David's Song of Victory
(2 Samuel 22.1-51)1 How I love you, Lord!
You are my defender.
2 The Lord is my protector;
he is my strong fortress.
My God is my protection,
and with him I am safe.
He protects me like a shield;
he defends me and keeps me safe.
3 I call to the Lord,
and he saves me from my enemies.
Praise the Lord!
4 The danger of death was all around me;
the waves of destruction rolled over me.
5 The danger of death was around me,
and the grave set its trap for me.
6 In my trouble I called to the Lord;
I called to my God for help.
In his temple he heard my voice;
he listened to my cry for help.
7 Then the earth trembled and shook;
the foundations of the mountains rocked and quivered,
because God was angry.
8 Smoke poured out of his nostrils,
a consuming flame and burning coals from his mouth.
9 He tore the sky open and came down
with a dark cloud under his feet.
10 He flew swiftly on his winged creature;
he traveled on the wings of the wind.
11 He covered himself with darkness;
thick clouds, full of water, surrounded him.
12 Hailstones and flashes of fire
came from the lightning before him
and broke through the dark clouds.
13 Then the Lord thundered from the sky;
and the voice of the Most High was heard.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
with flashes of lightning he sent them running.
15 The floor of the ocean was laid bare,
and the foundations of the earth were uncovered,
when you rebuked your enemies, Lord,
and roared at them in anger.
16 The Lord reached down from above and took hold of me;
he pulled me out of the deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies
and from all those who hate me—
they were too strong for me.
18 When I was in trouble, they attacked me,
but the Lord protected me.
19 He helped me out of danger;
he saved me because he was pleased with me.
20 The Lord rewards me because I do what is right;
he blesses me because I am innocent.
21 I have obeyed the law of the Lord;
I have not turned away from my God.
22 I have observed all his laws;
I have not disobeyed his commands.
23 He knows that I am faultless,
that I have kept myself from doing wrong.
24 And so he rewards me because I do what is right,
because he knows that I am innocent.
25 O Lord, you are faithful to those who are faithful to you;
completely good to those who are perfect.
26 You are pure to those who are pure,
but hostile to those who are wicked.
27 You save those who are humble,
but you humble those who are proud.
28 O Lord, you give me light;
you dispel my darkness.
29 You give me strength to attack my enemies
and power to overcome their defenses.
30 This God—how perfect are his deeds!
How dependable his words!
He is like a shield
for all who seek his protection.
31 The Lord alone is God;
God alone is our defense.
32 He is the God who makes me strong,
who makes my pathway safe.
33 He makes me sure-footed as a deer;
he keeps me safe on the mountains.
34 He trains me for battle,
so that I can use the strongest bow.
35 O Lord, you protect me and save me;
your care has made me great,
and your power has kept me safe.
36 You have kept me from being captured,
and I have never fallen.
37 I pursue my enemies and catch them;
I do not stop until I destroy them.
38 I strike them down, and they cannot rise;
they lie defeated before me.
39 You give me strength for the battle
and victory over my enemies.
40 You make my enemies run from me;
I destroy those who hate me.
41 They cry for help, but no one saves them;
they call to the Lord, but he does not answer.
42 I crush them, so that they become like dust
which the wind blows away.
I trample on them like mud in the streets.
43 You saved me from a rebellious people
and made me ruler over the nations;
people I did not know have now become my subjects.
44 Foreigners bow before me;
when they hear me, they obey.
45 They lose their courage
and come trembling from their fortresses.
46 The Lord lives! Praise my defender!
Proclaim the greatness of the God who saves me.
47 He gives me victory over my enemies;
he subdues the nations under me
48 and saves me from my foes.
O Lord, you give me victory over my enemies
and protect me from violent people.
49 And so I praise you among the nations;
I sing praises to you.
50 God gives great victories to his king;
he shows constant love to the one he has chosen,
to David and his descendants forever.
