2 Samuel

And David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:

1David sang this song to the LORD. God had saved him from all his enemies. God had also saved him from Saul.

2And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

2He said, "The LORD is my rock. He is my safe fort. He sets me free.

3The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

3My God is my rock. I hide in him. He is my shield. He is the strong horn that saves me. He is my high tower and my safe place. He saves me from people who want to hurt me.

4I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

4I call out to the LORD. He deserves every bit of praise. And he saves me from my enemies.

5When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;

5Death came at me like huge waves. Rushing water almost pulled me under.

6The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;

6Ropes from the place of the dead wrapped around me. Traps of death were right in front of me.

NoteIn 1611 English, "prevented" meant came at me or got there first, not stopped me. In verses 6 and 19 it means the danger came right up in front of David.

7In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

7When I was in trouble, I called to the LORD. I cried out to my God. From his temple, his house, he heard my voice. My cry reached his ears.

8Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.

8Then the earth shook and rocked. The bottoms of the sky trembled. They shook because God was angry.

9There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

9Smoke came up from his nose. Fire came out of his mouth and burned things up. Hot coals blazed.

10He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.

10He opened up the sky and came down. Dark clouds were under his feet.

11And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

11He rode on a cherub, a winged creature that serves God, and flew. He soared on the wings of the wind.

12And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.

12He made the darkness into a tent around him. Dark water and thick clouds hid him.

13Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.

13A bright light shone in front of him. Out of it, coals of fire blazed.

14The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.

14The LORD thundered from heaven. The Most High God let his voice be heard.

15And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.

15He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies. He sent lightning, and they ran away.

16And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

16The bottom of the sea could be seen. The deep parts of the world lay open. This happened when the LORD spoke sharply and breathed out hard.

17He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;

17He reached down from high above and took hold of me. He pulled me out of deep water.

18He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.

18He saved me from my strong enemy. He saved me from people who hated me. They were too strong for me.

19They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.

19They came at me on my worst day. But the LORD held me up.

20He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

20He brought me out to a wide open place. He saved me because he was glad with me.

21The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

21The LORD paid me back for doing what is right. My hands were clean, so he was good to me.

22For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

22I have followed the LORD's ways. I have not turned away from my God to do wrong.

23For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.

23I keep all his rules in front of me. I did not turn away from his laws.

24I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.

24I did what was right in front of him. I kept myself from doing wrong.

25Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.

25So the LORD was good to me because I did what is right. He saw that my hands were clean.

26With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.

26To people who are kind, you show that you are kind. To people who do right, you show that you do right.

27With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.

27To people who are pure, you show that you are pure. But to people who are twisted, you act clever against them.

Note"Froward" means bent or crooked, a person who will not go straight. "Unsavoury" here means God is too clever for such a person to trick.

28And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.

28You save people who are hurting. But you watch proud people and bring them down.

29For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.

29LORD, you are my lamp. You turn my darkness into light.

30For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.

30With your help I can charge at an army. With my God I can jump over a wall.

31As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

31God's way is perfect. Every word the LORD says is proven true. He is a shield for all who hide in him.

32For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?

32Who is God but the LORD? Who is a rock but our God?

33God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.

33God makes me strong. He makes my path clear and safe.

34He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.

34He makes my feet quick, like the feet of a deer. He helps me stand on high places.

35He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

35He teaches my hands how to fight. My arms are strong enough to bend a bow made of bronze.

NoteThe KJV says "a bow of steel." The old word covers bronze, which is what people used then. Bending a bronze bow took great strength.

36Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.

36You gave me your shield that keeps me safe. Your kindness has made me great.

37Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.

37You made a wide path for my feet. So my feet did not slip.

38I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.

38I chased my enemies and wiped them out. I did not turn back until they were gone.

39And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.

39I struck them down so they could not get up. They fell under my feet.

40For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.

40You made me strong for the fight. You put my enemies down under me.

41Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.

41You made my enemies turn and run. I put an end to those who hated me.

42They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.

42They looked for help, but no one saved them. They called to the LORD, but he did not answer.

43Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.

43I ground them up like dust on the ground. I stamped on them like mud in the street.

44Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.

44You saved me from fights among my own people. You kept me as the leader over other nations. People I never met will serve me.

Note"Heathen" simply means the other nations, the people who were not part of Israel. It is not a name-calling word here.

45Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.

45People from other lands bow down to me. As soon as they hear me, they obey.

46Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.

46They lose their courage. They come out shaking from their strong hiding places.

47The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.

47The LORD is alive! Praise my rock! Lift up God high, the rock who saves me.

48It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me,

48God pays back the people who hurt me. He puts other nations under me.

49And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

49He brings me safely away from my enemies. You lift me up high above those who attack me. You save me from cruel men.

50Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.

50So I will thank you, LORD, in front of other nations. I will sing praise to your name.

51He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.

51God gives great help to his king. He shows steady love to the one he picked to be king. That is David, and his family forever."