Chapter 22

  And David made a song to the Lord in these words, on the day when the Lord made him free from the hands of all his haters, and from the hand of Saul:  

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  And he said, The Lord is my Rock, my walled town, and my saviour, even mine;  

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  My God, my Rock, in him will I put my faith; my breastplate, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my safe place; my saviour, who keeps me safe from the violent man.  

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  I will send up my cry to the Lord, who is to be praised; so will I be made safe from those who are against me.  

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  For the waves of death came round me, and the seas of evil put me in fear;  

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  The cords of hell were round me: the nets of death came on me.  

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  In my trouble my voice went up to the Lord, and my cry to my God: my voice came to his hearing in his holy Temple, and my prayer came to his ears.  

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  Then the earth was moved with a violent shock; the bases of heaven were moved and shaking, because he was angry.  

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  There went up a smoke from his nose, and a fire of destruction from his mouth: coals were lighted by it.  

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  The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet.  

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  And he went through the air, seated on a storm-cloud: going quickly on the wings of the wind.  

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  And he made the dark his tent round him, a mass of waters, thick clouds of the skies.  

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  Before his shining light his dark clouds went past, raining ice and coals of fire.  

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  The Lord made thunder in the heavens, and the voice of the Highest was sounding out.  

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  And he sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled.  

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  Then the deep beds of the sea were seen, and the bases of the world were uncovered, because of the Lord's wrath, because of the breath of his mouth.  

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  He sent from on high, he took me, pulling me out of great waters.  

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  He made me free from my strong hater, from those who were against me, because they were stronger than I.  

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  They came on me in the day of my trouble: but the Lord was my support.  

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  He took me out into a wide place; he was my saviour because he had delight in me.  

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  The Lord gives me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean before him.  

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  For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not been turned away in sin from my God.  

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  For all his decisions were before me, and I did not put away his laws from me.  

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  And I was upright before him, and I kept myself from sin.  

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  Because of this the Lord has given me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean in his eyes.  

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  On him who has mercy you will have mercy; to the upright you will be upright;  

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  He who is holy will see that you are holy; but to the man whose way is not straight you will be a hard judge.  

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  For you are the saviour of those who are in trouble; but your eyes are on men of pride, to make them low.  

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  For you are my light, O Lord; and the Lord will make the dark bright for me.  

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  By your help I have made a way through the wall which was shutting me in: by the help of my God I have gone over a wall.  

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  As for God, his way is all good: the word of the Lord is tested; he is a safe cover for all those who put their faith in him.  

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  For who is God but the Lord? and who is a Rock but our God?  

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  God puts a strong band about me, guiding me in a straight way.  

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  He makes my feet like roes' feet, and puts me on high places.  

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  He makes my hands expert in war, so that a bow of brass is bent by my arms.  

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  You have given me the breastplate of your salvation, and your mercy has made me great.  

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  You have made my steps wide under me, so that my feet make no slip.  

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  I go after my haters and overtake them; not turning back till they are all overcome.  

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  I have sent destruction on them and given them wounds, so that they are not able to get up: they are stretched under my feet.  

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  For I have been armed by you with strength for the fight: you have made low under me those who came out against me.  

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  By you their backs are turned in flight, so that my haters are cut off.  

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  They were crying out, but there was no one to come to their help: even to the Lord, but he gave them no answer.  

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  Then they were crushed as small as the dust of the earth, stamped down under my feet like the waste of the streets.  

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  You have made me free from the fightings of my people; you have made me the head of the nations: a people of whom I had no knowledge will be my servants.  

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  Men of other countries will, with false hearts, put themselves under my authority: from the time when my name comes to their ears, they will be ruled by me.  

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  They will be wasted away, they will come out of their secret places shaking with fear.  

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  The Lord is living; praise be to my Rock, and let the God of my salvation be honoured:  

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  It is God who sends punishment on my haters, and puts peoples under my rule.  

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  He makes me free from my haters: I am lifted up over those who come up against me: you have made me free from the violent man.  

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  Because of this I will give you praise, O Lord, among the nations, and will make a song of praise to your name.  

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  Great salvation does he give to his king; he has mercy on the king of his selection, David, and on his seed for ever.  

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