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David’s Song of Deliverance(A)

22 David sang this song to the Lord when the Lord rescued him from all his enemies, especially from Saul. He said,

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my Savior,
my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield,
the strength of my salvation, my stronghold,
my refuge, and my Savior who saved me from violence.
The Lord should be praised.
I called on him, and I was saved from my enemies.

The waves of death had surrounded me.
The torrents of destruction had overwhelmed me.
The ropes of the grave had surrounded me.
The clutches of death had confronted me.

I called on the Lord in my distress.
I called to my God for help.
He heard my voice from his temple,
and my cry for help reached his ears.
Then the earth shook and quaked.
Even the foundations of the heavens trembled.
They shook violently because he was angry.
Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and a raging fire came out of his mouth.
Glowing coals flared up from it.
10 He spread apart the heavens
and came down with a dark cloud under his feet.
11 He rode on one of the angels [a] as he flew,
and he soared on the wings of the wind.
12 He surrounded himself with darkness.
He made the dark rain clouds his covering.
13 Out of the brightness in front of him, he made lightning.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven.
The Most High made his voice heard.
15 He shot arrows and scattered them.
He flashed streaks of lightning and threw them into confusion.
16 Then the ocean floor could be seen.
The foundations of the earth were laid bare
at the Lord’s stern warning,
at the blast of the breath from his nostrils.

17 He reached down from high above and took hold of me.
He pulled me out of the raging water.
18 He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
because they were too strong for me.
19 On the day when I faced disaster, they confronted me,
but the Lord became my defense.
20 He brought me out to a wide-open place.
He rescued me because he was pleased with me.

21 The Lord rewarded me
because of my righteousness,
because my hands are clean.
He paid me back
22 because I have kept the ways of the Lord
and I have not wickedly turned away from my God,
23 because all his judgments are in front of me
and I have not turned away from his laws.
24 I was innocent as far as he was concerned.
I have kept myself from guilt.
25 The Lord paid me back
because of my righteousness,
because he can see that I am clean.

26 ⌞In dealing⌟ with faithful people you are faithful,
with innocent warriors you are innocent,
27 with pure people you are pure.
⌞In dealing⌟ with devious people you are clever.

28 You save humble people,
but your eyes bring down arrogant people.
29 O Lord, you are my lamp.
The Lord turns my darkness into light.
30 With you I can attack a line of soldiers.
With my God I can break through barricades.

31 God’s way is perfect!
The promise of the Lord has proven to be true.
He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
32 Who is God but the Lord?
Who is a rock other than our God?
33 God arms me with strength.[b]
His perfect way sets me free.
34 He makes my feet like those of a deer
and gives me sure footing on high places.
35 He trains my hands for battle
so that my arms can bend an ⌞archer’s⌟ bow of bronze.
36 You have given me the shield of your salvation.
Your help makes me great.
37 You make a wide path for me to walk on
so that my feet do not slip.
38 I chased my enemies and destroyed them.
I did not return until I had ended their lives.
39 I ended their lives by shattering them.
They were unable to get up.
They fell under my feet.
40 You armed me with strength for battle.
You made my opponents bow at my feet.
41 You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
and I destroyed those who hated me.
42 They looked, but there was no one to save them.
They looked to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
43 I beat them into a powder as fine as the dust on the ground.
I crushed them and stomped on them like the dirt on the streets.

44 You rescued me from my conflicts with my people.
You kept me as the leader of nations.
A people I did not know will serve me.
45 Foreigners will cringe in front of me.
As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.
46 Foreigners will lose heart,
although they are armed in their fortifications.

47 The Lord lives!
Thanks be to my rock!
May God, the rock of my salvation, be glorified.
48 God gives me vengeance!
He brings people under my authority.
49 He frees me from my enemies.
You lift me up above my opponents.
You rescue me from violent people.
50 That is why I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the nations
and make music to praise your name.
51 He gives great victories to his king.
He shows mercy to his anointed,
to David, and to his descendant [c] forever.

David’s Last Words

23 These are the last words of David:

“Here is the declaration by David, son of Jesse—
the declaration by the man whom God raised up,[d]
whom the God of Jacob anointed,
the singer of Israel’s psalms:

“The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me.
His words were on my tongue.
The God of Israel spoke to them.
The rock of Israel told me,
‘The one who rules humans with justice rules with the fear of God.
He is like the morning light as the sun rises,
like a morning without clouds,
like the brightness after a rainstorm.
The rain makes the grass grow from the earth.’

