The God of Sinai and of the Sanctuary.

For the music director. A Psalm of David. A Song.

68 [a]May (A)God arise, [b]may His enemies be scattered,
And [c]may those who hate Him flee from His presence.
As (B)smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
As (C)wax melts before a fire,
So the (D)wicked will perish before God.
But the (E)righteous will be joyful; they will rejoice before God;
Yes, they will rejoice with gladness.
Sing to God, (F)sing praises to His name;
[d](G)Exalt Him who (H)rides through the deserts,
Whose (I)name is [e]the Lord, and be jubilant before Him.

A (J)father of the fatherless and a (K)judge [f]for the widows,
Is God in His (L)holy dwelling.
God [g](M)makes a home for the lonely;
He (N)leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only (O)the rebellious live in parched lands.

God, when You (P)went forth before Your people,
When You (Q)marched through the desert, Selah
The (R)earth quaked;
The (S)heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
[h](T)Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
You (U)made plentiful rain fall, God;
You confirmed Your inheritance when it was [i]parched.
10 Your creatures settled in it;
In Your kindness You (V)provided for the poor, God.

11 The Lord gives the [j]command;
The (W)women who proclaim good news are a great army:
12 (X)Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home will (Y)divide the spoils!”
13 [k]When you lie down (Z)among the sheepfolds,
You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And its pinions with [l]glistening gold.
14 When the Almighty (AA)scattered the kings [m]there,
It was snowing in (AB)Zalmon.

15 (AC)The mountain of Bashan is a [n]mountain of God;
The mountain of Bashan is a mountain of many peaks.
16 Why do you look with envy, you mountains of many peaks,
At the mountain God has (AD)desired as His dwelling?
Indeed, (AE)the Lord will dwell there forever.
17 The (AF)chariots of God are [o]myriads, (AG)thousands upon thousands;
[p]The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.
18 You have (AH)ascended on high, You have (AI)led captive Your captives;
You have received gifts among people,
Even among the rebellious as well, that [q]the Lord God may dwell there.

19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily (AJ)bears our burden,
(AK)The God who is our salvation. Selah
20 God is to us a (AL)God of salvation;
And (AM)to [r]God the Lord belong ways of escape [s]from death.
21 God certainly will (AN)shatter the heads of His enemies,
The hairy [t]head of one who goes about in his guilt.
22 The Lord [u]said, “(AO)I will bring them back from Bashan.
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 So that [v](AP)your foot may shatter them in blood,
And the tongue of your (AQ)dogs may have its portion from your enemies.”

24 They have seen (AR)Your procession, God,
The procession of my God, my King, [w](AS)into the sanctuary.
25 The (AT)singers went on, the musicians after them,
[x]In the midst of the (AU)young women beating tambourines.
26 (AV)Bless God in the congregations,
Even the Lord, you who are of the (AW)fountain of Israel.
27 (AX)Benjamin, the [y]youngest, is there, [z]ruling them,
The leaders of Judah in their company,
The leaders of (AY)Zebulun, the leaders of Naphtali.

28 [aa]Your God has (AZ)commanded your strength;
Show Yourself strong, God, You (BA)who acted [ab]in our behalf.
29 [ac]Because of Your temple at Jerusalem
(BB)Kings will bring gifts to You.
30 Rebuke the (BC)animals [ad]in the reeds,
The herd of (BD)bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Trampling the pieces of silver;
He has (BE)scattered the peoples who delight in war.
31 [ae]Messengers will come from (BF)Egypt;
[af](BG)Cush will quickly stretch out her hands to God.

