22 David wrote this song when the Lord saved him from the power of his enemies when Saul was king.
2 This is what he sang:
‘The Lord keeps me safe.
He is my great rock and my strong place.
3 My God is my high rock.
I run to him to hide and be safe.
He keeps me safe like a soldier's shield.
He is the strong place where I can hide safely.
God, you have saved me from men who want to attack me.
4 I praise the Lord because he deserves it!
When I called to him for help,
he saved me from my enemies.
5 Death was near enough to catch me!
Danger was like a river that wanted to drown me.
6 Death was tying me up with ropes,
to pull me into the deep hole of the grave.
7 In my trouble I prayed to the Lord .
I called to my God to help me.
He heard my voice from his home in heaven.
My prayer reached his ears.
8 Then the earth moved and it shook.
Even the sky shook,
because God was angry.
9 He breathed out smoke from his nose.
Fire and hot coals came out from his mouth,
to destroy his enemies.
10 God caused the sky to bend as he came down.
Dark clouds were under his feet.
11 He sat on a cherub and he flew.
He flew like the wind.
12 God put darkness all round him.
He hid himself under dark clouds that held rain.
13 Bright light went in front of him.
There was lightning like hot coals!
14 The Lord sent thunder from the sky.
People everywhere heard the voice of the Most High God.
15 The Lord shot arrows of lightning.
He caused his enemies to run away.
16 When the Lord shouted against his enemies,
even the bottom of the deep sea appeared.
People could see the deepest places of the earth,
when he breathed out in anger.
17 The Lord reached down to me from above.
He took hold of me and he pulled me up out of the deep water.
18 Yes, he saved me from my powerful enemies.
The people who hated me were too strong for me,
but the Lord saved me from their power.
19 They attacked me when I was in trouble,
but the Lord helped me.
20 He led me out to an open place where I would be safe.
He saved me because I made him happy.
21 The Lord was kind to me
because I do things that please him.
He blesses me
because I am not guilty of bad things.
22 I have obeyed the Lord 's commands.
I have not turned against my God.
23 I understand all his rules,
and I do not refuse to obey them.
24 He knows that I have done nothing that is wrong.
I kept away from any sin.
25 The Lord was kind to me,
because I did good things.
He sees that I am not guilty.
26 Lord , if people are faithful to you,
then you are faithful to them.
If people do nothing that is bad,
they can trust you to do nothing bad to them.
27 If people keep themselves pure,
they can trust you to do only good things.
But if people are wicked,
you turn against them.
28 You save people who are humble.
But if people are proud, you cause them to fall.
29 Lord , you make my lamp burn brightly.
You are my light in the dark.
30 You make me strong,
so that I can chase a whole army!
With the help of my God,
I can climb over any high wall.
31 God's way is perfect.
The Lord 's promises are always true.
He keeps safe everyone who goes to him for help,
like a shield that keeps a soldier safe.
32 We know that the Lord is God,
and no one else.
Only our God can keep us safe,
like a strong rock!
33 It is God who makes me strong.
He shows me the safe way through my life.
34 He makes my feet stand strongly on the ground.
Like a deer,
I can stand on high hills and not fall.
35 He teaches me how to fight in war.
He makes my arms strong
to shoot arrows from a metal bow.
36 You keep me safe in the battle,
like a shield.
Your kind help has made me great.
37 You have helped me to move safely,
so that my feet do not slip.
38 I ran after my enemies and I destroyed them.
I did not turn back until I had killed them.
39 I destroyed them completely.
I knocked them down to the ground.
They could not get up again.
They fell under my feet.
40 You have made me strong to fight battles
so that I win against my enemies.
41 You caused my enemies to turn their backs,
and they ran away from me.
I destroyed those who hate me.
42 They called out for help,
but nobody was there to save them.
They called to the Lord ,
but he did not answer them.
43 I beat them until they became like dust.
I walked over them,
like dirt that lies on the streets.
44 You have saved me when my people were attacking me.
You have made me a ruler of other nations.
People that I did not know before
now serve me as their ruler.
45 Foreign people cannot stand against me,
because they are afraid.
When they hear about me,
they choose to obey me.
46 They are not brave enough to fight me.
They shake with fear
as they leave their strong cities.
47 The Lord is alive! He is my strong Rock!
Everyone should praise him!
He rules as king!
He is the strong God who saves me.
48 He is the true God who punishes my enemies.
He makes the nations obey me.
49 He is the one who saves me from my enemies.
Yes, God, you give me power
to win against those who attack me.
You keep me safe from angry and cruel men.
50 Lord , I will thank you,
so that all the nations know about you.
I will sing to praise your name.
51 Yes, the Lord gives power to me, David, his king.
He gives me great strength to win against my enemies.
I am the special king that he has chosen.
He will continue to be kind to me
and to my descendants for ever.’
