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Then the just will be glad;
    they will rejoice before God;
    they will celebrate with great joy.

II

Sing to God, praise his name;
    exalt the rider of the clouds.[a]
Rejoice before him
    whose name is the Lord.(A)
Father of the fatherless, defender of widows(B)
    God in his holy abode,
God gives a home to the forsaken,
    who leads prisoners out to prosperity,
    while rebels live in the desert.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 68:5 Exalt the rider of the clouds: God’s intervention is in the imagery of Canaanite myth in which the storm-god mounted the storm clouds to ride to battle. Such theophanies occur throughout the Psalm: Ps 68:2–3, 8–10, 12–15, 18–19, 22–24, 29–32, 34–35. See Dt 33:26; Ps 18:8–16; Is 19:1.
  2. 68:7 While rebels live in the desert: rebels must live in the arid desert, whereas God’s people will live in the well-watered land (Ps 68:8–11).

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

When you, God, went out(K) before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,[c](L)

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Footnotes

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