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Psalm 68

For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David.

Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.
    Let those who hate God run for their lives.
Blow them away like smoke.
    Melt them like wax in a fire.
    Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
But let the godly rejoice.
    Let them be glad in God’s presence.
    Let them be filled with joy.
Sing praises to God and to his name!
    Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.[a]
His name is the Lord
    rejoice in his presence!

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
    this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
God places the lonely in families;
    he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

O God, when you led your people out from Egypt,
    when you marched through the dry wasteland, Interlude
the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain
    before you, the God of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
You sent abundant rain, O God,
    to refresh the weary land.
10 There your people finally settled,
    and with a bountiful harvest, O God,
    you provided for your needy people.

11 The Lord gives the word,
    and a great army[b] brings the good news.
12 Enemy kings and their armies flee,
    while the women of Israel divide the plunder.
13 Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures—
    doves with wings of silver
    and feathers of gold.
14 The Almighty scattered the enemy kings
    like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.

15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic,
    with many peaks stretching high into the sky.
16 Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains,
    at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live,
    where the Lord himself will live forever?

17 Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots,
    the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.
18 When you ascended to the heights,
    you led a crowd of captives.
You received gifts from the people,
    even from those who rebelled against you.
    Now the Lord God will live among us there.

19 Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!
    For each day he carries us in his arms. Interlude
20 Our God is a God who saves!
    The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death.

21 But God will smash the heads of his enemies,
    crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.
22 The Lord says, “I will bring my enemies down from Bashan;
    I will bring them up from the depths of the sea.
23 You, my people, will wash[c] your feet in their blood,
    and even your dogs will get their share!”

24 Your procession has come into view, O God—
    the procession of my God and King as he goes into the sanctuary.
25 Singers are in front, musicians behind;
    between them are young women playing tambourines.
26 Praise God, all you people of Israel;
    praise the Lord, the source of Israel’s life.
27 Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way.
    Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judah
    and all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali.

28 Summon your might, O God.[d]
    Display your power, O God, as you have in the past.
29 The kings of the earth are bringing tribute
    to your Temple in Jerusalem.
30 Rebuke these enemy nations—
    these wild animals lurking in the reeds,
    this herd of bulls among the weaker calves.
Make them bring bars of silver in humble tribute.
    Scatter the nations that delight in war.
31 Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals[e];
    let Ethiopia[f] bring tribute to God.
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth.
    Sing praises to the Lord. Interlude
33 Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens,
    his mighty voice thundering from the sky.
34 Tell everyone about God’s power.
    His majesty shines down on Israel;
    his strength is mighty in the heavens.
35 God is awesome in his sanctuary.
    The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Praise be to God!

Footnotes

  1. 68:4 Or rides through the deserts.
  2. 68:11 Or a host of women.
  3. 68:23 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads shatter.
  4. 68:28 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek and Syriac versions; most Hebrew manuscripts read Your God has commanded your strength.
  5. 68:31a Or of rich cloth.
  6. 68:31b Hebrew Cush.

Let God’s Enemies Be Scattered

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

68 [a]Let (A)God arise, [b]let His enemies be scattered,
And [c]let those who hate Him flee before Him.
As (B)smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
As (C)wax melts before the fire,
So let the (D)wicked perish before God.
But let the (E)righteous be glad; let them exult before God;
And let them rejoice with gladness.
Sing to God, (F)sing praises to His name;
[d](G)Lift up a song for Him who (H)rides through the deserts,
Whose (I)name is [e]Yah, and exult before Him.

A (J)father of the fatherless and a (K)judge [f]for the widows,
Is God in His (L)holy habitation.
God (M)causes the lonely to inhabit a home;
He (N)leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only (O)the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

O God, when You (P)went forth before Your people,
When You (Q)marched through the wasteland, [g]Selah.
The (R)earth quaked;
The (S)heavens also dripped rain at the presence of God;
[h](T)Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
You (U)caused abundant rain to sprinkle down, O God;
You established Your inheritance when it was [i]parched.
10 Your creatures inhabited it;
You (V)established it in Your goodness for the poor, O God.