22 [ a ] David sang this song to the Lord when the Lord saved him from Saul and all his other enemies.
2 The Lord is my Rock, my fortress, my place of safety.
3 He is my God, the Rock I run to for protection.
He is my shield; by his power I am saved. [ b ]
He is my hiding place, my place of safety, high in the hills.
He is my savior, the one
who rescues me from the cruel enemy.
4 I called to the Lord for help,
and he saved me from my enemies.
He is worthy of my praise!
5 Waves of death were crashing around me.
A deadly flood was carrying me away.
6 The ropes of the grave wrapped around me.
Death set its trap right there in front of me.
7 In my trouble I called to the Lord .
Yes, I cried out to my God for help.
There in his temple he heard my voice.
He heard my cry for help.
8 The earth shook and shivered.
The foundations of heaven trembled.
They shook because he was angry!
9 Smoke came from his nose.
Burning flames came from his mouth.
Red-hot coals fell from him.
10 He tore open the sky and came down.
He stood on a thick, dark cloud.
11 He flew across the sky, riding on a Cherub angel,
gliding on the wings of the wind.
12 He wrapped himself in darkness that covered him like a tent.
He was hidden by dark clouds filled with water.
13 Out of the brightness before him,
flashes of lightning came down.
14 The Lord thundered from the sky.
God Most High let his voice be heard.
15 He scattered the enemy with his arrows—
the lightning bolts that threw them into confusion.
16 The Lord shouted his command,
and a powerful wind began to blow. [ c ]
Then the bottom of the sea could be seen,
and the earth’s foundations were uncovered.
17 The Lord reached down from above and grabbed me.
He pulled me from the deep water.
18 He saved me from my powerful enemies, who hated me.
They were too strong for me, so he saved me.
19 They attacked me in my time of trouble,
but the Lord was there to support me.
20 He was pleased with me, so he rescued me.
He took me to a safe place.
21 The Lord rewarded me for doing what is right.
He was good to me because I am innocent.
22 The Lord did this because I have obeyed him.
I have not turned against my God.
23 I always remembered his laws.
I never stopped following his rules.
24 He knows I did nothing that was wrong.
I have kept myself from sinning.
25 So the Lord rewarded me for doing what is right.
He could see that I am innocent.
26 Lord, you are faithful to those who are faithful.
You are good to those who are good.
27 You never do wrong to those who have done no wrong.
But you outsmart the wicked, no matter how clever they are.
28 You help those who are humble,
but as soon as you see the proud, you humiliate them.
29 Lord , you are my lamp.
You, Lord , turn the darkness around me into light.
30 With your help I can defeat an army.
If my God is with me, I can climb over enemy walls.
31 God’s way is perfect.
The Lord ’s promise always proves to be true.
He protects those who trust in him.
32 There is no God except the Lord .
There is no Rock except our God.
33 God is my strong fortress.
He clears the path I need to take.
34 He makes my feet as steady as those of a deer.
Even on steep mountains he keeps me from falling.
35 He trains me for war
so that my arms can bend the most powerful bow.
36 Lord, you have given me your shield to protect me.
It is your help that has made me great.
37 You cleared a path for my feet
so that I could walk without stumbling.
38 I chased my enemies and defeated them.
I did not stop until they were destroyed.
39 I destroyed my enemies.
I struck them down.
They did not get up again.
They fell under my feet.
40 Lord, you made me strong in battle.
You made my enemies fall before me.
41 You made my enemies turn and run away.
I destroyed those who hated me.
42 They looked for help,
but there was no one to save them.
They cried out to the Lord ,
but he did not answer them.
43 I beat my enemies to pieces
like dust on the ground.
I smashed them and walked on them
like mud in the streets.
44 You saved me from those who fought against me.
You made me the ruler over nations.
People I never knew now serve me.
45 Foreigners fall helpless before me!
As soon as they heard about me, they were ready to obey.
46 They lose all their courage
and come out of their hiding places shaking with fear.
47 The Lord lives!
I praise my Rock!
How great is my God, the Rock who saves me!
48 He is the God who punishes my enemies for me,
the one who puts people under my rule.
49 He saves me from my enemies!
You help me defeat those who attack me.
You save me from cruel people.
50 Lord , that is why I praise you among the nations.
That is why I sing songs of praise to your name.
51 You help your king win battle after battle.
You show your faithful love to your chosen one, [ d ]
to David and his descendants forever!
22 And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
2 And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
4 I will call on the Lord , who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
6 The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;
7 In my distress I called upon the Lord , and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.
8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
11 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12 And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
13 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.
15 And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
16 And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the Lord , at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17 He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;
18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
19 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.
20 He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
21 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord , and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.
25 Therefore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
26 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.
27 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
28 And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.
29 For thou art my lamp, O Lord : and the Lord will lighten my darkness.
30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.
