22:1 David 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.
22:2 He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
22:3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior--from violent men you save me.
22:4 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.
22:5 "The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
22:6 The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
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.
22:8 "The earth trembled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry.
22:9 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.
22:10 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet.
22:11 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind.
22:12 He made darkness his canopy around him--the dark rain clouds of the sky.
22:13 Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth.
22:14 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.
22:15 He shot arrows and scattered the enemies, bolts of lightning and routed them.
22:16 The 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.
22:17 "He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.
22:18 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.
22:19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support.
22:20 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
22:21 "The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
22:22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God.
22:23 All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees.
22:24 I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin.
22:25 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.
22:26 "To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
22:27 to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
22:28 You save the humble, but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.
22:29 You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light.
22:30 With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.
22:31 "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
22:32 For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?
22:33 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
22:34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.
22:35 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
22:36 You give me your shield of victory; you stoop down to make me great.
22:37 You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.
22:38 "I pursued my enemies and crushed them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
22:39 I crushed them completely, and they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.
22:40 You armed me with strength for battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet.
22:41 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight, and I destroyed my foes.
22:42 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them--to the LORD, but he did not answer.
22:43 I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.
22:44 "You have delivered me from the attacks of my people; you have preserved me as the head of nations. People I did not know are subject to me,
22:45 and foreigners come cringing to me; as soon as they hear me, they obey me.
22:46 They all lose heart; they come trembling from their strongholds.
22:47 "The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!
22:48 He is the God who avenges me, who puts the nations under me,
22:49 who sets me free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me.
22:50 Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.
22:51 He gives his king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever."
