STANDING STRONG

³¹ “As for God, his way is perfect:
    The Lord’s word is flawless;
    he shields all who take refuge in him.
³² For who is God besides the Lord?
    And who is the Rock except our God?
³³ It is God who arms me with strength^[a]
    and keeps my way secure.
³⁴ He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
    he causes me to stand on the heights.
³⁵ He trains my hands for battle;
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
³⁶ You make your saving help my shield;
    your help has made^[b] me great.
³⁷ You 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.
³⁹ I crushed them completely, and they could not rise;
    they fell beneath my feet.
⁴⁰ You armed me with strength for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries before me.
⁴¹ You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
    and I destroyed my foes.
⁴² They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.
⁴³ I 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,
⁴⁵     foreigners cower before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
⁴⁶ They all lose heart;
    they come trembling^[c] from their strongholds.

⁴⁷ “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
    Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!
⁴⁸ He is the God who avenges me,
    who puts the nations under me,
⁴⁹     who sets me free from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
    from a violent man you rescued me.
⁵⁰ Therefore 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.”