⁴ Sing to God; ·sing praises [make a psalm] to his name.
Prepare the way for him
    who rides ·through the desert [on the clouds; ^Cas on a chariot; 18:10–19; 104:3; Is. 19:1; Dan. 7:13–14; Luke 21:27; Rev. 1:7],
whose name is the Lord.
    Rejoice before him.
⁵ God is in his holy ·Temple [^Labode].
    He is a father to orphans [10:14; 146:9],
    and he defends the widows [146:9].
⁶ God gives the lonely a home.
    He leads prisoners out ·with joy [with singing; or to prosperity],
but ·those who turn against God [^Lthe rebellious] will live in a dry land.

⁷ God, you led your people out
when you marched through the ·desert [wasteland; wilderness]. ·Selah [Interlude]

⁸ The ·ground [earth; land] shook
    and the ·sky [heavens] poured down rain
before God, the God of Mount Sinai [Ex. 19],
    before God, the God of Israel.
⁹ God, you sent much rain;
    you ·refreshed [restored] your ·tired [withering] ·land [^Linheritance].
¹⁰ Your people settled there.
    God, in your goodness
you took care of the poor.

¹¹ The Lord gave the command,
    and a great ·army [or company of women] told the news:
¹² “Kings and their ·armies [hosts] ·run away [^Lflee].
    ·In camp they [^LThe abode of the house; ^Cmay indicate the women] divide the ·wealth taken in war [plunder].
¹³ Those who stayed ·by the campfires [^Lbetween the saddlebags/or sheepfolds]
    will share the ·riches taken in battle [^Lwings of a dove covered with silver and its feathers with green gold; ^Cspecific precious items among the plunder].”
¹⁴ The Almighty scattered kings
    like snow on Mount Zalmon [^Cperhaps near Shechem; Judg. 9:48].

¹⁵ The mountains of Bashan [^Cin the Golan heights, east of the Sea of Galilee] are ·high [mighty];
    the mountains of Bashan have many peaks.
¹⁶ Why do you mountains with many peaks look with ·envy [or hostility]
    on the mountain that God ·chose [^Ldesired] for his home [^CZion, the location of the Temple]?
    The Lord will live there forever.
¹⁷ God comes with ·millions [^Ltwice ten thousand, thousands of thousands] of chariots;
    the Lord ·comes from Mount Sinai to his holy place [^Lis among them Sinai in holiness].
¹⁸ When you went up to the heights,
    you led a parade of captives.
    You received gifts from the people,
even from those who ·turned [rebelled] against you [2 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 4:8].
    And the Lord God will live there.

¹⁹ ·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord, God our ·Savior [Victor],
    who ·helps us [^Lbears our burdens] every day. ·Selah [Interlude]
²⁰ Our God is a God who ·saves us [gives us victory];
    the Lord God ·saves us [^Lbrings us out] from death.

²¹ God will ·crush [shatter] his enemies’ heads,
    the hairy ·skulls [pates; ^Ctops of their heads] of those who continue to ·sin [^Lwalk in their guilt].
²² The Lord said, “I will bring ·the enemy [^Lthem] back from Bashan [v. 15];
    I will bring them back from the depths of the sea [^Crepresenting chaos].
²³ Then you can ·stick [bathe; or shatter] your feet in their blood,
    and ·your dogs can lick [^Lthe tongues of your dogs can have] their share.”

²⁴ God, people have seen your victory ·march [procession];
    God my King marched into the holy place [^Cthe Tabernacle].
²⁵ The singers are in front and the ·instruments [musicians] are behind.
    In the middle are the girls with the tambourines.
²⁶ ·Praise [Bless] God in the ·meeting place [assembly];
    ·praise [bless] the Lord ·in the gathering [or the fountain] of Israel.
²⁷ There is the smallest tribe, Benjamin, ·leading them [^Lbringing them down].
    And there are the ·leaders [princes] of Judah with their group.
There also are the ·leaders [princes] of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

²⁸ God, ·order up [command] your power;
    show the mighty power you have used for us before.
²⁹ Kings will bring their ·wealth [^Lpresents; gifts] to you,
    ·to [or because of] your Temple in Jerusalem.
³⁰ ·Punish [Reprimand; Rebuke] the beast in the ·tall grass along the river [^Lreed; ^Ccrocodile or hippopotamus representing Egypt].
    ·Punish [Reprimand; Rebuke] ·those bulls among the cows [^Lthe herd of bulls among the calves of the peoples; ^Cleaders of other nations].
·Defeated [Trampled], they will bring you their silver.
    Scatter those ·nations [peoples] that ·love [delight in] war.
³¹ Messengers will come from Egypt;
    the people of ·Cush [Ethiopia] will ·pray [^Lstretch their hands] to God.

³² Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
    ·sing praises [make a psalm] to the Lord. ·Selah [Interlude]
³³ Sing to the one who rides through the ·skies [heavens], ·which are from long ago [the ancient heavens; v. 4].
    He ·speaks with a thundering voice [^Lputs forth his voice, his strong voice].
³⁴ ·Announce [Ascribe] that God is ·powerful [strong].
    ·He rules [^LHis majesty is] over Israel,
    and his power is in the ·skies [clouds].
³⁵ God, you are ·wonderful [awesome] in your ·Temple [sanctuary; ^LHoly Place].
    The God of Israel gives his people strength and power.

·Praise [Bless] God!