David’s Song of Praise
1David 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. 2He said:
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
3my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield[67] and the horn[68] of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent people you save me.
4“I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.
5The waves of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
6The cords of the grave 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.
8The earth trembled and quaked,
the foundations of the heavens[69] shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
9Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
10He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
11He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared[70] on the wings of the wind.
12He made darkness his canopy around him—
the dark[71] rain clouds of the sky.
13Out of the brightness of his presence
bolts of lightning blazed forth.
14The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
15He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
16The 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.
18He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.
20He 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.
22For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
23All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
24I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
25The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness[72] in his sight.
26“To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
27to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
28You save the humble,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.
29You, LORD, are my lamp;
the LORD turns my darkness into light.
30With your help I can advance against a troop[73];
with my God I can scale a wall.
31“As for God, his way is perfect:
The LORD’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
32For who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?
33It is God who arms me with strength[74]
and keeps my way secure.
34He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
35He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36You make your saving help my shield;
your help has made[75] me great.
37You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
38“I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
39I crushed them completely, and they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
40You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
41You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
42They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the LORD, but he did not answer.
43I 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 the peoples;
you have preserved me as the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
45foreigners cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
46They all lose heart;
they come trembling[76] from their strongholds.
47“The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!
48He is the God who avenges me,
who puts the nations under me,
49who sets me free from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
50Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
51“He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.”
David’s Last Words
1These are the last words of David:
“The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse,
the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High,
the man anointed by the God of Jacob,
the hero of Israel’s songs:
2“The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.
3The God of Israel spoke,
the Rock of Israel said to me:
‘When one rules over people in righteousness,
when he rules in the fear of God,
4he is like the light of morning at sunrise
on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain
that brings grass from the earth.’
5“If my house were not right with God,
surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant,
arranged and secured in every part;
surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation
and grant me my every desire.
6But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns,
which are not gathered with the hand.
7Whoever touches thorns
uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear;
they are burned up where they lie.”
David’s Mighty Warriors
8These are the names of David’s mighty warriors:
Josheb-Basshebeth,[77] a Tahkemonite,[78] was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed[79] in one encounter.
9Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim[80] for battle. Then the Israelites retreated, 10but Eleazar 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.
11Next 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. 12But 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.
13During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem. 15David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!” 16So the three mighty warriors 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, 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 warriors.
18Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three.[81] He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. 19Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them.
20Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. 21And 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. 22Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. 23He 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.
24Among the Thirty were:
Asahel the brother of Joab,
Elhanan son of Dodo from Bethlehem,
25Shammah the Harodite,
Elika the Harodite,
26Helez the Paltite,
Ira son of Ikkesh from Tekoa,
27Abiezer from Anathoth,
Sibbekai[82] the Hushathite,
28Zalmon the Ahohite,
Maharai the Netophathite,
29Heled[83] son of Baanah the Netophathite,
Ithai son of Ribai from Gibeah in Benjamin,
30Benaiah the Pirathonite,
Hiddai[84] from the ravines of Gaash,
31Abi-Albon the Arbathite,
Azmaveth the Barhumite,
32Eliahba the Shaalbonite,
the sons of Jashen,
Jonathan 33son of[85] Shammah the Hararite,
Ahiam son of Sharar[86] the Hararite,
34Eliphelet son of Ahasbai the Maakathite,
Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,
35Hezro the Carmelite,
Paarai the Arbite,
36Igal son of Nathan from Zobah,
the son of Hagri,[87]
37Zelek the Ammonite,
Naharai the Beerothite, the armor-bearer of Joab son of Zeruiah,
38Ira the Ithrite,
Gareb the Ithrite
39and Uriah the Hittite.
There were thirty-seven in all.
David Enrolls the Fighting Men
1Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
2So the king said to Joab and the army commanders[88] with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”
3But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”
4The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel.
5After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer. 6They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon. 7Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah.
8After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.
9Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand.
10David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
11Before David got up the next morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: 12“Go and tell David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ ”
13So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come on you three[89] years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”
14David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into human hands.”
