"Blessedare you, O Israel;Whois likeyou, a peoplesavedby the LORD,Who is the shieldof your helpAnd the swordof your majesty!So your enemieswill cringebefore you, And you will treadupon their highplaces."
Afterthesethingsthe wordof the LORDcameto Abramin a vision,saying,"Do not fear,Abram,I am a shieldto you; Your rewardshall be verygreat."
My God,my rock,in whom I takerefuge,My shieldand the hornof my salvation,my strongholdand my refuge;My savior,You saveme from violence.
"Foreignerspretendobedienceto me; As soon as they hear,they obeyme.
"And whatonenationon the earthis like Your peopleIsrael,whomGodwentto redeemfor Himself as a peopleand to makea namefor Himself, and to doa greatthingfor You and awesomethingsfor Your land,beforeYour peoplewhomYou have redeemedfor Yourself from Egypt,[from] nationsand their gods?
When Hezekiahand the rulerscameand sawthe heaps,they blessedthe LORDand His peopleIsrael.
How blessedis the manwhodoes not walkin the counselof the wicked,Norstandin the pathof sinners,Norsitin the seatof scoffers!
How blessedare the peoplewhoare sosituated; How blessedare the peoplewhoseGodis the LORD!
As soon as they hear,they obeyme; Foreignerssubmitto me.
Foreignersfadeaway,And cometremblingout of their fortresses.
How blessedis he whose transgressionis forgiven,Whose sinis covered!
How blessedis the manto whom the LORDdoes not imputeiniquity,And in whose spiritthereis nodeceit!
Blessedis the nationwhoseGodis the LORD,The peoplewhom He has chosenfor His own inheritance.
Our soulwaitsfor the LORD;He is our helpand our shield.
GirdYour swordon [Your] thigh,O MightyOne,[In] Your splendorand Your majesty!
Sayto God,"Howawesomeare Your works!Because of the greatnessof Your powerYour enemieswill givefeignedobedienceto You.
Ascribestrengthto God;His majestyis overIsraelAnd His strengthis in the skies.
Ifa man does not repent,He will sharpenHis sword;He has bentHis bowand madeit ready.
"Those who hatethe LORDwould pretendobedienceto Him, And their time[of punishment] would be forever.
For the LORDGodis a sunand shield;The LORDgivesgraceand glory;Nogoodthingdoes He withholdfrom those who walkuprightly.
"Behold,Godis my salvation,I will trustand not be afraid;For the LORDGODis my strengthand song,And He has becomemy salvation."
In that daythe LORDwill punishLeviathanthe fleeingserpent,With His fierceand greatand mightysword,EvenLeviathanthe twistedserpent;And He will killthe dragonwho[lives] in the sea.
He will dwellon the heights,His refugewill be the impregnablerock;His breadwill be given[him], His waterwill be sure.
Israelhas been savedby the LORDWith an everlastingsalvation;You will not be putto shameor humiliatedTo alleternity.
Thenyou will takedelightin the LORD,And I will make you rideon the heightsof the earth;And I will feedyou [with] the heritageof Jacobyour father,For the mouthof the LORDhas spoken."
"On allthe bareheightsin the wildernessDestroyershave come,For a swordof the LORDis devouringFrom one endof the landeven to the other;Thereis nopeacefor anyone.
"Ah,swordof the LORD,Howlongwill you not be quiet?Withdrawinto your sheath;Be at restand staystill.
[It is] your destruction,O Israel,That [you are] against Me, against your help.
The LORDhas swornby the prideof Jacob,"Indeed,I will neverforgetanyof their deeds.
The LordGODis my strength,And He has mademy feetlike hinds'[feet], And makes me walkon my highplaces.For the choirdirector,on my stringedinstruments.
Howfairare your tents,O Jacob,Your dwellings,O Israel!
then you shall driveout allthe inhabitantsof the landfrom beforeyou, and destroyalltheir figuredstones,and destroyalltheir moltenimagesand demolishalltheir highplaces;
"He made him rideon the highplacesof the earth,And he atethe produceof the field;And He made him suckhoneyfrom the rock,And oilfrom the flintyrock,
"Indeed,asknowconcerning the formerdayswhichwere beforeyou, sincethe daythat Godcreatedmanon the earth,and [inquire] from one endof the heavensto the other.Has [anything] been donelike thisgreatthing,orhas [anything] been heardlikeit?
"Orhas a godtriedto goto takefor himself a nationfrom within[another] nationby trials,by signsand wondersand by warand by a mightyhandand by an outstretchedarmand by greatterrors,as the LORDyour Goddidfor you in Egyptbefore your eyes?
For it is for thiswe laborand strive,becausewe have fixed our hopeon the livingGod,whois the Saviorof allmen,especiallyof believers.
In His righthandHe heldsevenstars,and out of His mouthcamea sharptwo-edgedsword;and His facewas likethe sunshiningin its strength.
And the restwere killedwith the swordwhich camefrom the mouthof Him who saton the horse,and allthe birdswere filledwith their flesh.
When the threecompaniesblewthe trumpetsand brokethe pitchers,they heldthe torchesin their lefthandsand the trumpetsin their righthandsfor blowing,and cried,"A swordfor the LORDand for Gideon!"
