Day 141 - 2 Samuel 22-23; Psalm 57

2 Samuel 22

David's Song of Praise

¹ David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. ² He said:
"The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

³ my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn ^a]">[a] of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent men you save me.

⁴ I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.

⁵ "The waves of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.

⁶ The cords of the grave ^b]">[b] coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.

⁷ In my distress I called to the LORD;
I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.

⁸ "The earth trembled and quaked,
the foundations of the heavens ^c]">[c] shook;
they trembled because he was angry.

⁹ Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.

¹⁰ He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.

¹¹ He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared ^d]">[d] on the wings of the wind.

¹² He made darkness his canopy around him—
the dark ^e]">[e] rain clouds of the sky.

¹³ Out of the brightness of his presence
bolts of lightning blazed forth.

¹⁴ The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.

¹⁵ He shot arrows and scattered the enemies ,
bolts of lightning and routed them.

¹⁶ The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at the rebuke of the LORD,
at the blast of breath from his nostrils.

¹⁷ "He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.

¹⁸ He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.

¹⁹ They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.

²⁰ He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

²¹ "The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.

²² For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I have not done evil by turning from my God.

²³ All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.

²⁴ I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.

²⁵ The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness ^f]">[f] in his sight.

²⁶ "To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,

²⁷ to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

²⁸ You save the humble,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.

²⁹ You are my lamp, O LORD;
the LORD turns my darkness into light.

³⁰ With your help I can advance against a troop ^g]">[g] ;
with my God I can scale a wall.

³¹ "As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.

³² For who is God besides the LORD ?
And who is the Rock except our God?

³³ It is God who arms me with strength ^h]">[h]
and makes my way perfect.

³⁴ He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.

³⁵ He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

³⁶ You give me your shield of victory;
you stoop down to make me great.

³⁷ You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.

³⁸ "I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

³⁹ I crushed them completely, and they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.

⁴⁰ You armed me with strength for battle;
you made my adversaries bow at my feet.

⁴¹ You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.

⁴² They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the LORD, but he did not answer.

⁴³ I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.

⁴⁴ "You have delivered me from the attacks of my people;
you have preserved me as the head of nations.
People I did not know are subject to me,

⁴⁵ and foreigners come cringing to me;
as soon as they hear me, they obey me.

⁴⁶ They all lose heart;
they come trembling ^i]">[i] from their strongholds.

⁴⁷ "The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God, the Rock, my Savior!

⁴⁸ He is the God who avenges me,
who puts the nations under me,

⁴⁹ who sets me free from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from violent men you rescued me.

⁵⁰ Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations;
I will sing praises to your name.

⁵¹ He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever."

2 Samuel 23

The Last Words of David

¹ These are the last words of David:
"The oracle of David son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High,
the man anointed by the God of Jacob,
Israel's singer of songs ^j]">[j] :

² "The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.

³ The God of Israel spoke,
the Rock of Israel said to me:
'When one rules over men in righteousness,
when he rules in the fear of God,

⁴ he is like the light of morning at sunrise
on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain
that brings the grass from the earth.'

⁵ "Is not my house right with God?
Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant,
arranged and secured in every part?
Will he not bring to fruition my salvation
and grant me my every desire?

⁶ But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns,
which are not gathered with the hand.

⁷ Whoever touches thorns
uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear;
they are burned up where they lie."

David's Mighty Men

⁸ These are the names of David's mighty men:
Josheb-Basshebeth, ^k]">[k] a Tahkemonite, ^l]">[l] was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed ^m]">[m] in one encounter.

⁹ Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim ^n]">[n] for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, ¹⁰ but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.

¹¹ Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them. ¹² But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.

¹³ During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. ¹⁴ At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. ¹⁵ David longed for water and said, "Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!" ¹⁶ So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD. ¹⁷ "Far be it from me, O LORD, to do this!" he said. "Is it not the blood of men who went at the risk of their lives?" And David would not drink it.
Such were the exploits of the three mighty men.

¹⁸ Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. ^o]">[o] He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. ¹⁹ Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them.

²⁰ Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. ²¹ And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. ²² Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men. ²³ He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

²⁴ Among the Thirty were:
Asahel the brother of Joab,
Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,

²⁵ Shammah the Harodite,
Elika the Harodite,

²⁶ Helez the Paltite,
Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,

²⁷ Abiezer from Anathoth,
Mebunnai ^p]">[p] the Hushathite,

²⁸ Zalmon the Ahohite,
Maharai the Netophathite,

²⁹ Heled ^q]">[q] son of Baanah the Netophathite,
Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin,

³⁰ Benaiah the Pirathonite,
Hiddai ^r]">[r] from the ravines of Gaash,

³¹ Abi-Albon the Arbathite,
Azmaveth the Barhumite,

³² Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
the sons of Jashen,
Jonathan ³³ son of ^s]">[s] Shammah the Hararite,
Ahiam son of Sharar ^t]">[t] the Hararite,

³⁴ Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maacathite,
Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

³⁵ Hezro the Carmelite,
Paarai the Arbite,

³⁶ Igal son of Nathan from Zobah,
the son of Hagri, ^u]">[u]

³⁷ Zelek the Ammonite,
Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,

³⁸ Ira the Ithrite,
Gareb the Ithrite

³⁹ and Uriah the Hittite.
There were thirty-seven in all.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Samuel 22:3 Horn here symbolizes strength.
2. 2 Samuel 22:6 Hebrew Sheol
3. 2 Samuel 22:8 Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains
4. 2 Samuel 22:11 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10 most Hebrew manuscripts appeared
5. 2 Samuel 22:12 Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:11 Hebrew massed
6. 2 Samuel 22:25 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) to the cleanness of my hands
7. 2 Samuel 22:30 Or can run through a barricade
8. 2 Samuel 22:33 Dead Sea Scrolls, some Septuagint manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:32 Masoretic Text who is my strong refuge
9. 2 Samuel 22:46 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45 Masoretic Text they arm themselves .
10. 2 Samuel 23:1 Or Israel's beloved singer
11. 2 Samuel 23:8 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts suggest Ish-Bosheth , that is, Esh-Baal (see also 1 Chron. 11:11 Jashobeam ).
12. 2 Samuel 23:8 Probably a variant of Hacmonite (see 1 Chron. 11:11)
13. 2 Samuel 23:8 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:11 Hebrew and other Septuagint manuscripts Three; it was Adino the Eznite who killed eight hundred men
14. 2 Samuel 23:9 See 1 Chron. 11:13; Hebrew gathered there .
15. 2 Samuel 23:18 Most Hebrew manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:20 two Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac Thirty
16. 2 Samuel 23:27 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:29) Sibbecai
17. 2 Samuel 23:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also 1 Chron. 11:30 most Hebrew manuscripts Heleb
18. 2 Samuel 23:30 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:32) Hurai
19. 2 Samuel 23:33 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:34 Hebrew does not have son of .
20. 2 Samuel 23:33 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:35) Sacar
21. 2 Samuel 23:36 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:38 Hebrew Haggadi

Psalm 57

For the director of music. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam . When he had fled from Saul into the cave. ^a]">[a]

¹ Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.

² I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me.

³ He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me;
Selah
God sends his love and his faithfulness.

⁴ I am in the midst of lions;
I lie among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶ They spread a net for my feet—
I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.
Selah

⁷ My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.

⁸ Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.

⁹ I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.

¹⁰ For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 57:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term