15So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD relented concerning the disaster and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the LORD, “I have sinned; I, the shepherd,[90] have done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall on me and my family.”
David Builds an Altar
18On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad. 20When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.
21Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”
“To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped.”
22Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23Your Majesty, Araunah[91] gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the LORD your God accept you.”
24But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels[92] of silver for them. 25David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the LORD answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
2 Samuel 1
[BACK TO[1]] 1:19 Gazelle here symbolizes a human dignitary.
[BACK TO[2]] 1:21 Or / nor fields that yield grain for offerings
2 Samuel 2
[BACK TO[3]] 2:16 Helkath Hazzurim means field of daggers or field of hostilities.
[BACK TO[4]] 2:29 See Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
2 Samuel 3
[BACK TO[5]] 3:29 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
2 Samuel 5
[BACK TO[6]] 5:8 Or are hated by David
[BACK TO[7]] 5:9 Or the Millo
[BACK TO[8]] 5:20 Baal Perazim means the lord who breaks out.
[BACK TO[9]] 5:25 Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 14:16); Hebrew Geba
2 Samuel 6
[BACK TO[10]] 6:2 That is, Kiriath Jearim (see 1 Chron. 13:6)
[BACK TO[11]] 6:2 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate do not have the Name.
2 Samuel 6
[BACK TO[12]] 6:3, 4 Dead Sea Scrolls and some Septuagint manuscripts; Masoretic Text cart 4and they brought it with the ark of God from the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill
[BACK TO[13]] 6:5 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 13:8) songs
[BACK TO[14]] 6:8 Perez Uzzah means outbreak against Uzzah.
2 Samuel 7
[BACK TO[15]] 7:11 Traditionally judges
[BACK TO[16]] 7:16 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts you
[BACK TO[17]] 7:19 Or for the human race
[BACK TO[18]] 7:23 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 17:21; Hebrew wonders for your land and before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.
2 Samuel 8
[BACK TO[19]] 8:3 Or his control along
[BACK TO[20]] 8:4 Septuagint (see also Dead Sea Scrolls and 1 Chron. 18:4); Masoretic Text captured seventeen hundred of his charioteers
[BACK TO[21]] 8:8 See some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 18:8); Hebrew Betah.
[BACK TO[22]] 8:9 Hebrew Toi, a variant of Tou; also in verse 10
[BACK TO[23]] 8:10 A variant of Hadoram
[BACK TO[24]] 8:12 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 18:11); most Hebrew manuscripts Aram
[BACK TO[25]] 8:13 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 18:12); most Hebrew manuscripts Aram (that is, Arameans)
[BACK TO[26]] 8:18 Or were chief officials (see Septuagint and Targum; see also 1 Chron. 18:17)
2 Samuel 9
[BACK TO[27]] 9:11 Septuagint; Hebrew my
2 Samuel 10
[BACK TO[28]] 10:18 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 19:18); Hebrew horsemen
2 Samuel 11
[BACK TO[29]] 11:11 Or staying at Sukkoth
[BACK TO[30]] 11:21 Also known as Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon)
2 Samuel 12
[BACK TO[31]] 12:14 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition; Masoretic Text for the enemies of
[BACK TO[32]] 12:16 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text does not have in sackcloth.
[BACK TO[33]] 12:25 Jedidiah means loved by the LORD.
[BACK TO[34]] 12:30 Or from Milkom’s (that is, Molek’s)
[BACK TO[35]] 12:30 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
[BACK TO[36]] 12:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
2 Samuel 13
[BACK TO[37]] 13:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verse 19.
[BACK TO[38]] 13:34 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have this sentence.
2 Samuel 14
[BACK TO[39]] 14:4 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts spoke
[BACK TO[40]] 14:26 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms
2 Samuel 15
[BACK TO[41]] 15:7 Some Septuagint manuscripts, Syriac and Josephus; Hebrew forty
[BACK TO[42]] 15:8 Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew does not have in Hebron.
