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2 Samuel 22 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

David’s Song of Deliverance

(Psa 18:1–50 )

2Sa 22:1

2Sa 22:1And David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.

2Sa 22:2

2Sa 22:2He said,
“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

2Sa 22:3

2Sa 22:3my[fn] God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold and my refuge,
my savior; you save me from violence.

2Sa 22:4

2Sa 22:4I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.

2Sa 22:5

2Sa 22:5“For the waves of death encompassed me,
the torrents of destruction assailed me;[fn]

2Sa 22:6

2Sa 22:6the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.

2Sa 22:7

2Sa 22:7“In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry came to his ears.

2Sa 22:8

2Sa 22:8“Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations of the heavens trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.

2Sa 22:9

2Sa 22:9Smoke went up from his nostrils,[fn]
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.

2Sa 22:10

2Sa 22:10He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.

2Sa 22:11

2Sa 22:11He rode on a cherub and flew;
he was seen on the wings of the wind.

2Sa 22:12

2Sa 22:12He made darkness around him his canopy,
thick clouds, a gathering of water.

2Sa 22:13

2Sa 22:13Out of the brightness before him
coals of fire flamed forth.

2Sa 22:14

2Sa 22:14The LORD thundered from heaven,
and the Most High uttered his voice.

2Sa 22:15

2Sa 22:15And he sent out arrows and scattered them;
lightning, and routed them.

2Sa 22:16

2Sa 22:16Then the channels of the sea were seen;
the foundations of the world were laid bare,
at the rebuke of the LORD,
at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

2Sa 22:17

2Sa 22:17“He sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.

2Sa 22:18

2Sa 22:18He rescued me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.

2Sa 22:19

2Sa 22:19They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the LORD was my support.

2Sa 22:20

2Sa 22:20He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me.

2Sa 22:21

2Sa 22:21“The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.

2Sa 22:22

2Sa 22:22For I have kept the ways of the LORD
and have not wickedly departed from my God.

2Sa 22:23

2Sa 22:23For all his rules were before me,
and from his statutes I did not turn aside.

2Sa 22:24

2Sa 22:24I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from guilt.

2Sa 22:25

2Sa 22:25And the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness in his sight.

2Sa 22:26

2Sa 22:26“With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;

2Sa 22:27

2Sa 22:27with the purified you deal purely,
and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.

2Sa 22:28

2Sa 22:28You save a humble people,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.

2Sa 22:29

2Sa 22:29For you are my lamp, O LORD,
and my God lightens my darkness.

2Sa 22:30

2Sa 22:30For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.

2Sa 22:31

2Sa 22:31This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

2Sa 22:32

2Sa 22:32“For who is God, but the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?

2Sa 22:33

2Sa 22:33This God is my strong refuge
and has made my[fn] way blameless.[fn]

2Sa 22:34

2Sa 22:34He made my feet like the feet of a deer
and set me secure on the heights.

2Sa 22:35

2Sa 22:35He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

2Sa 22:36

2Sa 22:36You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your gentleness made me great.

2Sa 22:37

2Sa 22:37You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet[fn] did not slip;

2Sa 22:38

2Sa 22:38I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,
and did not turn back until they were consumed.

2Sa 22:39

2Sa 22:39I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise;
they fell under my feet.

2Sa 22:40

2Sa 22:40For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.

2Sa 22:41

2Sa 22:41You made my enemies turn their backs to me,[fn]
those who hated me, and I destroyed them.

2Sa 22:42

2Sa 22:42They looked, but there was none to save;
they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.

2Sa 22:43

2Sa 22:43I beat them fine as the dust of the earth;
I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.

2Sa 22:44

2Sa 22:44“You delivered me from strife with my people;[fn]
you kept me as the head of the nations;
people whom I had not known served me.

2Sa 22:45

2Sa 22:45Foreigners came cringing to me;
as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.

2Sa 22:46

2Sa 22:46Foreigners lost heart
and came trembling[fn] out of their fortresses.

2Sa 22:47

2Sa 22:47“The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,

2Sa 22:48

2Sa 22:48the God who gave me vengeance
and brought down peoples under me,

2Sa 22:49

2Sa 22:49who brought me out from my enemies;
you exalted me above those who rose against me;
you delivered me from men of violence.

2Sa 22:50

2Sa 22:50“For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations,
and sing praises to your name.

2Sa 22:51

2Sa 22:51Great salvation he brings[fn] to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his offspring forever.”
See the ESV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
ESV Footnotes
Septuagint (compare Psalm 18:2); Hebrew lacks my
Or terrified me
Or in his wrath
Or his; also verse 34
Compare Psalm 18:32; Hebrew he has blamelessly set my way free, or he has made my way spring up blamelessly
Hebrew ankles
Or You gave me my enemies’ necks
Septuagint with the peoples
Compare Psalm 18:45; Hebrew equipped themselves
Or He is a tower of salvation
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the ESV Preface.

2 Samuel Chapter 22 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation New International Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras

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