شكر للربِّ بعد النصر
1 لِكبـيرِ المُغَنِّينِ. لِعَبدِ الرّبِّ داوُدَ. أنشدَ للرّبِّ هذا النشيدَ يومَ خَلَّصَهُ مِنْ يدِ كُلِّ أعدائِهِ ومِنْ يدِ شاوُلَ:
2 أُحِبُّكَ يا ربُّ، يا قُوَّتي.
3 الرّبُّ صخرتي وحِصني ومُنقِذي.
إلهي صخرَتي وبهِ أحتمي،
وتُرْسي وحِصْنُ خلاصي ومَلْجَأي.
4 دَعوتُ إلى الرّبِّ لَه الحَمدُ،
فخَلَّصَني مِنْ أعدائي.
5 حَبائِلُ الموتِ اكتَنَفَتني،
وباغَتَتْني سُيولُ الهلاكِ.
6 حَبائلُ عالَمِ الموتِ أحاطَت بـي،
وأشراكُ الموتِ نُصِبَت قُدَّامي.
7 في ضيقي دَعوتُ الرّبَّ،
وإلى إلهي صَرَختُ،
فسَمِعَ مِنْ هَيكلِهِ صوتي
وبَلَغَ صُراخي أُذُنَيهِ،
8 فارتجَّتِ الأرضُ وارْتَعَشت
وتَزَعزَعَت أُسُسُ الجِبالِ
ومادَت مِنْ شِدَّةِ غضَبِهِ.
9 تَصاعَدَ دُخانٌ مِنْ أنْفِهِ،
ونارٌ آكلةٌ مِنْ فَمِهِ،
وجَمْرٌ مُتَّقِدٌ ولهِيـبٌ.
10 أزاحَ السَّماواتِ ونَزلَ مِنها،
والضَّبابُ الكثيفُ تَحتَ قدَمَيهِ.
11 رَكِبَ على كروبٍ وطارَ
وحلَّقَ على أجنِحَةِ الرِّياحِ.
12 جَعلَ الظُّلمةَ سِتْرا حولَهُ
والغيومَ الدَّاكِنةَ المُمطِرةَ مِظَلَّتَهُ.
13 مِنَ البريقِ الّذي أمامَهُ
تَفَجَّرَتِ الغيومُ بَرَدا وجَمْرَ نارٍ.
14 أرعَدَ الرّبُّ مِنَ السَّماءِ
وأسْمعَ العَلـيُّ صوتَهُ
بَرَدا وجَمْرَ نارٍ.
15 أرسَلَ السِّهامَ فانتشَرَت،
والبُروقَ فتَطايَرَت بِكثرةٍ.
16 أعماقُ المياهِ ظَهرَت،
وانجَلَت أُسُسُ الكَونِ
مِنِ انتِهارِكَ يا ربُّ،
مِنْ هُبوبِ ريحِ أنفِكَ.
17 أرسلَ مِنْ عَليائِه فأخذَني،
وانتَشَلَني مِنَ المياهِ الغامرةِ
18 نَجَّاني مِنْ عدُوٍّ لَدُودٍ،
ومِنْ مُبغِضٍ أقوى مِنِّي،
19 هاجَموني في يومِ بَلِـيَّتي
فكانَ الرّبُّ سَنَدي:
20 أخرَجَني إلى الأمانِ وخلَّصَني
لأنَّه رضِيَ عنِّي.
21 كافأني الرّبُّ لِصِدْقي،
ولبراءَةِ يَديَّ جازاني خَيرا.
22 لَزِمتُ طُرُقَ الرّبِّ
وما عَصيتُ إلهي.
23 أحكامُهُ كُلُّها أمامي
وحقوقُهُ لا تَبتَعِدُ عنِّي.
24 كُنتُ نَزيها معَهُ
وحفِظتُ نفْسي مِنَ الإثْمِ،
25 فجازاني خَيرا لِصِدْقي،
ولِبراءَةِ يَدَيَّ أمامَهُ.
