Yahweh Is My Rock
(2 Samuel 22:1–51)

1For the one directing. Of the servant of YHWH, David, who spoke to YHWH the words of this song on the day that YHWH snatched him from the hand of all his enemies, from the hand of Saul. 1 And he said:

I love You, O YHWH, my strength.

2YHWH is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer.

My God is my rock—I take refuge in Him—

my protection, and the horn of my salvation,

my high place.

3I will call upon YHWH, to be praised,

and I shall be saved from my enemies.

4The cords of Death surrounded me,

and the torrents of Belial terrified me.

5The cords of Sheol surrounded me;

the snares of Death confronted me.

6In the distress unto me, I called to YHWH,

and to my God I cried for help.

From His temple He heard my voice,

and my cry for help came before His face into His ears.

7And the earth shook and quaked,

and the foundations of the hills trembled;

and they were shaken because of the burning from Him.

8Smoke went up from His nostril,

and a devouring fire from His mouth;

coals were kindled from it.

9And He stretched apart the heavens and came down,

and a dark cloud was under His feet.

10And He rode upon a cherub and flew,

and He took flight upon the wings of the wind.

11He made darkness His covering,

His canopy around Him—darkness of waters and thick clouds of vapors.

12From the brightness before Him

His thick clouds passed on,

hail and coals of fire.†

13And YHWH thundered in the heavens,

and the Most High gave forth His voice—

hail and coals of fire.†

14And He sent out His arrows and scattered them,

and He hurled lightning and routed them.

15And the channels of the sea were seen.

And the foundations of the world were uncovered,

from Your rebuke, O YHWH,

from the blast of the breath of Your nostril.

16He sent from above, he took hold of me;

He drew me out from the many waters.

17He snatched me away from my strong enemy,

and from those hating me,

for they were stronger than I.

18They confronted me in the day of my calamity,

and YHWH was as a support for me.

19And He brought me out into a broad place;

He pulled me out, because He took delight in me.

20YHWH rewarded me according to my righteousness;

according to the cleanness of my hands, He returned it to me.

21For I have kept the ways of YHWH,

and I have not acted wickedly against my God.

22For all His ordinances are before me,

and I did not turn aside His statutes from me.

23And I was blameless before Him,

and I guarded myself from my iniquity.

24And YHWH has returned to me according to my righteousness,

according to the cleanness of my hands before His eyes.

25With the faithful one, You show Yourself faithful;

with a blameless man, You show Yourself blameless;

26with the purified one, You show Yourself pure;

and with the crooked one, You show Yourself shrewd.

27For You will save a lowly people,

but the eyes of those rising high You bring low.

28For You light my lamp;

YHWH my God makes my darkness shine bright.

29For with You I can run against a troop,

and with my God I can leap a wall.

30God—His way is perfect—

the word of YHWH is refined;

He is a shield for all those seeking refuge in Him.

31For who is God, apart from YHWH?

And who is the Rock, except our God?—

32The God girding me with strength,

and making perfect my way.

33Setting my feet like does,

even on the heights He makes me stand.

34He trains my hands for the battle,

and my arms can bend down a bow of bronze.

35And You gave to me the shield of Your salvation;

and Your right hand supports me,

and Your gentleness makes me great.†

36You made wide my path under me,

and my ankles have not slipped.

37I pursued my enemies and overtook them;

and I did not turn back until they were consumed.

38I wounded them, and they were not able to rise;

they have fallen under my feet.

39And You girded me with strength for the battle;

those rising against me You bent down underneath me.

40And my enemies, You have given to me the neck;

and those hating me, I cut them off!

41They cried for help, and no one saved them,

upon YHWH, and He did not answer them.

42And I beat them as dust upon the face of the wind;

like mud in the streets I trampled them.†

43You rescued me from the disputes of people;

You set me as the head of nations;

a people I have not known shall serve me.

44At the hearing of the ear, they listen to me;

the sons of a foreigner feign obedience before me.

45The sons of a foreigner fade away,

and they come trembling from their strongholds.

46YHWH lives! And blessed be my Rock,

and the God of my salvation be exalted—

47the God giving vengeance to me,

and subduing the peoples under me,

48causing me to escape from my enemies, even above,

those who rise against me—You lift me up.

From the man of violence, You have snatched me.

49Upon thus, I will confess You among the nations, O YHWH,

and to Your name I will sing praise.†

50He is making great the salvation of His king

and showing loving devotion to His anointed,

of David and to his seed, even to forever.