32 Sing to God, you (BH)kingdoms of the earth,
(BI)Sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 To Him who (BJ)rides upon the [ag](BK)highest heavens, which are from ancient times;
Behold, (BL)He [ah]speaks with His voice, a (BM)mighty voice.
34 (BN)Ascribe strength to God;
His majesty is over Israel,
And (BO)His strength is in the [ai]skies.
35 [aj]God, You are (BP)awesome from Your [ak]sanctuary.
The God of Israel Himself (BQ)gives strength and power to the people.
(BR)Blessed be God!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:1 Or God shall
  2. Psalm 68:1 Or His enemies shall
  3. Psalm 68:1 Or those who hate Him shall
  4. Psalm 68:4 Or Prepare the way for Him
  5. Psalm 68:4 Heb Yah
  6. Psalm 68:5 Lit of
  7. Psalm 68:6 Lit makes the solitary to dwell in a house
  8. Psalm 68:8 Lit This is Sinai which
  9. Psalm 68:9 Lit weary
  10. Psalm 68:11 Lit word
  11. Psalm 68:13 Lit If
  12. Psalm 68:13 I.e., gold alloyed with silver
  13. Psalm 68:14 Lit in it
  14. Psalm 68:15 Or mighty mountain
  15. Psalm 68:17 Lit twice 10,000
  16. Psalm 68:17 Another reading is The Lord came from Sinai into the sanctuary
  17. Psalm 68:18 Heb Yah
  18. Psalm 68:20 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  19. Psalm 68:20 I.e., in view of; lit for
  20. Psalm 68:21 Lit skull
  21. Psalm 68:22 Or says
  22. Psalm 68:23 Some ancient versions render, you may bathe your foot in blood
  23. Psalm 68:24 Or in holiness
  24. Psalm 68:25 Or The maidens in the midst
  25. Psalm 68:27 Or smallest
  26. Psalm 68:27 Or their ruler
  27. Psalm 68:28 Some mss Command, God
  28. Psalm 68:28 Lit for us
  29. Psalm 68:29 Or From Your temple
  30. Psalm 68:30 Lit of
  31. Psalm 68:31 As in LXX; MT uncertain, possibly, Articles of bronze; or Articles of red cloth
  32. Psalm 68:31 Or Ethiopia
  33. Psalm 68:33 Lit heaven of heavens of old
  34. Psalm 68:33 Lit gives forth
  35. Psalm 68:34 Lit clouds
  36. Psalm 68:35 Or Awesome is God from your sanctuary
  37. Psalm 68:35 Lit holy places

Praise and Thanksgiving

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

68 Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered;
    let those who hate him flee before him!
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
    as wax melts before fire,
    let the wicked perish before God!
But let the righteous be joyful;
    let them exult before God;
    let them be jubilant with joy!

Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
    lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds;[a]
    his name is the Lord, exult before him!

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
    is God in his holy habitation.
God gives the desolate a home to dwell in;
    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity;
    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

O God, when thou didst go forth before thy people,
    when thou didst march through the wilderness,Selah
the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
    at the presence of God;
yon Sinai quaked at the presence of God,
    the God of Israel.
Rain in abundance, O God, thou didst shed abroad;
    thou didst restore thy heritage as it languished;
10 thy flock found a dwelling in it;
    in thy goodness, O God, thou didst provide for the needy.

11 The Lord gives the command;
    great is the host of those who bore the tidings:
12     “The kings of the armies, they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil,
13     though they stay among the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
    its pinions with green gold.
14 When the Almighty scattered kings there,
    snow fell on Zalmon.

15 O mighty mountain, mountain of Bashan;
    O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why look you with envy, O many-peaked mountain,
    at the mount which God desired for his abode,
    yea, where the Lord will dwell for ever?

17 With mighty chariotry, twice ten thousand,
    thousands upon thousands,
    the Lord came from Sinai into the holy place.[b]
18 Thou didst ascend the high mount,
    leading captives in thy train,
    and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.

19 Blessed be the Lord,
    who daily bears us up;
    God is our salvation.Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation;
    and to God, the Lord, belongs escape from death.

21 But God will shatter the heads of his enemies,
    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The Lord said,
    “I will bring them back from Bashan,
    I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may bathe[c] your feet in blood,
    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”

24 Thy solemn processions are seen,[d] O God,
    the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 the singers in front, the minstrels last,
    between them maidens playing timbrels:
26 “Bless God in the great congregation,
    the Lord, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!”
27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
    the princes of Judah in their throng,
    the princes of Zeb′ulun, the princes of Naph′tali.

28 Summon thy might, O God;
    show thy strength, O God, thou who hast wrought for us.
29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem
    kings bear gifts to thee.
30 Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
    the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trample[e] under foot those who lust after tribute;
    scatter the peoples who delight in war.[f]
31 Let bronze be brought from Egypt;
    let Ethiopia hasten to stretch out her hands to God.

32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;
    sing praises to the Lord,Selah
33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
    lo, he sends forth his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel,
    and his power is in the skies.
35 Terrible is God in his[g] sanctuary,
    the God of Israel,
    he gives power and strength to his people.

Blessed be God!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:4 Or cast up a highway for him who rides through the deserts
  2. Psalm 68:17 Cn: Heb The Lord among them Sinai in the holy place
  3. Psalm 68:23 Gk Syr Tg: Heb shatter
  4. Psalm 68:24 Or have been seen
  5. Psalm 68:30 Cn: Heb trampling
  6. Psalm 68:30 The Hebrew of verse 30 is obscure
  7. Psalm 68:35 Gk: Heb from thy