“Truly, God considers my house to be that way,
because he has made a lasting promise [e] to me,
with every detail arranged and assured.
⌞He promised⌟ everything that helps me,
everything that pleases me.
Truly, he makes these things happen.

“Worthless people are like thorns.
All of them are thrown away, because they cannot be picked by hand.
A person who touches them uses iron ⌞tools⌟
or the shaft of a spear.
Fire [f] will burn them up completely wherever they are.”

David’s Three Fighting Men(B)

These are the names of David’s fighting men: Josheb Basshebeth from Tahkemon’s family was leader of the three. He used a spear [g] to kill 800 men on one occasion.

Next in rank to him was Eleazar, another one of the three fighting men. He was the son of Dodo and grandson of Aho. Eleazar was with David at Pas Dammim [h] when the Philistines gathered there for battle. When the soldiers from Israel retreated, 10 he attacked and killed Philistines until his hand got tired and stuck to his sword. So the Lord won an impressive victory that day. The army returned to Eleazar, but they only returned to strip the dead.

11 Next in rank to him was Shammah, the son of Agee from Harar. The Philistines had gathered at Lehi, where there was a field of ripe lentils. When the troops fled from the Philistines, 12 he stood in the middle of the field and defended it by killing Philistines. So the Lord won an impressive victory.

13 At harvest time three of the thirty leading men came to David at the cave of Adullam when a troop from the Philistine army was camping in the valley of Rephaim. 14 While David was in the fortified camp, Philistine troops were at Bethlehem. 15 When David became thirsty, he said, “I wish I could have a drink of water from the well at the city gate of Bethlehem.” 16 So the three fighting men burst into the Philistine camp and drew water from the well. They brought it to David, but he refused to drink it. He poured it out ⌞as an offering⌟ to the Lord and said, 17 “It’s unthinkable that I would do this, Lord. This is the blood of men who risked their lives!” So he refused to drink it.

These are the things which the three fighting men did.

David’s Thirty Fighting Men(C)

18 Joab’s brother Abishai, Zeruiah’s son, was the leader of the thirty. He used his spear to kill 300 men. He was as famous as the three 19 and was honored more than they were. So he became their captain, but he didn’t become a member of the three.

20 Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was from Kabzeel and was a brave man who did many things. He killed two distinguished soldiers from Moab. He also went into a pit and killed a lion on the day it snowed. 21 And he killed a handsome Egyptian. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand. Benaiah went to him with a club, grabbed the spear from him, and killed him with it. 22 These are the things that Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, did. He was as famous as the three fighting men. 23 He was honored more than the thirty, but he was not a member of the three. David put him in charge of his bodyguards.

24 One of the thirty was Joab’s brother Asahel. ⌞The thirty leading men were⌟

Elhanan (son of Dodo) from Bethlehem,
25 Shammah from Harod,
Elika from Harod,
26 Helez the Paltite,
Ira (son of Ikkesh) from Tekoa,
27 Abiezer from Anathoth,
Mebunnai (son of Hushai),
28 Zalmon (descendant of Ahohi),
Maharai from Netophah,
29 Heleb (son of Baanah) from Netophah,
Ittai (son of Ribai) from Gibeah in Benjamin,
30 Benaiah from Pirathon,
Hiddai from the Gaash ravines,
31 Abi Albon from Beth Arabah,
Azmaveth from Bahurim,
32 Elihba from Shaalbon,
Bene Jashen,
33 Jonathan (⌞son of⌟ Shammah the Hararite),
Ahiam (son of Sharar the Hararite),
34 Eliphelet (son of Ahasbai and grandson of a man from Maacah),
Eliam (son of Ahithophel) from Gilo,
35 Hezrai from Carmel,
Paarai from Arabah,
36 Igal (son of Nathan) from Zobah,
Bani from the tribe of Gad,
37 Zelek from Ammon,
Naharai from Beeroth, armorbearer for Zeruiah’s son Joab,
38 Ira (descendant of Ithra),
Gareb (descendant of Ithra),
39 Uriah the Hittite—
37 in all.

Footnotes

  1. 22:11 Or “cherubim.”
  2. 22:33 Dead Sea Scrolls, Psalm 18:33, Greek, Syriac, Latin; Masoretic Text “my refuge is strength.”
  3. 22:51 Or “to his descendants.”
  4. 23:1 Dead Sea Scrolls, Greek; Masoretic Text “who was raised up high.”
  5. 23:5 Or “covenant.”
  6. 23:7 Or “The fire.”
  7. 23:8 1 Chronicles 11:11.
  8. 23:9 1 Chronicles 11:13; Masoretic Text “when [the Philistines] challenged.”

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