26 رحيمٌ أنتَ معَ الرُّحَماءِ
وكاملٌ أنتَ معَ الكامِلينَ.
27 معَ الصَّالِحينَ تكونُ صالِحا،
ومعَ المحتالينَ تُظهِرُ حيلَتَكَ.
28 تُخلِّصُ القومَ المَساكينَ
وتُخْفِضُ عيونَ المُتَرَفِّعينَ.
29 الرّبُّ يُضيءُ سِراجي.
إلهي يُنيرُ ظُلمَتي.
30 بِــعونِهِ أقتحمُ الجيوشَ،
وبهِ أتسلَّقُ الأسوارَ.
31 اللهُ طريقُهُ كامِلٌ.
الرّبُّ كلامُهُ نَقيٌّ
وتُرْسٌ للمُحتَمينَ بهِ.
32 لا إلهَ غيرُ الرّبِّ،
ولا خالقَ سِوى إلهنا.
33 اللهُ يُشدِّدُ حَيلي
ويجعلُ طريقي آمِنا.
34 كأرجُلِ الوُعولِ يجعَلُ رِجلَيَّ،
فأثبُتُ وأنا في الأعالي.
35 يُعلِّمُ يَدَيَّ القِتالَ،
فتَلوي ذِراعايَ قوسَ النُّحاسِ.
36 تُعطيني تُرْسَ الخلاصِ،
ويَمينُكَ يا رَبُّ تُساعِدُني.
عِنايتُكَ تَزيدُني قوَّةً
37 وتوسِّعُ تَحتَ خُطواتي،
فلا تَزِلُّ قدمايَ.
38 أتبَعُ أعدائي فألحقُهُم،
ولا أرتَدُّ حتّى أفنِـيَهُم.
39 أضربُهُم فلا يقومونَ.
يسقطونَ تَحتَ قدَميَّ.
40 تُشدِّدُ حَيلي على القِتالِ
وتَصرَعُ تحتي القائِمينَ عليَّ.
41 تُسَلِّمُني رِقابَ أعدائي
وأُسكِتُ الّذينَ يُبغِضونَني.
42 يستَغيثُونَ ولا مِنْ مُغيثٍ،
ويَدعُونَ الرّبَّ فلا يَستَجيـبُ.
43 فأسحَقُهُم كالغُبارِ في الرِّيحِ،
وأطرحُهُم كالوَحْلِ في الطُّرُقاتِ.
44 نَجَّيتَني مِنْ شعبٍ مُخاصِمٍ
وجَعلْتَني رئيسا لِلأمَمِ،
وشعبٌ لم أعرِفْهُ يتَعَبَّدُ لي.
45 الغُرَباءُ يتذَلَّلُونَ لي،
وبآذانٍ سامعةٍ يسمَعونَني.
46 الغُرَباءُ تَخُورُ عزائِمُهُم
ويخرجونَ مِنْ حُصونِهِم مُرتَعِدينَ.
47 حَيٌّ هوَ الرّبُّ ومُبارَكٌ خالقي،
وتعالَى الإلهُ مُخَلِّصي.
48 اللهُ هوَ الّذي ينتقِمُ لي
ويُخْضِعُ الشُّعوبَ تَحتَ قدَميَّ.
49 يُنَجِّيني مِنْ جميعِ أعدائي
ويَنشُلُني مِنْ بَينِ القائِمينِ عليَّ،
ومِنْ أهلِ العُنْفِ يُنقِذُني.
50 لِذلِكَ أحمَدُكَ يا ربُّ
وأُرتِّلُ لاسمِكَ بَينَ الأمَمِ.
51 الرّبُّ يمنَحُ خلاصا عظيما
ويُظهِرُ رحمةً للمَلِكِ الّذي مَسَحَهُ،
لِداوُدَ وذُرِّيَّتِهِ إلى الأبدِ.