David's Song of Victory
(2 Samuel 22.1-51)1 How I love you, Lord!
You are my defender.
2 The Lord is my protector;
he is my strong fortress.
My God is my protection,
and with him I am safe.
He protects me like a shield;
he defends me and keeps me safe.
3 I call to the Lord,
and he saves me from my enemies.
Praise the Lord!
4 The danger of death was all around me;
the waves of destruction rolled over me.
5 The danger of death was around me,
and the grave set its trap for me.
6 In my trouble I called to the Lord;
I called to my God for help.
In his temple he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help.
7 Then the earth trembled and shook;
the foundations of the mountains rocked and quivered,
because God was angry.
8 Smoke poured out of his nostrils,
a consuming flame and burning coals from his mouth.
9 He tore the sky open and came down
with a dark cloud under his feet.
10 He flew swiftly on his winged creature;
he traveled on the wings of the wind.
11 He covered himself with darkness;
thick clouds, full of water, surrounded him.
12 Hailstones and flashes of fire
came from the lightning before him
and broke through the dark clouds.
13 Then the Lord thundered from the sky;
and the voice of the Most High was heard.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
with flashes of lightning he sent them running.
15 The floor of the ocean was laid bare,
and the foundations of the earth were uncovered,
when you rebuked your enemies, Lord,
and roared at them in anger.
16 The Lord reached down from above and took hold of me;
he pulled me out of the deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies
and from all those who hate me—
they were too strong for me.
18 When I was in trouble, they attacked me,
but the Lord protected me.
19 He helped me out of danger;
he saved me because he was pleased with me.
20 The Lord rewards me because I do what is right;
he blesses me because I am innocent.
21 I have obeyed the law of the Lord;
I have not turned away from my God.
22 I have observed all his laws;
I have not disobeyed his commands.
23 He knows that I am faultless,
that I have kept myself from doing wrong.
24 And so he rewards me because I do what is right,
because he knows that I am innocent.
25 O Lord, you are faithful to those who are faithful to you;
completely good to those who are perfect.
26 You are pure to those who are pure,
but hostile to those who are wicked.
27 You save those who are humble,
but you humble those who are proud.
28 O Lord, you give me light;
you dispel my darkness.
29 You give me strength to attack my enemies
and power to overcome their defenses.
30 This God—how perfect are his deeds!
How dependable his words!
He is like a shield
for all who seek his protection.
31 The Lord alone is God;
God alone is our defense.
32 He is the God who makes me strong,
who makes my pathway safe.
33 He makes me sure-footed as a deer;
he keeps me safe on the mountains.
34 He trains me for battle,
so that I can use the strongest bow.
35 O Lord, you protect me and save me;
your care has made me great,
and your power has kept me safe.
36 You have kept me from being captured,
and I have never fallen.
37 I pursue my enemies and catch them;
I do not stop until I destroy them.
38 I strike them down, and they cannot rise;
they lie defeated before me.
39 You give me strength for the battle
and victory over my enemies.
40 You make my enemies run from me;
I destroy those who hate me.
41 They cry for help, but no one saves them;
they call to the Lord, but he does not answer.
42 I crush them, so that they become like dust
which the wind blows away.
I trample on them like mud in the streets.
43 You saved me from a rebellious people
and made me ruler over the nations;
people I did not know have now become my subjects.
44 Foreigners bow before me;
when they hear me, they obey.
45 They lose their courage
and come trembling from their fortresses.
46 The Lord lives! Praise my defender!
Proclaim the greatness of the God who saves me.
47 He gives me victory over my enemies;
he subdues the nations under me
48 and saves me from my foes.
O Lord, you give me victory over my enemies
and protect me from violent people.
49 And so I praise you among the nations;
I sing praises to you.
50 God gives great victories to his king;
he shows constant love to the one he has chosen,
to David and his descendants forever.
