God's New Bible

The Second Book of Samuel

Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 22 -

(Psalm 18:1–50)
1
After Yahweh had rescued David from Saul and his other enemies, David sang a song to Yahweh.
2
This 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.
3
Yahweh, 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.
4
I call out to you, Yahweh. You deserve to be praised, and you rescue me from my enemies.
5
I almost died. It was as if a huge wave had crashed over me, and almost destroyed me like a flood.
6
I 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.
7
But 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.
8
Then 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.
9
It was as though smoke poured out of your nostrils and burning coals and fire that burns everything came out of your mouth.
10
You tore open the skies and came down. There was a thick dark cloud under your feet.
11
You rode through the sky on a winged creature. The wind enabled you to travel swiftly, like a bird.
12
The darkness was around you, like a blanket thick clouds that were full of water surrounded you.
13
Out of the lightning in front of you fire from burning coals flamed.
14
Then, Yahweh, you spoke like thunder from the sky. It was your voice, God, you who are greater than all other gods, that was heard.
15
When you sent flashes of lightning, it was as though you shot your arrows and scattered your enemies.
16
Then 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.
17
Yahweh, you reached down from heaven and lifted me up. You pulled me up from the deep water.
18
You rescued me from my strong enemies, from those who hated me. I could not defeat them because they were very strong.
19
They attacked me when I was experiencing troubles, but Yahweh, you protected me.
20
You brought me into a place where I was safe. You rescued me because you were pleased with me.
21
Yahweh, you rewarded me because I do what is right. You did good things for me because I was innocent.
22
Yahweh, I have obeyed your laws. I have not stopped worshiping you, my God.
23
All of your decrees were in my mind, and I did not stop obeying all your decrees.
24
You know that I have not done anything that is evil. I have kept myself from doing things for which you would punish me.
25
So you have rewarded me in return for my doing what is right, because you know that I am innocent of doing wrong things.
26
Yahweh, you are faithful to those who always trust in you, and you always do what is good to those whose behavior is always good.
27
You act sincerely toward those whose inner beings are pure, but you are hostile to those who are perverse.
28
You rescue those who are humble, but you watch those who are proud and humiliate them.
29
Yahweh, you are like a lamp that causes it to become light when I am in the darkness.
30
With your strength I can break through a line of soldiers blocking my way; I can climb over the wall that surrounds their city.
31
My 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.
32
Yahweh, you are the only one who is God. Only you are like a huge rock on top of which we are protected.
33
God, you whom I worship are a strong refuge for me. You lead anyone who is pure in the way he should go.
34
When I walk in the mountains, you enable me to walk safely as a deer runs, without stumbling.
35
You teach me how to fight in a battle in order that I can shoot arrows well from a very strong bow.
36
It 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.
37
You have not allowed my enemies to capture me, and I have not fallen down during battle.
38
I pursued my enemies and defeated them. I did not stop fighting them until they were all killed.
39
I struck them down. I stabbed them with my sword, and they fell down at my feet and did not stand up again.
40
You have given me strength for fighting battles and caused those who were attacking me to fall down; I trampled on them.
41
You caused my enemies to turn and run away from me. I destroyed those who hated me.
42
They looked for someone to rescue them, but no one did. They cried out to you, Yahweh, for help, but you did not answer them.
43
I crushed them, and they became like tiny particles of dust. I trampled them, and they became like mud in the streets.
44
You 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.
45
Foreigners humbly bowed down in front of me. As soon as they heard about me, they obeyed me.
46
They became afraid, and they came to me, trembling, from the places where they were hiding.
47
Yahweh, 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.
48
You enable me to conquer my enemies, and you cause people of other nations to be under my authority.
49
You 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.
50
Because of all this, I praise you among many people groups, and I sing to praise you.
51
You enable me, whom you appointed to be king, to conquer my enemies. You faithfully love me, David, and you will love my descendants forever.”
(Psalm 18:1–50)
1
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,
2
and he said:The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine;
3
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.
4
I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.
5
For the waves of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
6
The cords of Sheol (a) were around me. The snares of death caught me.
7
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.
8
Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
9
Smoke went up out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
10
He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
11
He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind.
12
He made darkness a shelter around himself, gathering of waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
13
At the brightness before him, coals of fire were kindled.
14
The LORD thundered from heaven. The Most High uttered his voice.
15
He sent out arrows and scattered them, lightning and confused them.
16
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.
17
He sent from on high and he took me. He drew me out of many waters.
18
He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
19
They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.
20
He also brought me out into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
21
The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness. He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands.
22
For I have kept the LORD’s ways, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23
For all his ordinances were before me. As for his statutes, I didn’t depart from them.
24
I was also perfect toward him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
25
Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight.
26
With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect.
27
With the pure you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
28
You will save the afflicted people, but your eyes are on the arrogant, that you may bring them down.
29
For you are my lamp, LORD. The LORD will light up my darkness.
30
For by you, I run against a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.
31
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.
32
For who is God, besides the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God?
33
God is my strong fortress. He makes my way perfect.
34
He makes his feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places.
35
He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.
36
You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your gentleness has made me great.
37
You have enlarged my steps under me. My feet have not slipped.
38
I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them. I didn’t turn again until they were consumed.
39
I have consumed them, and struck them through, so that they can’t arise. Yes, they have fallen under my feet.
40
For you have armed me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
41
You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
42
They looked, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them.
43
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.
44
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.
45
The foreigners will submit themselves to me. As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.
46
The foreigners will fade away, and will come trembling out of their close places.
47
The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
48
even the God who executes vengeance for me, who brings down peoples under me,
49
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.
50
Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name.
51
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.