2 Samuel 22:1-20

David’s Song of Praise 1David sang 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.

2He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

3my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield Or sovereign and the horn Horn here symbolizes strength. of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me.

4“I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies.

5The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

6The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

7“In my distress I called to the LORD ; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.

8The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry.

9Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

10He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.

11He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts appeared on the wings of the wind.

12He made darkness his canopy around him— the dark Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrew massed rain clouds of the sky.

13Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth.

14The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

15He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.

16The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of breath from his nostrils.

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

18He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

19They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.

20He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.