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

15 A [l](AC)mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks,
At the mountain which God has (AD)prized for His habitation?
Surely (AE)Yahweh will dwell there forever.
17 The (AF)chariots of God are [m]myriads, (AG)thousands upon thousands;
[n]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 men,
Even among the rebellious also, that Yah—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 [o]salvation;
And (AM)to Yahweh the Lord belong escapes [p]from death.
21 Surely God will (AN)crush the head of His enemies,
The hairy [q]skull of him who goes on in his guilty deeds.
22 The Lord [r]said, “(AO)I will bring them back from Bashan.
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea;
23 That [s](AP)your foot may crush them in blood,
The tongue of your (AQ)dogs may have its portion from your enemies.”

24 They have seen (AR)Your [t]procession, O God,
The [u]procession of my God, my King, [v](AS)into the sanctuary.
25 The (AT)singers went on, the musicians after them,
[w]In the midst of the (AU)maidens beating tambourines.
26 (AV)Bless God in the congregations,
Yahweh, the (AW)fountain of Israel.
27 There is (AX)Benjamin, the [x]youngest, [y]having dominion over them,
The princes of Judah in their throng,
The princes of (AY)Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

28 [z]Your God has (AZ)commanded your strength;
Show Yourself strong, O God, (BA)who has worked [aa]on our behalf.
29 [ab]Because of Your temple at Jerusalem
(BB)Kings will bring gifts to You.
30 Rebuke the (BC)beast [ac]in the reeds,
The herd of (BD)bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Trampling under foot the pieces of silver;
He has (BE)cast out the peoples who delight in war.
31 Envoys will come out of (BF)Egypt;
[ad](BG)Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.

32 Sing to God, O (BH)kingdoms of the earth,
(BI)Sing praises to the Lord, Selah.
33 To Him who (BJ)rides upon the [ae](BK)highest heavens, which are from ancient times;
Behold, (BL)He gives forth His voice, a (BM)voice that is strong.
34 (BN)Ascribe strength to God;
His majesty is over Israel
And (BO)His strength is in the [af]skies.
35 [ag]O God, You are (BP)awesome from Your [ah]sanctuary.
The God of Israel Himself (BQ)gives strength and might 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 Cast up a highway
  5. Psalm 68:4 The shortened form of Yahweh, found in poetry and praise (e.g. Hallelujah), and in names (e.g. Zechariah)
  6. Psalm 68:5 Lit of
  7. Psalm 68:7 Selah may mean Pause, Crescendo, Musical Interlude
  8. Psalm 68:8 Lit This is Sinai which
  9. Psalm 68:9 Lit weary
  10. Psalm 68:13 Or cooking stones, saddle bags
  11. Psalm 68:14 Lit in it
  12. Psalm 68:15 Or mighty mountain is
  13. Psalm 68:17 Lit twice ten thousand
  14. Psalm 68:17 Or The Lord came from Sinai into the sanctuary
  15. Psalm 68:20 Lit salvations
  16. Psalm 68:20 In view of; lit for
  17. Psalm 68:21 Or crown
  18. Psalm 68:22 Or says
  19. Psalm 68:23 Some versions render, you may bathe your foot in blood
  20. Psalm 68:24 Lit goings
  21. Psalm 68:24 Lit goings
  22. Psalm 68:24 Lit in the sanctuary; or in holiness
  23. Psalm 68:25 Or The maidens in the midst
  24. Psalm 68:27 Or smallest
  25. Psalm 68:27 Or their ruler
  26. Psalm 68:28 Some mss Command, God
  27. Psalm 68:28 Lit for us
  28. Psalm 68:29 Or From Your temple
  29. Psalm 68:30 Lit of
  30. Psalm 68:31 Or Cush, cf. Gen 10:6
  31. Psalm 68:33 Lit heaven of heavens of old
  32. Psalm 68:34 Lit clouds
  33. Psalm 68:35 Or Awesome is God from your sanctuary
  34. Psalm 68:35 Lit holy places