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2 Samuel 22 :: New International Version (NIV)

David’s Song of Praise

(Psa 18:1–50 )

2Sa 22:1

2Sa 22:1David 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.

2Sa 22:2

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

2Sa 22:3

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

2Sa 22:4

2Sa 22:4“I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies.

2Sa 22:5

2Sa 22:5The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

2Sa 22:6

2Sa 22:6The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

2Sa 22:7

2Sa 22:7“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.

2Sa 22:8

2Sa 22:8The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens[fn] shook; they trembled because he was angry.

2Sa 22:9

2Sa 22:9Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

2Sa 22:10

2Sa 22:10He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.

2Sa 22:11

2Sa 22:11He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared[fn] on the wings of the wind.

2Sa 22:12

2Sa 22:12He made darkness his canopy around him— the dark[fn] rain clouds of the sky.

2Sa 22:13

2Sa 22:13Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth.

2Sa 22:14

2Sa 22:14The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

2Sa 22:15

2Sa 22:15He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy, with great bolts of lightning he routed them.

2Sa 22:16

2Sa 22:16The 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.

2Sa 22:17

2Sa 22:17“He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

2Sa 22:18

2Sa 22:18He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

2Sa 22:19

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

2Sa 22:20

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

2Sa 22:21

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

2Sa 22:22

2Sa 22:22For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I am not guilty of turning from my God.

2Sa 22:23

2Sa 22:23All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.

2Sa 22:24

2Sa 22:24I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.

2Sa 22:25

2Sa 22:25The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness[fn] in his sight.

2Sa 22:26

2Sa 22:26“To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

2Sa 22:27

2Sa 22:27to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.

2Sa 22:28

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

2Sa 22:29

2Sa 22:29You, LORD, are my lamp; the LORD turns my darkness into light.

2Sa 22:30

2Sa 22:30With your help I can advance against a troop[fn]; with my God I can scale a wall.

2Sa 22:31

2Sa 22:31“As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.

2Sa 22:32

2Sa 22:32For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?

2Sa 22:33

2Sa 22:33It is God who arms me with strength[fn] and keeps my way secure.

2Sa 22:34

2Sa 22:34He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.

2Sa 22:35

2Sa 22:35He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

2Sa 22:36

2Sa 22:36You make your saving help my shield; your help has made[fn] me great.

2Sa 22:37

2Sa 22:37You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way.

2Sa 22:38

2Sa 22:38“I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

2Sa 22:39

2Sa 22:39I crushed them completely, and they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.

2Sa 22:40

2Sa 22:40You armed me with strength for battle; you humbled my adversaries before me.

2Sa 22:41

2Sa 22:41You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.

2Sa 22:42

2Sa 22:42They cried for help, but there was no one to save them— to the LORD, but he did not answer.

2Sa 22:43

2Sa 22:43I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.

2Sa 22:44

2Sa 22:44“You have delivered me from the attacks of the peoples; you have preserved me as the head of nations. People I did not know now serve me,

2Sa 22:45

2Sa 22:45foreigners cower before me; as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.

2Sa 22:46

2Sa 22:46They all lose heart; they come trembling[fn] from their strongholds.

2Sa 22:47

2Sa 22:47“The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!

2Sa 22:48

2Sa 22:48He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me,

2Sa 22:49

2Sa 22:49who sets me free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from a violent man you rescued me.

2Sa 22:50

2Sa 22:50Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.

2Sa 22:51

2Sa 22:51“He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”
See the NIV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NIV Footnotes
Or sovereign
Horn here symbolizes strength.
Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains
Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts appeared
Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrew massed
Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) to the cleanness of my hands
Or can run through a barricade
Dead Sea Scrolls, some Septuagint manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:32); Masoretic Text who is my strong refuge
Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text shield; / you stoop down to make
Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text they arm themselves
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For more information on this translation, see the NIV Preface.

2 Samuel Chapter 22 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation English Standard 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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