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Nations Conspire Against Israel

Psalm 83

A song: a psalm of Asaph.
God, do not keep silent.
Do not hold Your peace, O God.
Do not be still.
For look, Your enemies make an uproar.
Those who hate You lift up their head.
They make a shrewd plot against Your people,
conspiring against Your treasured ones.
“Come,” they say, “let’s wipe them out as a nation!
Let Israel’s name be remembered no more!”
For with one mind they plot together.
Against You do they make a covenant.
The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,
Gebal, Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre,
even Assyria has joined them,
becoming a strong arm for Lot’s sons. Selah

10 Do to them as You did to Midian,
to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River,
11 who perished at En-dor—
they became as dung for the ground.
12 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb—
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
13 who said,
“Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God.”
14 My God, make them like tumbleweed,
like chaff before the wind.
15 As a fire burns a forest,
    and as a flame sets mountains ablaze,
16 so pursue them with Your tempest,
    and terrify them with Your storm.
17 Cover their faces with shame,
so they may seek Your Name—Adonai.
18 Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever.
Let them be humiliated and perish.
19 Let them know that You alone
—whose Name is Adonai
are El Elyon over all the earth.

A Prayer Against the Enemies

A song. A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].

83 God, do not keep quiet;
    God, do not be silent or still.
Your enemies are ·making noises [in tumult];
    those who hate you ·are getting ready to attack [L raise up their head; 2:1].
They are making secret ·plans [plots] against your people;
    they plot against those you ·love [cherish; treasure].
They say, “Come, let’s ·destroy them [wipe them out] as a nation.
    Then no one will ever remember the name ‘Israel.’”
They ·are united in their plan [L plot with one mind/heart].
    These have ·made an agreement [L cut a covenant/treaty] against you:
the ·families [L tents] of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
    Moab and the Hagrites,
the people of Byblos, Ammon, Amalek,
    Philistia, and inhabitants of Tyre.
Even Assyria has joined them
    to ·help Ammon and Moab, the [L be the arm of the] descendants of Lot [C a list of traditional enemies of Israel]. ·Selah [Interlude]

God, do to them what you did to Midian,
    what you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon ·River [Wadi; Judg. 4–5].
10 They ·died [were destroyed] at Endor,
    ·and their bodies rotted [L like dung/manure] on the ground.
11 Do to their ·important leaders [princes; nobles] what you did to Oreb and Zeeb [Judg. 7:25].
    Do to their princes what you did to Zebah and Zalmunna [Judg. 8:21].
12 They said, “Let’s take for ourselves
    the pasturelands that belong to God.”
13 My God, make them like tumbleweed,
    like chaff blown ·away by [before] the wind [C rootless and landless; 1:4].
14 Be like a fire that burns a forest
    or like flames that blaze through the ·hills [mountains].
15 ·Chase [Pursue] them with your ·storm [tempest],
    and ·frighten [terrify] them with your ·wind [hurricane].
16 ·Cover [L Fill] them with shame.
    Then people will ·look for you [L seek your name], Lord.
17 Make them afraid and ashamed forever.
    ·Disgrace [Humiliate] them and destroy them.
18 Then they will know that ·you are the Lord [L the Lord is your name],
    that only you are God Most High over all the earth.