Psalm 60[a](A)

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam[b] of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim[c] and Aram Zobah,[d] and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.(B)

You have rejected us,(C) God, and burst upon us;
    you have been angry(D)—now restore us!(E)
You have shaken the land(F) and torn it open;
    mend its fractures,(G) for it is quaking.
You have shown your people desperate times;(H)
    you have given us wine that makes us stagger.(I)
But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner(J)
    to be unfurled against the bow.[e]

Save us and help us with your right hand,(K)
    that those you love(L) may be delivered.
God has spoken from his sanctuary:
    “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem(M)
    and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.(N)
Gilead(O) is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim(P) is my helmet,
    Judah(Q) is my scepter.(R)
Moab is my washbasin,
    on Edom I toss my sandal;
    over Philistia I shout in triumph.(S)

Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected us
    and no longer go out with our armies?(T)
11 Give us aid against the enemy,
    for human help is worthless.(U)
12 With God we will gain the victory,
    and he will trample down our enemies.(V)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 60:1 In Hebrew texts 60:1-12 is numbered 60:3-14.
  2. Psalm 60:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 60:1 Title: That is, Arameans of Northwest Mesopotamia
  4. Psalm 60:1 Title: That is, Arameans of central Syria
  5. Psalm 60:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

Lament over Defeat in Battle, and Prayer for Help.

To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “The Lily of the Testimony.” A Mikhtam of David [intended to record memorable thoughts and] to teach; when he struggled with the Arameans of Mesopotamia and the Arameans of Zobah, and when Joab returned and struck twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

60 O God, You have rejected us and cast us off. You have broken [down our defenses and scattered] us;
You have been angry; O restore us and turn again to us.

You have made the land quake, You have split it open;
Heal its rifts, for it shakes and totters.

You have made Your people experience hardship;
You have given us wine to drink that makes us stagger and fall.

You have set up a banner for those who fear You [with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder—a banner to shield them from attack],
A banner that may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.

That Your beloved ones may be rescued,
Save with Your right hand and answer us.


God has spoken in His holiness [in His promises]:
“I will rejoice, I will divide [the land of] Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth [west to east].

“Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim is My helmet;
Judah is My scepter.

“Moab is My [a]washbowl;
Over Edom I shall throw My shoe [in triumph];
Over Philistia I raise the shout [of victory].”


Who will bring me into the besieged city [of Petra]?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10 
Have You not rejected us, O God?
And will You not go out with our armies?
11 
Give us help against the enemy,
For the help of man is worthless (ineffectual, without purpose).
12 
Through God we will have victory,
For He will trample down our enemies.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 60:8 I.e. the household pot used for washing the feet.

60 1-2 God! you walked off and left us,
    kicked our defenses to bits
And stomped off angry.
    Come back. Oh please, come back!

You shook earth to the foundations,
    ripped open huge crevasses.
Heal the breaks! Everything’s
    coming apart at the seams.

3-5 You made your people look doom in the face,
    then gave us cheap wine to drown our troubles.
Then you planted a flag to rally your people,
    an unfurled flag to look to for courage.
Now do something quickly, answer right now,
    so the one you love best is saved.

6-8 That’s when God spoke in holy splendor,
    “Bursting with joy,
I make a present of Shechem,
    I hand out Succoth Valley as a gift.
Gilead’s in my pocket,
    to say nothing of Manasseh.
Ephraim’s my hard hat,
    Judah my hammer;
Moab’s a scrub bucket,
    I mop the floor with Moab,
Spit on Edom,
    rain fireworks all over Philistia.”

9-10 Who will take me to the thick of the fight?
    Who’ll show me the road to Edom?
You aren’t giving up on us, are you, God?
    refusing to go out with our troops?

11-12 Give us help for the hard task;
    human help is worthless.
In God we’ll do our very best;
    he’ll flatten the opposition for good.