Ha’azinu
Ha'azinu
Posted On Jan 1, 1980 | Haftarah Reading
This translation was taken from the JPS Tanakh
II Samuel 22:1-51
Chapter 22
1 David addressed the words of this song to the Lord, after the Lord had saved him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hands of Saul. 2 He said:
O Lord, my crag, my fastness, my deliverer!
3 O God, the rock wherein I take shelter:
My shield, my mighty champion, my fortress and refuge!
My savior, You who rescue me from violence!
4 All praise! I called on the Lord,
And I was delivered from my enemies.
5 For the breakers of Death encompassed me,
The torrents of Belial terrified me;
6 The snares of Sheol encircled me,
The toils of Death engulfed me.
7 In my anguish I called on the Lord,
Cried out to my God;
In His Abode He heard my voice,
My cry entered His ears.
8 Then the earth rocked and quaked,
The foundations of heaven shook —
Rocked by His indignation.
9 Smoke went up from His nostrils,
From His mouth came devouring fire;
Live coals blazed forth from Him.
10 He bent the sky and came down,
Thick cloud beneath His feet.
11 He mounted a cherub and flew;
He was seen on the wings of the wind.
12 He made pavilions of darkness about Him,
Dripping clouds, huge thunderheads;
13 In the brilliance before Him
Blazed fiery coals.
14 The Lord thundered forth from heaven,
The Most High sent forth His voice;
15 He let loose bolts, and scattered them;
Lightning, and put them to rout.
16 The bed of the sea was exposed,
The foundations of the world were laid bare
By the mighty roaring of the Lord,
At the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
17 He reached down from on high, He took me,
Drew me out of the mighty waters;
18 He rescued me from my enemy so strong,
From foes too mighty for me.
19 They attacked me on my day of calamity,
But the Lord was my stay.
20 He brought me out to freedom,
He rescued me because He was pleased with me.
21 The Lord rewarded me according to my merit,
He requited the cleanness of my hands.
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord
And have not been guilty before my God;
23 I am mindful of all His rules
And have not departed from His laws.
24 I have been blameless before Him,
And have guarded myself against sinning —
25 And the Lord has requited my merit,
According to my purity in His sight.
26 With the loyal You deal loyally;
With the blameless hero, blamelessly.
27 With the pure You act in purity,
And with the perverse You are wily.
28 To humble folk You give victory,
And You look with scorn on the haughty.
29 You, O Lord, are my lamp;
The Lord lights up my darkness.
30 With You, I can rush a barrier,
With my God, I can scale a wall.
31 The way of God is perfect,
The word of the Lord is pure.
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
32 Yea, who is a god except the Lord,
Who is a rock except God —
33 The God, my mighty stronghold,
Who kept my path secure;
34 Who made my legs like a deer’s,
And set me firm on the heights;
35 Who trained my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze!
36 You have granted me the shield of Your protection
And Your providence has made me great.
37 You have let me stride on freely,
And my feet have not slipped.
38 I pursued my enemies and wiped them out,
I did not turn back till I destroyed them.
39 I destroyed them, I struck them down;
They rose no more, they lay at my feet.
40 You have girt me with strength for battle,
Brought low my foes before me,
41 Made my enemies turn tail before me,
My foes — and I wiped them out.
42 They looked, but there was none to deliver;
To the Lord, but He answered them not.
43 I pounded them like dust of the earth,
Stamped, crushed them like dirt of the streets.
44 You have rescued me from the strife of peoples,
Kept me to be a ruler of nations;
Peoples I knew not must serve me.
45 Aliens have cringed before me,
Paid me homage at the mere report of me.
46 Aliens have lost courage
And come trembling out of their fastnesses.
47 The Lord lives! Blessed is my rock!
Exalted be God, the rock
Who gives me victory;
48 The God who has vindicated me
And made peoples subject to me,
49 Rescued me from my enemies,
Raised me clear of my foes,
Saved me from lawless men!
50 For this I sing Your praise among the nations
And hymn Your name:
51 Tower of victory to His king,
Who deals graciously with His anointed,
With David and his offspring evermore.
Taken from Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures, (Philadelphia, Jerusalem: Jewish Publication Society) 1985.
Used by permission of The Jewish Publication Society. Copyright © 1962, 1992
Third Edition by the Jewish Publication Society.
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