1 To him that excelleth. A Psalme of Dauid the seruant of the Lord, which spake unto the Lord the wordes of this song (in the day that the Lord delivered him for the hande of all this enemies, and form the and of saul) and sayd, I will loue thee dearely, O Lord my strength. 2 The Lord is my rocke, and my fortresse, and he that deliuereth me, my God and my strength: in him will I trust, my shield, the horne also of my saluation, and my refuge. 3 I will call vpon the Lord, which is worthie to be praysed: so shall I be safe from mine enemies. 4 The sorowes of death compassed me, and the floods of wickednes made me afraide. 5 The sorowes of the graue haue compassed me about: the snares of death ouertooke me. 6 But in my trouble did I call vpon the Lord, and cryed vnto my God: he heard my voyce out of his Temple, and my crye did come before him, euen into his eares. 7 Then the earth trembled, and quaked: the foundations also of the mountaines mooued and shooke, because he was angrie. 8 Smoke went out at his nostrels, and a consuming fire out of his mouth: coales were kindled thereat. 9 He bowed the heauens also and came downe, and darkenes was vnder his feete. 10 And he rode vpon Cherub and did flie, and he came flying vpon the wings of the winde. 11 He made darkenes his secrete place, and his pauilion round about him, euen darkenesse of waters, and cloudes of the ayre. 12 At the brightnes of his presence his clouds passed, haylestones and coles of fire. 13 The Lord also thundred in the heauen, and the Highest gaue his voyce, haylestones and coales of fire. 14 Then hee sent out his arrowes and scattred them, and he increased lightnings and destroyed them. 15 And the chanels of waters were seene, and the foundations of the worlde were discouered at thy rebuking, O Lord, at the blasting of the breath of thy nostrels. 16 He hath sent downe from aboue and taken mee: hee hath drawen mee out of many waters. 17 He hath deliuered mee from my strong enemie, and from them which hate me: for they were too strong for me. 18 They preuented me in the day of my calamitie: but the Lord was my stay. 19 Hee brought mee foorth also into a large place: hee deliuered mee because hee fauoured me. 20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnes: according to the purenes of mine hands he recompensed me: 21 Because I kept the wayes of the Lord, and did not wickedly against my God. 22 For all his Lawes were before mee, and I did not cast away his commandements from mee. 23 I was vpright also with him, and haue kept me from my wickednes. 24 Therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse, and according to the purenes of mine hands in his sight. 25 With the godly thou wilt shewe thy selfe godly: with the vpright man thou wilt shew thy selfe vpright. 26 With the pure thou wilt shewe thy selfe pure, and with the froward thou wilt shewe thy selfe froward. 27 Thus thou wilt saue the poore people, and wilt cast downe the proude lookes. 28 Surely thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God wil lighten my darkenes. 29 For by thee I haue broken through an hoste, and by my God I haue leaped ouer a wall. 30 The way of God is vncorrupt: the worde of the Lord is tried in the fire: he is a shield to all that trust in him. 31 For who is God besides the Lord? and who is mightie saue our God? 32 God girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way vpright. 33 He maketh my feete like hindes feete, and setteth me vpon mine high places. 34 He teacheth mine hands to fight: so that a bowe of brasse is broken with mine armes. 35 Thou hast also giuen me the shield of thy saluation, and thy right hand hath stayed me, and thy louing kindenes hath caused me to increase. 36 Thou hast enlarged my steps vnder mee, and mine heeles haue not slid. 37 I haue pursued mine enemies, and taken them, and haue not turned againe till I had consumed them. 38 I haue wounded them, that they were not able to rise: they are fallen vnder my feete. 39 For thou hast girded me with strength to battell: them, that rose against me, thou hast subdued vnder me. 40 And thou hast giuen me the neckes of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. 41 They cryed but there was none to saue them, euen vnto the Lord, but hee answered them not. 42 Then I did beate them small as the dust before the winde: I did treade them flat as the clay in the streetes. 43 Thou hast deliuered me from the contentions of the people: thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people, whom I haue not knowen, shall serue me. 44 As soone as they heare, they shall obey me: the strangers shall be in subiection to me. 45 Strangers shall shrinke away, and feare in their priuie chambers. 46 Let the Lord liue, and blessed be my strength, and the God of my saluation be exalted. 47 It is God that giueth me power to auenge me, and subdueth the people vnder me. 48 O my deliuerer from mine enemies, euen thou hast set mee vp from them, that rose against me: thou hast deliuered mee from the cruell man. 49 Therefore I will prayse thee, O Lord, among the nations, and wil sing vnto thy Name. 50 Great deliuerances giueth hee vnto his King, and sheweth mercie to his anoynted, euen to Dauid, and to his seede for euer.