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.

For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?

God is my strong fortress and He makes my way clear.

He makes my feet like those of a deer and stations me upon the heights.

He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You have given me Your shield of salvation, and Your gentleness exalts me.(e)

You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.

I pursued my enemies and destroyed them; I did not turn back until they were consumed.

I devoured and crushed them so they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet.

You have armed me with strength for battle; You have subdued my foes beneath me.

You have made my enemies retreat before me; I put an end to those who hated me.

They looked, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but He did not answer.

I ground them as the dust of the earth; I crushed and trampled them like mud in the streets.

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.

Foreigners cower before me; when they hear me, they obey me.

Foreigners lose heart and come trembling

(f)

from their strongholds.

The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted—

the God who avenges me and brings down nations beneath me,

who frees me from my enemies. You exalt me above my foes; You rescue me from violent men.

Therefore I will praise You, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to Your name.(g)

Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”

Footnotes

(a)22:8 Most Hebrew sources; Vulgate, Syriac, and two Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalms 18:7) mountains

(b)22:11 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalms 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts He was seen

(d)22:25 Hebrew; LXX and Vulgate (see also Psalms 18:24) according to the cleanness of my hands

(e)22:36 Or and Your help exalts me or and You stoop down to make me great

(f)22:46 Some LXX manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalms 18:45); MT and arm themselves

(g)22:50 Cited in Romans 15:9

(Psalm 18:1–50)

David spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul,

and he said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine;

God is my rock in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge. My savior, you save me from violence.

I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.

For the waves of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

The cords of Sheol

(a)

were around me. The snares of death caught me.

In my distress, I called on the LORD. Yes, I called to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry came into his ears.

Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.

Smoke went up out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.

He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.

He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind.

He made darkness a shelter around himself, gathering of waters, and thick clouds of the skies.

At the brightness before him, coals of fire were kindled.

The LORD thundered from heaven. The Most High uttered his voice.

He sent out arrows and scattered them, lightning and confused them.

Then the channels of the sea appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare by the LORD’s rebuke, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

He sent from on high and he took me. He drew me out of many waters.

He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.

He also brought me out into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.

The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness. He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands.

For I have kept the LORD’s ways, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

For all his ordinances were before me. As for his statutes, I didn’t depart from them.

I was also perfect toward him. I kept myself from my iniquity.

Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight.

With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect.

With the pure you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.

You will save the afflicted people, but your eyes are on the arrogant, that you may bring them down.

For you are my lamp, LORD. The LORD will light up my darkness.

For by you, I run against a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.

As for God, his way is perfect. The LORD’s word is tested. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.

For who is God, besides the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God?

God is my strong fortress. He makes my way perfect.

He makes his feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places.

He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.

You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your gentleness has made me great.

You have enlarged my steps under me. My feet have not slipped.

I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them. I didn’t turn again until they were consumed.

I have consumed them, and struck them through, so that they can’t arise. Yes, they have fallen under my feet.

For you have armed me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.

They looked, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them.

Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth. I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad.

You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people. You have kept me to be the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known will serve me.

The foreigners will submit themselves to me. As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.

The foreigners will fade away, and will come trembling out of their close places.

The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,

even the God who executes vengeance for me, who brings down peoples under me,

who brings me away from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.

Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name.

He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.”

Footnotes

(a)22:6 Sheol is the place of the dead.