God Implored to Confound His Enemies.

A Song, a Psalm of Asaph.

83 God, (A)do not remain quiet;
(B)Do not be silent and, God, do not be still.
For behold, Your enemies (C)make an uproar,
And (D)those who hate You have [a](E)exalted themselves.
They (F)make shrewd plans against Your people,
And [b]conspire together against (G)Your [c]treasured ones.
They have said, “Come, and (H)let’s wipe them out [d]as a nation,
So that the (I)name of Israel will no longer be remembered.”
For they have [e](J)conspired together with one mind;
They make a covenant against You:
The tents of (K)Edom and the (L)Ishmaelites,
(M)Moab and the (N)Hagrites;
(O)Gebal, (P)Ammon, and (Q)Amalek,
(R)Philistia with the inhabitants of (S)Tyre;
(T)Assyria also has joined them;
They have become [f]a help to the (U)children of Lot. Selah

Deal with them (V)as with Midian,
As (W)with Sisera and Jabin at the river of Kishon,
10 Who were destroyed at En-dor,
Who (X)became like dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like (Y)Oreb and Zeeb,
And all their leaders like (Z)Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, “(AA)Let’s possess for ourselves
The (AB)pastures of God.”

13 My God, make them like the [g](AC)whirling dust,
Like (AD)chaff before the wind.
14 Like (AE)fire that burns the forest,
And like a flame that (AF)sets the mountains on fire,
15 So pursue them (AG)with Your heavy gale,
And terrify them with Your storm.
16 (AH)Fill their faces with dishonor,
So that they will seek Your name, Lord.
17 May they be (AI)ashamed and dismayed forever,
And may they be humiliated and perish,
18 So that they will (AJ)know that (AK)You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the (AL)Most High over all the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:2 Lit lifted up the head
  2. Psalm 83:3 Or consult
  3. Psalm 83:3 Or hidden ones
  4. Psalm 83:4 Lit from
  5. Psalm 83:5 Or consulted
  6. Psalm 83:8 Lit an arm
  7. Psalm 83:13 Or tumbleweed

Psalm 83

Prayer for Judgment on Israel’s Foes

A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.

O God, do not keep silent;
    do not hold your peace or be still, O God!(A)
Even now your enemies are in tumult;
    those who hate you have raised their heads.(B)
They lay crafty plans against your people;
    they consult together against those you protect.(C)
They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
    let the name of Israel be remembered no more.”(D)
They conspire with one accord;
    against you they make a covenant—(E)
the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
    Moab and the Hagrites,(F)
Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
    Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
Assyria also has joined them;
    they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah

Do to them as you did to Midian,
    as to Sisera and Jabin at the Wadi Kishon,(G)
10 who were destroyed at En-dor,
    who became dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,(H)
12 who said, “Let us take the pastures of God
    for our own possession.”(I)

13 O my God, make them like whirling dust,[a]
    like chaff before the wind.(J)
14 As fire consumes the forest,
    as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,(K)
15 so pursue them with your tempest
    and terrify them with your hurricane.(L)
16 Fill their faces with shame,
    so that they may seek your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
    let them perish in disgrace.(M)
18 Let them know that you alone,
    whose name is the Lord,
    are the Most High over all the earth.(N)

Footnotes

  1. 83.13 Or a tumbleweed

83 Unto the end, for the winepresses, a psalm for the sons of Core.

How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of host!

My soul longeth and fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God.

For the sparrow hath found herself a house, and the turtle a nest for herself where she may lay her young ones: Thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my king and my God.

Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, O Lord: they shall praise thee for ever and ever.

Blessed is the man whose help is from thee: in his heart he hath disposed to ascend by steps,

In the vale of tears, in the place which be hath set.

For the lawgiver shall give a blessing, they shall go from virtue to virtue: the God of gods shall be seen in Sion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob.

10 Behold, O God our protector: and look on the face of thy Christ.

11 For better is one day in thy courts above thousands. I have chosen to be an abject in the house of my God, rather than to dwell in the tabernacles of sinners.

12 For God loveth mercy and truth: the Lord will give grace and glory.

13 He will not deprive of good things them that walk in innocence: O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

83 1-5 God, don’t shut me out;
    don’t give me the silent treatment, O God.
Your enemies are out there whooping it up,
    the God-haters are living it up;
They’re plotting to do your people in,
    conspiring to rob you of your precious ones.
“Let’s wipe this nation from the face of the earth,”
    they say; “scratch Israel’s name off the books.”
And now they’re putting their heads together,
    making plans to get rid of you.

6-8     Edom and the Ishmaelites,
    Moab and the Hagrites,
    Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
    Philistia and the Tyrians,
    And now Assyria has joined up,
    Giving muscle to the gang of Lot.

9-12 Do to them what you did to Midian,
    to Sisera and Jabin at Kishon Brook;
They came to a bad end at Endor,
    nothing but dung for the garden.
Cut down their leaders as you did Oreb and Zeeb,
    their princes to nothings like Zebah and Zalmunna,
With their empty brags, “We’re grabbing it all,
    grabbing God’s gardens for ourselves.”

13-18 My God! I’ve had it with them!
    Blow them away!
Tumbleweeds in the desert waste,
    charred sticks in the burned-over ground.
Knock the breath right out of them, so they’re gasping
    for breath, gasping, “God.”
Bring them to the end of their rope,
    and leave them there dangling, helpless.
Then they’ll learn your name: “God,”
    the one and only High God on earth.