The Second Book of Samuel

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 22 -

(Psalm 18:1–50)

And David spoke to the Lord the words of this canticle, in the day that the Lord delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul,

And he said: The Lord is my rock, and my strength, and my saviour.

God is my strong one, in him will I trust: my shield, and the horn of my salvation: he lifteth me up, and is my refuge: my saviour, thou wilt deliver me from iniquity.

I will call on the Lord who is worthy to be praised: and I shall be saved from my enemies.

For the pangs of death have surrounded me: the floods of Belial have made me afraid.

The cords of hell compassed me: the snares of death prevented me.

In my distress I will call upon the Lord, and I will cry to my God: and he will hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry shall come to his ears.

The earth shook and trembled, the foundations of the mountains were moved, and shaken, because he was angry with them.

A smoke went up from his nostrils, and a devouring fire out of his mouth: coals were kindled by it.

He bowed the heavens, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

And he rode upon the cherubims, and flew: and slid upon the wings of the wind.

He made darkness a covering round about him: dropping waters out of the clouds of the heavens.

By the brightness before him, the coals of fire were kindled.

The Lord shall thunder from heaven: and the most high shall give forth his voice.

He shot arrows and scattered them: lightning, and consumed them.

And the overflowings of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid open at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the spirit of his wrath.

He sent from on high, and took me, and drew me out of many waters.

He delivered me from my most mighty enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.

He prevented me in the day of my affliction, and the Lord became my stay.

And he brought me forth into a large place, he delivered me, because I pleased him.

The Lord will reward me according to my justice: and according to the cleanness of my hands he will render to me.

Because I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

For all his judgments are in my sight: and his precepts I have not removed from me.

And I shall be perfect with him: and shall keep myself from my iniquity.

And the Lord will recompense me according to my justice: and according to the cleanness of my hands in the sight of his eyes.

With the holy one thou wilt be holy: and with the valiant perfect.

With the elect thou wilt be elect: and with the perverse thou wilt be perverted.

And the poor people thou wilt save: and with thy eyes thou wilt humble the haughty.

For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and thou, O Lord, wilt enlighten my darkness.

For in thee I will run girded: in my God I will leap over the wall.

God, his way is immaculate, the word of the Lord is tried by fire: he is the shield of all that trust in him.

Who is God but the Lord: and who is strong but our God?

God who hath girded me with strength, and made my way perfect.

Making my feet like the feet of harts, and setting me upon my high places.

He teacheth my bands to war: and maketh my arms like a bow of brass.

Thou hast given me the shield of my salvation: and thy mildness hath multiplied me.

Thou shalt enlarge my steps under me: and my ankles shall not fail.

I will pursue after my enemies, and crush them: and will not return again till I consume them.

I will consume them and break them in pieces, so that they shall not rise: they shall fall under my feet.

Thou hast girded me with strength to battle: thou hast made them that resisted me to bow under me.

My enemies thou hast made to turn their back to me: them that hated me, and I shall destroy them.

They shall cry, and there shall be none to save: to the Lord, and he shall not hear them.

I shall beat them as small as the dust of the earth: I shall crush them and spread them abroad like the mire of the streets.

Thou wilt save me from the contradictions of my people: thou wilt keep me to be the head of the Gentiles: the people which I know not, shall serve me,

The sons of the stranger will resist me, at the hearing of the ear they will obey me.

The strangers are melted away, and shall be straitened in their distresses.

The Lord liveth, and my God is blessed: and the strong God of my salvation shall be exalted:

God who giveth me revenge, and bringest down people under me,

Who bringest me forth from my enemies, and liftest me up from them that resist me: from the wicked man thou shalt deliver me.

Therefore will I give thanks to thee. O Lord, among the Gentiles, and will sing to thy name.

Giving great salvation to his king, and shewing mercy to David his anointed, and to his seed for ever.

(Psalm 18:1–50)

David spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul,

and he said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine;

God is my rock in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge. My savior, you save me from violence.

I call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.

For the waves of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

The cords of Sheol

(a)

were around me. The snares of death caught me.

In my distress, I called on the LORD. Yes, I called to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry came into his ears.

Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.

Smoke went up out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.

He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.

He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind.

He made darkness a shelter around himself, gathering of waters, and thick clouds of the skies.

At the brightness before him, coals of fire were kindled.

The LORD thundered from heaven. The Most High uttered his voice.

He sent out arrows and scattered them, lightning and confused them.

Then the channels of the sea appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare by the LORD’s rebuke, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

He sent from on high and he took me. He drew me out of many waters.

He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.

They came on me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my support.

He also brought me out into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.

The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness. He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands.

For I have kept the LORD’s ways, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

For all his ordinances were before me. As for his statutes, I didn’t depart from them.

I was also perfect toward him. I kept myself from my iniquity.

Therefore the LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight.

With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect.

With the pure you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.

You will save the afflicted people, but your eyes are on the arrogant, that you may bring them down.

For you are my lamp, LORD. The LORD will light up my darkness.

For by you, I run against a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.

As for God, his way is perfect. The LORD’s word is tested. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.

For who is God, besides the LORD? Who is a rock, besides our God?

God is my strong fortress. He makes my way perfect.

He makes his feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places.

He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze.

You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your gentleness has made me great.

You have enlarged my steps under me. My feet have not slipped.

I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them. I didn’t turn again until they were consumed.

I have consumed them, and struck them through, so that they can’t arise. Yes, they have fallen under my feet.

For you have armed me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.

They looked, but there was no one to save; even to the LORD, but he didn’t answer them.

Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth. I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad.

You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people. You have kept me to be the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known will serve me.

The foreigners will submit themselves to me. As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.

The foreigners will fade away, and will come trembling out of their close places.

The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,

even the God who executes vengeance for me, who brings down peoples under me,

who brings me away from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.

Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations, and will sing praises to your name.

He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.”

Footnotes

(a)22:6 Sheol is the place of the dead.