[BACK TO[43]] 15:20 Septuagint; Hebrew May kindness and faithfulness be with you
2 Samuel 17
[BACK TO[44]] 17:1 Or Let me
[BACK TO[45]] 17:9 Or When some of the men fall at the first attack
[BACK TO[46]] 17:20 Or “They passed by the sheep pen toward the water.”
[BACK TO[47]] 17:25 Hebrew Ithra, a variant of Jether
[BACK TO[48]] 17:25 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 2:17); Hebrew and other Septuagint manuscripts Israelite
[BACK TO[49]] 17:25 Hebrew Abigal, a variant of Abigail
[BACK TO[50]] 17:28 Most Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac; Hebrew lentils, and roasted grain
2 Samuel 18
[BACK TO[51]] 18:3 Two Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts care; for now there are ten thousand like us
[BACK TO[52]] 18:11 That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams
[BACK TO[53]] 18:12 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms
[BACK TO[54]] 18:12 A few Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts may be translated Absalom, whoever you may be.
[BACK TO[55]] 18:13 Or Otherwise, if I had acted treacherously toward him
[BACK TO[56]] 18:23 That is, the plain of the Jordan
[BACK TO[57]] 18:33 In Hebrew texts this verse (18:33) is numbered 19:1.
2 Samuel 19
[BACK TO[58]] In Hebrew texts 19:1–43 is numbered 19:2–44.
2 Samuel 20
[BACK TO[59]] 20:6 Or and do us serious injury
[BACK TO[60]] 20:14 See Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew Berites.
[BACK TO[61]] 20:24 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Kings 4:6 and 5:14); Hebrew Adoram
[BACK TO[62]] 20:26 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 23:38) Ithrite
2 Samuel 21
[BACK TO[63]] 21:8 Two Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 1 Samuel 18:19); most Hebrew and Septuagint manuscripts Michal
[BACK TO[64]] 21:16 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
[BACK TO[65]] 21:19 See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew Jaare-Oregim.
[BACK TO[66]] 21:19 See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew does not have the brother of.
2 Samuel 22
[BACK TO[67]] 22:3 Or sovereign
[BACK TO[68]] 22:3 Horn here symbolizes strength.
[BACK TO[69]] 22:8 Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains
[BACK TO[70]] 22:11 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts appeared
[BACK TO[71]] 22:12 Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrew massed
[BACK TO[72]] 22:25 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) to the cleanness of my hands
[BACK TO[73]] 22:30 Or can run through a barricade
[BACK TO[74]] 22:33 Dead Sea Scrolls, some Septuagint manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:32); Masoretic Text who is my strong refuge
[BACK TO[75]] 22:36 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text shield; / you stoop down to make
[BACK TO[76]] 22:46 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text they arm themselves
2 Samuel 23
[BACK TO[77]] 23:8 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts suggest Ish-Bosheth, that is, Esh-Baal (see also 1 Chron. 11:11 Jashobeam).
[BACK TO[78]] 23:8 Probably a variant of Hakmonite (see 1 Chron. 11:11)
[BACK TO[79]] 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
[BACK TO[80]] 23:9 See 1 Chron. 11:13; Hebrew gathered there.
[BACK TO[81]] 23:18 Most Hebrew manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:20); two Hebrew manuscripts and Syriac Thirty
[BACK TO[82]] 23:27 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 21:18; 1 Chron. 11:29); Hebrew Mebunnai
[BACK TO[83]] 23:29 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also 1 Chron. 11:30); most Hebrew manuscripts Heleb
[BACK TO[84]] 23:30 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:32) Hurai
[BACK TO[85]] 23:33 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:34); Hebrew does not have son of.
[BACK TO[86]] 23:33 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:35) Sakar
[BACK TO[87]] 23:36 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 11:38); Hebrew Haggadi
2 Samuel 24
[BACK TO[88]] 24:2 Septuagint (see also verse 4 and 1 Chron. 21:2); Hebrew Joab the army commander
[BACK TO[89]] 24:13 Septuagint (see also 1 Chron. 21:12); Hebrew seven
[BACK TO[90]] 24:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text does not have the shepherd.
[BACK TO[91]] 24:23 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts King Araunah
[BACK TO[92]] 24:24 That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams