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Psalm 68

For the worship leader. A song of David.

Psalm 68 is a hymn describing God as a Divine Warrior, marching from Sinai through the wilderness to make His home in Jerusalem.

May the True God rise up and show Himself;
    may those who are united against Him be dispersed,
    while the people who hate Him run away at the sight of Him.
As smoke disappears when it is blown by the wind,
    may You blow away Your enemies forever.
As wax melts in the presence of fire,
    may the wicked heart melt away in God’s presence.
But may those who are righteous rejoice
    in the presence of the True God—so may they be glad and rejoice.
    Yes, let them celebrate with joy!

Sing songs of praise to the name that belongs to the True God!
    Let your voices ring out in songs of praise to Him, the One who rides through the deserted places.
His name is the Eternal;
    celebrate in His glorious presence.

The True God who inhabits sacred space
    is a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows.
He makes a home for those who are alone.
    He frees the prisoners and leads them to prosper.
Yet those who rebel against Him live in the barren land without His blessings and prosperity.

O True God, when You led Your enslaved people from Egypt,
    when You journeyed with us through the wilderness,

[pause][a]

The whole world trembled! The sky poured down rain
    at the power of Your presence; even Mount Sinai trembled in Your presence,
    the presence of the True God, the God of Israel.
You sent a heavy downpour to soak the ground, O True God.
    You refreshed the land—the land Your people would inherit—when it was parched and dry.
10 Your covenant people made their homes in the land,
    and because You are so good, You provided for those crushed by poverty, O True God.

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Footnotes

  1. 68:7 Literally, selah, likely a musical direction from a Hebrew root meaning “to lift up”

Psalm 68[a]

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

May God arise,(A) may his enemies be scattered;(B)
    may his foes flee(C) before him.
May you blow them away like smoke—(D)
    as wax melts(E) before the fire,
    may the wicked perish(F) before God.
But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice(G) before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,(H)
    extol him who rides on the clouds[b](I);
    rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.(J)
A father to the fatherless,(K) a defender of widows,(L)
    is God in his holy dwelling.(M)
God sets the lonely(N) in families,[c](O)
    he leads out the prisoners(P) with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.(Q)

When you, God, went out(R) before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,[d](S)
the earth shook,(T) the heavens poured down rain,(U)
    before God, the One of Sinai,(V)
    before God, the God of Israel.(W)
You gave abundant showers,(X) O God;
    you refreshed your weary inheritance.
10 Your people settled in it,
    and from your bounty,(Y) God, you provided(Z) for the poor.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:1 In Hebrew texts 68:1-35 is numbered 68:2-36.
  2. Psalm 68:4 Or name, / prepare the way for him who rides through the deserts
  3. Psalm 68:6 Or the desolate in a homeland
  4. Psalm 68:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 19 and 32.

19 Blessed be the Lord
    who carries our heavy loads every day,
    the True God who is our salvation.

[pause]

20 We know our God is the God who delivers us,
    and the Eternal, the Lord, is the One who saves us from the grip of death.

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19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,(A)
    who daily bears our burdens.(B)
20 Our God is a God who saves;(C)
    from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.(D)

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16     If I have stood between the poor and the object of their desire,
        if I have caused a widow to lose her love of life,
17     If I have eaten my food alone
        and not shared it with the hungry orphan
18     (Indeed, from as far back as I can remember, I have cared for them all—
        from my youth, been a father to the orphan;
        from my own birth, cared for the widow),
19     If I have idly watched anyone die from exposure simply due to a lack of clothing
        or seen the poor without any kind of covering,
20     If ever people in such conditions did not physically bless and thank me
        for warming them up with the fleeces of my own sheep,
21     If I ever used my civic strength to condemn the fatherless
        simply because I knew I had allies in the courts;
22     Then let my arm be pulled from its socket!
        Let my forearm be snapped off at the elbow for raising it against the orphan!
23     See, I have always dreaded the kind of disaster wrought by God;
        I was never able to withstand His majesty.

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16 “If I have denied the desires of the poor(A)
    or let the eyes of the widow(B) grow weary,(C)
17 if I have kept my bread to myself,
    not sharing it with the fatherless(D)
18 but from my youth I reared them as a father would,
    and from my birth I guided the widow(E)
19 if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing,(F)
    or the needy(G) without garments,
20 and their hearts did not bless me(H)
    for warming them with the fleece(I) from my sheep,
21 if I have raised my hand against the fatherless,(J)
    knowing that I had influence in court,(K)
22 then let my arm fall from the shoulder,
    let it be broken off at the joint.(L)
23 For I dreaded destruction from God,(M)
    and for fear of his splendor(N) I could not do such things.(O)

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40 When Jesus and His disciples crossed the lake, another crowd was waiting to welcome Him. 41 A man made his way through the crowd. His name was Jairus, and he was a synagogue official. Like the man on the other side of the lake, this dignified man also fell at Jesus’ feet, begging Jesus to visit his home 42 where his only daughter, a girl of 12, lay dying. Jesus set out with Jairus. The crowd came along, too, pressing hard against Him.

43 In the crowd was a woman. She had suffered from an incurable menstrual disorder for 12 years [and had spent her livelihood on doctors with no effect].[a] It had kept her miserable and ritually unclean, unable to participate fully in Jewish life. 44 She followed Jesus, until she could reach Him. She touched the fringe of the robe Jesus wore, and at that moment the bleeding stopped.

Jesus (stopping and looking about): 45 Who touched Me?

Some in the Crowd (everyone speaking at once): Not me.

Another in the Crowd: It wasn’t me either.

Peter [and those with him][b] (intervening): Master, what kind of question is that, with this huge crowd all around You and many people touching You on all sides?

Jesus: 46 I felt something. I felt power going out from Me. I know that somebody touched Me.

47 The woman now realized her secret was going to come out sooner or later, so she stepped out of the crowd, shaking with fear, and she fell down in front of Jesus. Then she told her story in front of everyone—why she touched Him, what happened as a result.

Jesus: 48 Your faith has made you well again, daughter. Go in peace.

49 Right at that instant, one of Jairus’s household servants arrived.

Servant: Sir, your daughter is dead. It’s no use bothering the Teacher with this anymore.

Jesus (interrupting Jairus before he could speak): 50 Don’t be afraid. Just believe. She’ll be well again.

51-52 As they approached the house, the whole neighborhood was full of the sound of mourning—weeping, wailing, loud crying. Jesus told everyone to stay outside—everyone except Peter, John, James, and, of course, the girl’s father and mother.

Jesus (to the mourners): Please stop weeping. The girl isn’t dead. She’s only asleep.

53 They knew for certain that she was dead, so their bitter tears now mixed with mocking laughter.

54 Meanwhile, inside, Jesus took the girl’s hand.

Jesus: Child, get up!

55 She started breathing again, and she sat right up.

Jesus: Get her something to eat.

56 Her parents were amazed, but Jesus sternly told them to keep what had happened a secret.

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Footnotes

  1. 8:43 This portion is omitted in some early manuscripts.
  2. 8:45 The earliest manuscripts omit this portion.

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman(A)

40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader,(B) came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding(C) for twelve years,[a] but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak,(D) and immediately her bleeding stopped.

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master,(E) the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me;(F) I know that power has gone out from me.”(G)

47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.(H) Go in peace.”(I)

49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader.(J) “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James,(K) and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning(L) for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”(M)

53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!”(N) 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 8:43 Many manuscripts years, and she had spent all she had on doctors