32 For who is God, save the Lord ? and who is a rock, save our God?
33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
34 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places.
35 He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.
37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.
38 I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.
39 And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.
40 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
41 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
42 They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the Lord , but he answered them not.
43 Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.
44 Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.
45 Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
46 Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.
47 The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
48 It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me.
49 And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord , among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.
51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.
22 ( A ) Now David spoke ( B ) the words of this song to the Lord on the day that the Lord had saved him from the [ a ] hand of all his enemies and from the [ b ] hand of Saul. 2 He said,
“ ( C ) The Lord is my [ c ] rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
3 [ d ] ( D ) My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My ( E ) shield and ( F ) the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and ( G ) my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.
4 I call upon the Lord , ( H ) who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.
5 For ( I ) the waves of death encompassed me;
( J ) The floods of [ e ] destruction terrified me;
6 ( K ) The ropes of [ f ] Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
7 ( L ) In my distress I called upon the Lord ,
Yes, I called out to my God;
And from His temple He heard my voice,
And my cry for help came into His ears.
8 Then ( M ) the earth shook and quaked,
( N ) The foundations of heaven were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
9 Smoke went up [ g ] out of His nostrils,
( O ) And fire from His mouth was devouring;
( P ) Coals were kindled by it.
10 He also bowed the heavens down low, and came down
With ( Q ) thick darkness under His feet.
11 ( R ) He rode on a cherub and flew;
He [ h ] appeared on ( S ) the wings of the wind.
12 ( T ) He made darkness canopies around Him,
A mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky.
13 From the brightness before Him
( U ) Coals of fire were kindled.
14 ( V ) The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice.
15 ( W ) And He shot arrows and scattered them,
Lightning, and [ i ] routed them.
16 Then the channels of the sea appeared,
The foundations of the world were exposed
By the rebuke of the Lord ,
( X ) From the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
17 ( Y ) He sent from on high, He took me;
( Z ) He drew me out of many waters.
18 He rescued me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
19 They confronted me on the day of my disaster,
( AA ) But the Lord was my support.
20 ( AB ) He also brought me out into an open place;
He rescued me, ( AC ) because He delighted in me.
21 ( AD ) The Lord has treated me in accordance with my righteousness;
( AE ) In accordance with the cleanliness of my hands He has repaid me.
22 ( AF ) For I have kept the ways of the Lord ,
And have not acted wickedly against my God.
23 ( AG ) For all His ordinances were before me,
And as for His statutes, I did not deviate from [ j ] them.
24 ( AH ) I was also [ k ] blameless toward Him,
And I have kept myself from my wrongdoing.
25 ( AI ) So the Lord has repaid me in accordance with my righteousness,
In accordance with my cleanliness before His eyes.
26 ( AJ ) With the one who is faithful You show Yourself faithful,
With the [ l ] blameless one You prove Yourself [ m ] blameless;
27 ( AK ) With the one who is pure You show Yourself pure,
( AL ) But with the perverted You [ n ] show Yourself astute.
28 ( AM ) And You save an afflicted people;
( AN ) But Your eyes are on the haughty whom You humiliate.
29 ( AO ) For You are my lamp, Lord ;
And the Lord illuminates my darkness.
30 ( AP ) For by You I can run at a [ o ] troop of warriors;
By my God I can leap over a wall.
31 ( AQ ) As for God, His way is [ p ] blameless;
( AR ) The word of the Lord is refined;
( AS ) He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
32 ( AT ) For who is God, except the Lord ?
( AU ) And who is a rock, except our God?
33 ( AV ) God is my strong fortress;
And He [ q ] sets the [ r ] blameless on [ s ] His way.
34 ( AW ) He makes [ t ] my feet like deer’s feet ,
( AX ) And sets me on my high places.
35 ( AY ) He trains my hands for battle,
( AZ ) So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 You have also given me ( BA ) the shield of Your salvation,
And Your [ u ] help makes me great.
37 ( BB ) You enlarge my steps under me,
And my [ v ] feet have not slipped.
38 I pursued my enemies and ( BC ) eliminated them,
And I did not turn back until they were finished off.
39 And I have devoured them and smashed them, so that they would not rise;
And ( BD ) they fell under my feet.
40 For You have encircled me with strength for battle;
You have forced ( BE ) those who rose up against me to bow down under me.
41 You have also ( BF ) made my enemies turn their backs to me,
And I [ w ] destroyed those who hated me.
42 ( BG ) They looked, but there was no one to save them ;
( BH ) Even to the Lord , but He did not answer them.
43 ( BI ) Then I pulverized them as the dust of the earth;
( BJ ) I crushed and trampled them like the mud of the streets.
44 ( BK ) You have also saved me from the contentions of my people;
( BL ) You have kept me as head of the nations;
( BM ) A people I have not known serve me.
