22:1 David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord rescued him from the power of all his enemies, including Saul. 22:2 He said:
“The Lord is my high ridge, my stronghold, my deliverer.
22:3 My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter,
my shield, the horn that saves me, my stronghold,
my refuge, my savior. You save me from violence!
22:4 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and I was delivered from my enemies.
22:5 The waves of death engulfed me;
the currents of chaos overwhelmed me.
22:6 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me;
the snares of death trapped me.
22:7 In my distress I called to the Lord;
I called to my God.
From his heavenly temple he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help.
22:8 The earth heaved and shook;
the foundations of the sky trembled.
They heaved because he was angry.
22:9 Smoke ascended from his nose;
fire devoured as it came from his mouth;
he hurled down fiery coals.
22:10 He made the sky sink as he descended;
a thick cloud was under his feet.
22:11 He mounted a winged angel and flew;
he glided on the wings of the wind.
22:12 He shrouded himself in darkness,
in thick rain clouds.
22:13 From the brightness in front of him
came coals of fire.
22:14 The Lord thundered from the sky;
the sovereign One shouted loudly.
22:15 He shot arrows and scattered them,
lightning and routed them.
22:16 The depths of the sea were exposed;
the inner regions of the world were uncovered
by the Lord’s battle cry,
by the powerful breath from his nose.
22:17 He reached down from above and grabbed me;
he pulled me from the surging water.
22:18 He rescued me from my strong enemy,
from those who hate me,
for they were too strong for me.
22:19 They confronted me in my day of calamity,
but the Lord helped me.
22:20 He brought me out into a wide open place;
he delivered me because he was pleased with me.
22:21 The Lord repaid me for my godly deeds;
he rewarded my blameless behavior.
22:22 For I have obeyed the Lord’s commands;
I have not rebelled against my God.
22:23 For I am aware of all his regulations,
and I do not reject his rules.
22:24 I was blameless before him;
I kept myself from sinning.
22:25 The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds;
he took notice of my blameless behavior.
22:26 You prove to be loyal to one who is faithful;
you prove to be trustworthy to one who is innocent.
22:27 You prove to be reliable to one who is blameless,
but you prove to be deceptive to one who is perverse.
22:28 You deliver oppressed people,
but you watch the proud and bring them down.
22:29 Indeed, you are my lamp, Lord.
The Lord illumines the darkness around me.
22:30 Indeed,with your help I can charge against an army;
by my God’s power I can jump over a wall.
22:31 The one true God acts in a faithful manner;
the Lord’s promise is reliable;
he is a shield to all who take shelter in him.
22:32 Indeed, who is God besides the Lord?
Who is a protector besides our God?
22:33 The one true God is my mighty refuge;
he removes the obstacles in my way.
22:34 He gives me the agility of a deer;
he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.
22:35 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend even the strongest bow.
22:36 You give me your protective shield;
your willingness to help enables me to prevail.
22:37 You widen my path;
my feet do not slip.
22:38 I chase my enemies and destroy them;
I do not turn back until I wipe them out.
22:39 I wipe them out and beat them to death;
they cannot get up;
they fall at my feet.
22:40 You give me strength for battle;
you make my foes kneel before me.
22:41 You make my enemies retreat;
I destroy those who hate me.
22:42 They cry out, but there is no one to help them;
they cry out to the Lord, but he does not answer them.
22:43 I grind them as fine as the dust of the ground;
I crush them and stomp on them like clay in the streets.
22:44 You rescue me from a hostile army;
you preserve me as a leader of nations;
people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects.
22:45 Foreigners are powerless before me;
when they hear of my exploits, they submit to me.
22:46 Foreigners lose their courage;
they shake with fear as they leave their strongholds.
22:47 The Lord is alive!
My protector is praiseworthy!
The God who delivers me is exalted as king!
22:48 The one true God completely vindicates me;
he makes nations submit to me.
22:49 He delivers me from my enemies;
you snatch me away from those who attack me;
you rescue me from violent men.
22:50 So I will give you thanks, O Lord, before the nations!
I will sing praises to you.
22:51 He gives his chosen king magnificent victories;
he is faithful to his chosen ruler,
to David and to his descendants forever!”