David's Song of Deliverance

221 David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:

2 and he said,

“Yahweh is my rock,
my fortress,
and my deliverer, even mine; 3 God, my rock, in him I will take refuge;
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
my high tower, and my refuge.
My savior, you save me from violence. 4 I will call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised:
So shall I be saved from my enemies. 5 For the waves of death surrounded me.
The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 6 The cords of Sheol were around me.
The snares of death caught me. 7 In my distress I called on Yahweh.
Yes, I called to my God.
He heard my voice out of his temple.
My cry came into his ears. 8 Then the earth shook and trembled.
The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken,
because he was angry. 9 Smoke went up out of his nostrils.
Fire out of his mouth devoured.
Coals were kindled by it. 10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down.
Thick darkness was under his feet. 11 He rode on a cherub, and flew.
Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind. 12 He made darkness pavilions around himself:
gathering of waters, and thick clouds of the skies. 13 At the brightness before him,
coals of fire were kindled. 14 Yahweh thundered from heaven.
The Most High uttered his voice. 15 He sent out arrows, and scattered them;
lightning, and confused them. 16 Then the channels of the sea appeared.
The foundations of the world were laid bare by the rebuke of Yahweh,
At the blast of the breath of his nostrils. 17 He sent from on high and he took me.
He drew me out of many waters. 18 He delivered me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. 19 They came on me in the day of my calamity,
but Yahweh was my support. 20 He also brought me out into a large place.
He delivered me, because he delighted in me. 21 Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness.
He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands. 22 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh,
and have not wickedly departed from my God. 23 For all his ordinances were before me.
As for his statutes, I did not depart from them. 24 I was also perfect toward him.
I kept myself from my iniquity. 25 Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
According to my cleanness in his eyesight. 26 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful.
With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect. 27 With the pure you will show yourself pure.
With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd. 28 You will save the afflicted people,
But your eyes are on the haughty, that you may bring them down. 29 For you are my lamp, Yahweh.
Yahweh will light up my darkness. 30 For by you, I run against a troop.
By my God, I leap over a wall. 31 As for God, his way is perfect.
The word of Yahweh is tested.
He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. 32 For who is God, besides Yahweh?
Who is a rock, besides our God? 33 God is my strong fortress.
He makes my way perfect. 34 He makes his feet like hinds’ feet,
and sets me on my high places. 35 He teaches my hands to war,
so that my arms bend a bow of brass. 36 You have also given me the shield of your salvation.
Your gentleness has made me great. 37 You have enlarged my steps under me.
My feet have not slipped. 38 I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them.
I didn’t turn again until they were consumed. 39 I have consumed them,
and struck them through,
so that they can’t arise.
Yes, they have fallen under my feet. 40 For you have armed me with strength for the battle.
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. 41 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
that I might cut off those who hate me. 42 They looked, but there was none to save;
even to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them. 43 Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth.
I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad. 44 You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people.
You have kept me to be the head of the nations.
A people whom I have not known will serve me. 45 The foreigners will submit themselves to me.
As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me. 46 The foreigners will fade away,
and will come trembling out of their close places. 47 Yahweh lives!
Blessed be my rock!
Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation, 48 even the God who executes vengeance for me,
who brings down peoples under me, 49 who brings me away from my enemies.
Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me.
You deliver me from the violent man. 50 Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations.
Will sing praises to your name. 51 He gives great deliverance to his king,
and shows loving kindness to his anointed,
to David and to his seed, forevermore.”

The Last Words of David

231 Now these are the last words of David.

David the son of Jesse says,
the man who was raised on high says,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the sweet psalmist of Israel: 2 “The Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me.
His word was on my tongue. 3 The God of Israel said,
the Rock of Israel spoke to me,
‘One who rules over men righteously,
who rules in the fear of God, 4 shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises,
a morning without clouds,
when the tender grass springs out of the earth,
through clear shining after rain.’ 5 Most certainly my house is not so with God,
yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things, and sure,
for it is all my salvation, and all my desire,
although he doesn’t make it grow. 6 But all of the ungodly shall be as thorns to be thrust away,
because they can’t be taken with the hand, 7 But the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear.
They shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.”

David's Mighty Men

8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb Basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time. 9 After him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away. 10 He arose, and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand froze to the sword; and Yahweh worked a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take spoil. 11 After him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. The Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the plot, and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and Yahweh worked a great victory. 13 Three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 David longed, and said, “Oh that one would give me water to drink of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 16 The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to Yahweh. 17 He said, “Be it far from me, Yahweh, that I should do this! Isn’t it the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things. 18 Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three. 19 Wasn’t he most honorable of the three? therefore he was made their captain: however he didn’t attain to the first three. 20 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, he killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab: he went down also and killed a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. 21 He killed an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighty men. 23 He was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the first three. David set him over his guard. 24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash. 31 Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah, 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

A Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors

571 Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me,
for my soul takes refuge in you.
Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge,
until disaster has passed. 2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God who accomplishes my requests for me. 3 He will send from heaven, and save me,
he rebukes the one who is pursuing me. Selah.
God will send out his loving kindness and his truth. 4 My soul is among lions.
I lie among those who are set on fire,
even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
and their tongue a sharp sword. 5 Be exalted, God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be above all the earth! 6 They have prepared a net for my steps.
My soul is bowed down.
They dig a pit before me.
They fall into its midst themselves. Selah.

7 My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast.
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises. 8 Wake up, my glory! Wake up, psaltery and harp!
I will wake up the dawn. 9 I will give thanks to you, Lord, among the peoples.
I will sing praises to you among the nations. 10 For your great loving kindness reaches to the heavens,
and your truth to the skies. 11 Be exalted, God, above the heavens.
Let your glory be over all the earth.