The Victory Song of David

¹ Then David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song,¹ on the day Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

1. This same song is recorded in Psa 18, with minor differences

² And he said: “Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.

³ I take refuge in God, my rock,¹ my shield, and the ⌞strength⌟² of my salvation. My stronghold and my refuge, O my savior, you will save me from violence!

1. So many LXX mss, Targum, Vulgate, and Psa 18:3. MT has “the God of my rock”
2. Literally “horn”

⁴ I call upon Yahweh who is praiseworthy, and I am saved from those who hate me.

⁵ For the breaker waves of death engulfed me; the currents of chaos overwhelmed me.

⁶ The ropes of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

⁷ In my distress I called upon Yahweh, and to my God I called. He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry for help was to his ears.

⁸ The earth heaved and shook, the foundations of heaven trembled and heaved because ⌞he was angry⌟.¹

1. Literally “it was hot for him”

⁹ Smoke went up from his nostrils and fire from his mouth. Burning coals devoured, they burned from him.

¹⁰ He bowed the heavens and came down; a very thick cloud was under his feet.

¹¹ He rode upon a cherub and flew; he was seen on the wings of the wind.

¹² He put darkness as a canopy all around him, a collection of ⌞thick rain clouds⌟.¹

1. Literally “clouds of thick clouds”

¹³ From the brightness before him flamed burning coals of fire.

¹⁴ Yahweh thundered from heaven, and the Most High ⌞uttered his voice⌟.¹

1. Literally “gave his voice”

¹⁵ He sent arrows and he scattered them, lightning, and he directed them.

¹⁶ Then the channels of water of the sea were exposed, the foundations of the world, at the rebuke of Yawheh, from the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

¹⁷ He sent from a high position and took me; he drew me from mighty waters.

¹⁸ He delivered me from my strong enemies, from those who hate me, for they were mightier than I.

¹⁹ They approached me on the day of my disaster, but Yahweh was my support.

²⁰ He brought me out to a spacious place. He delivered me because he delighted in me.

²¹ Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.

²² For I have kept the ways of Yahweh; I have not acted wickedly against my God.

²³ For all of his ordinances were before me, and I did not turn aside from his statutes.

²⁴ I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.

²⁵ Yahweh has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness before his eyes.

²⁶ With the loyal, you act as loyal, and with the blameless, you show yourself blameless.

²⁷ With the pure, you show yourself pure, but with the crooked, you appear as a fool.

²⁸ Humble people you will deliver, but your eyes are on the haughty, whom you bring down.

²⁹ For you, O Yahweh are my lamp, and Yahweh lightens my darkness.

³⁰ For by you I can run a raid; by my God I can leap over a wall.

³¹ This God, his way is blameless; the promise of Yahweh is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in him.

³² For who is God apart from Yahweh? And who is a rock apart from our God?

³³ God is my strong refuge, he has fully opened my way.¹

1. Thus Qere; Kethib has “his way”

³⁴ He makes my feet¹ like a doe deer, and on my high places he has set me.

1. Thus Qere; Kethib has “his feet”

³⁵ He trains my hands for the war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

³⁶ You have given me the shield of your salvation; your willingness to help has made me great.

³⁷ You have broadened my steps beneath me; my ankles have not wobbled.

³⁸ I pursued those who hate me, and I destroyed them. I did not turn back until finishing them.

³⁹ I wiped them out and I smashed them; they did not get up; they fell under my feet.

⁴⁰ You have girded me with physical strength for the battle; you caused those who rose up against me to kneel under me.

⁴¹ ⌞My enemies you cause to retreat from me⌟;¹ I destroy those who hate me.

1. Literally “Those who hate me you give to me back”

⁴² They looked out, but there was no deliverer, even to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.

⁴³ I beat them fine, like the dust of the earth; like the mire of the streets, I crushed them, I stamped them down.

⁴⁴ You delivered me from the strife of my people; you preserved me as the head of the nations. A people I had not known served me.

⁴⁵ Children of a foreign land came cringing to me; ⌞when they heard of me⌟,¹ they became obedient to me.

1. Literally “at the hearing of an ear”

⁴⁶ Children of a foreign land lost heart and came trembling from their strongholds.

⁴⁷ Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock! May God, the rock of my salvation, be exalted!

⁴⁸ God does vengeance for me, bringing down peoples under me.

⁴⁹ He brings me out from my enemies, and from those who rose up against me you lift me up, and from men of violence you rescue me.

⁵⁰ Therefore I will extol you, Yahweh, among the nations! I will sing praises to your name!

⁵¹ He makes great salvation for his king and shows loyal love to his anointed one, David and to his descendants forever.”