45 ( BN ) Foreigners pretend to obey me;
As soon as they hear, they obey me.
46 Foreigners lose heart,
( BO ) And [ x ] come trembling out of their fortresses.
47 The Lord lives, and blessed be my Rock;
And exalted be [ y ] ( BP ) my God, the rock of my salvation,
48 ( BQ ) The God who executes vengeance for me,
( BR ) And brings down peoples under me,
49 Who also brings me out from my enemies;
You also raise me above ( BS ) those who rise up against me;
( BT ) You rescue me from the violent person.
50 ( BU ) Therefore I will [ z ] give thanks to You, Lord , among the nations,
And I will sing praises to Your name.
51 ( BV ) He is a tower of [ aa ] salvation to His king,
And ( BW ) shows favor to His anointed,
( BX ) To David and his [ ab ] descendants forever.”
22 David sang ( B ) to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said:
“The Lord is my rock, ( C ) my fortress ( D ) and my deliverer; ( E )
3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, ( F )
my shield [ a ] ( G ) and the horn [ b ] ( H ) of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, ( I ) my refuge and my savior—
from violent people you save me.
4 “I called to the Lord , who is worthy ( J ) of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.
5 The waves ( K ) of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
6 The cords of the grave ( L ) coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
7 “In my distress ( M ) I called ( N ) to the Lord ;
I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.
8 The earth ( O ) trembled and quaked, ( P )
the foundations ( Q ) of the heavens [ c ] shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire ( R ) came from his mouth,
burning coals ( S ) blazed out of it.
10 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds ( T ) were under his feet.
11 He mounted the cherubim ( U ) and flew;
he soared [ d ] on the wings of the wind. ( V )
12 He made darkness ( W ) his canopy around him—
the dark [ e ] rain clouds of the sky.
13 Out of the brightness of his presence
bolts of lightning ( X ) blazed forth.
14 The Lord thundered ( Y ) from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
15 He shot his arrows ( Z ) and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
16 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at the rebuke ( AA ) of the Lord ,
at the blast ( AB ) of breath from his nostrils.
17 “He reached down from on high ( AC ) and took hold of me;
he drew ( AD ) me out of deep waters.
18 He rescued ( AE ) me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support. ( AF )
20 He brought me out into a spacious ( AG ) place;
he rescued ( AH ) me because he delighted ( AI ) in me. ( AJ )
21 “The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness; ( AK )
according to the cleanness ( AL ) of my hands ( AM ) he has rewarded me.
22 For I have kept ( AN ) the ways of the Lord ;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
23 All his laws are before me; ( AO )
I have not turned ( AP ) away from his decrees.
24 I have been blameless ( AQ ) before him
and have kept myself from sin.
25 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, ( AR )
according to my cleanness [ f ] in his sight.
26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
27 to the pure ( AS ) you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd. ( AT )
28 You save the humble, ( AU )
but your eyes are on the haughty ( AV ) to bring them low. ( AW )
29 You, Lord , are my lamp; ( AX )
the Lord turns my darkness into light.
30 With your help I can advance against a troop [ g ] ;
with my God I can scale a wall.
31 “As for God, his way is perfect: ( AY )
The Lord ’s word is flawless; ( AZ )
he shields ( BA ) all who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God besides the Lord ?
And who is the Rock ( BB ) except our God? ( BC )
33 It is God who arms me with strength [ h ]
and keeps my way secure.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; ( BD )
he causes me to stand on the heights. ( BE )
35 He trains my hands ( BF ) for battle;
my arms can bend a bow ( BG ) of bronze.
36 You make your saving help my shield; ( BH )
your help has made [ i ] me great.
37 You provide a broad path ( BI ) for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
38 “I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
39 I crushed ( BJ ) them completely, and they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
40 You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me. ( BK )
41 You made my enemies turn their backs ( BL ) in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
42 They cried for help, ( BM ) but there was no one to save them— ( BN )
to the Lord , but he did not answer. ( BO )
43 I beat them as fine as the dust ( BP ) of the earth;
I pounded and trampled ( BQ ) them like mud ( BR ) in the streets.
44 “You have delivered ( BS ) me from the attacks of the peoples;
you have preserved ( BT ) me as the head of nations.
People ( BU ) I did not know now serve me,
45 foreigners cower ( BV ) before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me. ( BW )
46 They all lose heart;
they come trembling [ j ] ( BX ) from their strongholds.
47 “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted ( BY ) be my God, the Rock, my Savior! ( BZ )
48 He is the God who avenges ( CA ) me, ( CB )
who puts the nations under me,
49 who sets me free from my enemies. ( CC )
You exalted me ( CD ) above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
50 Therefore I will praise you, Lord , among the nations;
I will sing the praises ( CE ) of your name. ( CF )
