Chapter 22
Song of Thanksgiving. 1 David proclaimed the words of this song to the Lord when the Lord had rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the grasp of Saul.(A) 2 He said:(B)
O Lord, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,
3 my God, my rock of refuge!
My shield, my saving horn,
my stronghold, my refuge,
my savior, from violence you keep me safe.(C)
4 Praised be the Lord, I exclaim!
I have been delivered from my enemies.
5 The breakers of death surged round about me,
the menacing floods terrified me;
6 The cords of Sheol tightened;
the snares of death lay in wait for me.
7 In my distress I called out: Lord!
I cried out to my God;
From his temple he heard my voice,
my cry reached his ears.
8 The earth rocked and shook;
the foundations of the heavens trembled;
they shook as his wrath flared up.
9 Smoke rose in his nostrils,
a devouring fire from his mouth;
it kindled coals into flame.
10 He parted the heavens and came down,
a dark cloud under his feet.(D)
11 Mounted on a cherub he flew,
borne along on the wings of the wind.(E)
12 He made darkness the cover about him,
a mass of water, heavy thunderheads.
13 From the brightness of his presence
coals were kindled to flame.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven;
the Most High made his voice resound.
15 He let fly arrows and scattered them;
lightning, and dispersed them.(F)
16 Then the bed of the sea appeared;
the world’s foundations lay bare,
At the roar of the Lord,
at the storming breath of his nostrils.(G)
17 He reached down from on high and seized me,
drew me out of the deep waters.(H)
18 He rescued me from my mighty enemy,
from foes too powerful for me.
19 They attacked me on a day of distress,
but the Lord came to my support.
20 He set me free in the open;
he rescued me because he loves me.
21 The Lord acknowledged my righteousness;
rewarded my clean hands.
22 For I kept the ways of the Lord;
I was not disloyal to my God.
23 His laws were all before me,
his decrees I did not cast aside.
24 I was honest toward him;
I was on guard against sin.
25 So the Lord rewarded my righteousness,
the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
26 (I)Toward the faithful you are faithful;
to the honest you are honest;
27 Toward the sincere you are sincere;
but to the perverse you are devious.
28 Humble people you save,
though on the haughty your eyes look down.
29 You are my lamp, O Lord!
My God brightens the darkness about me.
30 With you I can rush an armed band,
with my God to help I can leap a wall.
31 God’s way is unerring;
the Lord’s promise is tried and true;
he is a shield for all who trust in him.(J)
32 Truly, who is God except the Lord?
Who but our God is the rock?
33 This God who girded me with might,
kept my way unerring,
34 Who made my feet swift as a deer’s,
set me safe on the heights,(K)
35 Who trained my hands for war,
my arms to bend even a bow of bronze.
36 You have given me your protecting shield,
and your help has made me great.
37 You gave me room to stride;
my feet never stumbled.
38 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till I destroyed them.
39 I struck them down, and they did not rise;
they fell dead at my feet.
40 You girded me with strength for war;
subdued adversaries at my feet.
41 My foes you put to flight before me;
those who hated me I destroyed.
42 They cried for help, but no one saved them,
cried to the Lord but got no answer.
43 I ground them fine as the dust of the earth;
like mud in the streets I trod them down.
44 You rescued me from the strife of my people;
you made me head over nations.
A people I had not known became my slaves;
45 Foreigners cringed before me;
as soon as they heard of me they obeyed.
46 Their courage failed;
they came trembling from their fortresses.
47 The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock!
Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation.
48 O God who granted me vindication,
subdued peoples under me,
49 and helped me escape from my enemies,
Truly you have exalted me above my adversaries,
from the violent you have rescued me.
50 Thus I will proclaim you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.(L)
51 You have given great victories to your king,
and shown kindness to your anointed,
to David and his posterity forever.
Footnotes
- 22:1–51
- 22:3
- 22:5–6
- 22:7
- 22:8–10
- 22:11
- 22:26–27
Cross references
- 22:1 : Ps 18:1.
- 22:2–51 : Ps 18:3–51.
- 22:3 : 1 Sm 2:1–2.
- 22:10 : Ps 144:5.
- 22:11 : Ex 25:18–22.
- 22:15 : Ps 144:6.
- 22:16 : Ex 15:8.
- 22:17 : Ps 144:7.
- 22:26–27 : 1 Sm 2:30.
- 22:31 : Prv 30:5.
- 22:34 : Ps 62:3; Hb 3:19.
- 22:50 : Ps 22:23; Rom 15:9.
