2 Samuel

¹ David prayed to God the words of this song after God saved him from all his enemies and from Saul.

² the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight.

³ where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout; My mountaintop refuge, he saves me from ruthless men.

⁴ and find myself safe and saved.

⁵ devil waters rushed over me.

⁶ death traps barred every exit.

⁷ to my God I cried out. From his palace he heard me call; my cry brought me right into his presence— a private audience!

⁸ the very heavens shook like leaves, Quaked like aspen leaves because of his rage.

⁹ his mouth spit fire. Tongues of fire darted in and out;

¹⁰ He stepped down; under his feet an abyss opened up.

¹¹ swift on wind-wings.

¹² in a trenchcoat of black rain-cloud darkness.

¹³ a grand comet of fireworks.

¹⁴ the High God gave a great shout.

¹⁵ He hurled his lightnings—a rout!

¹⁶ the hidden depths of earth lay uncovered The moment God roared in protest, let loose his hurricane anger.

¹⁷ from sky to sea; he pulled me out

¹⁸ the void in which I was drowning.

¹⁹ but God stuck by me.

²⁰ I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!

²¹ when I placed all the pieces before him. When I cleaned up my act, he gave me a fresh start.

²² I haven't taken God for granted.

²³ I try not to miss a trick.

²⁴ and I'm watching my step.

²⁵ when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

²⁶ you're straight with people who're straight with you,

²⁷ you shrewdly work around the bad ones.

²⁸ but the stuck-up you take down a peg.

²⁹ God drives out the darkness.

³⁰ I vault the high fences.

³¹ stretches straight and smooth. Every God-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward him Makes it.

³² Are we not at bedrock?

³³ then aimed me in the right direction?

³⁴ I'm king of the mountain.

³⁵ I can bend a bronze bow!

³⁶ you touch me and I feel ten feet tall.

³⁷ so my footing was firm.

³⁸ I didn't let go till they were dead men.

³⁹ then I walked all over them.

⁴⁰ you smashed the upstarts.

⁴¹ and I wiped out the haters.

⁴² but Uncle didn't come; They yelled for God and got no for an answer.

⁴³ I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter.

⁴⁴ you made me a leader of nations. People I'd never heard of served me;

⁴⁵ the moment they got wind of me they submitted.

⁴⁶ They gave up; they came trembling from their hideouts.

⁴⁷ my towering Salvation-God!

⁴⁸ and shut up the people who talked back.

⁴⁹ You pulled me from the grip of upstarts, You saved me from the bullies.

⁵⁰ all over the world. That's why I'm singing songs that rhyme your name.

⁵¹ God's chosen is beloved. I mean David and all his children— always.