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Psalm 68

For the choir director; a psalm by David; a song.

Elohim will arise.
    His enemies will be scattered.
    Those who hate him will flee from him.
Blow them away like smoke.
    Let wicked people melt in Elohim’s presence like wax next to a fire.

But let righteous people rejoice.
    Let them celebrate in Elohim’s presence.
    Let them overflow with joy.
Sing to Elohim; make music to praise his name.
    Make a highway for him to ride through the deserts.[a]
    Yah is his name.
    Celebrate in his presence.

The Elohim who is in his holy dwelling place
    is the Ab of the fatherless and the defender of widows.
Elohim places lonely people in families.
    He leads prisoners out of prison into productive lives,
        but rebellious people must live in an unproductive land.

O Elohim, when you went in front of your people,
    when you marched through the desert, Selah
        the earth quaked and the sky poured
            in the presence of the Elohim of Sinai,
            in the presence of the Elohim of Israel.

You watered the land with plenty of rain, O Elohim.
    You refreshed it when your land was exhausted.
10 Your flock settled there.
    Out of your goodness, O Elohim,
        you provided for oppressed people.

11 Adonay gives instructions.
    The women who announce the good news are a large army.
12 They say, “The kings of the armies flee; they run away.
    The women who remained at home will divide the goods.
13 Though you stayed among the sheep pens,
    you will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
    its feathers with yellow gold.
14 Meanwhile, Shadday was still scattering kings there
    like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.”

15 The mountain of Bashan is the mountain of Elohim.
    The mountain of Bashan is the mountain with many peaks.
16 Why do you look with envy, you mountains with many peaks,
    at the mountain where Elohim has chosen to live?
        Certainly, Yahweh will live there forever.

17 The chariots of Elohim are twenty thousand in number,
    thousands upon thousands.
        Adonay is among them.
            The God of Sinai is in his holy place.
18 You went to the highest place.
    You took prisoners captive.
    You received gifts from people,
    even from rebellious people, so that Yah Elohim may live there.

19 Thanks be to Adonay,
    who daily carries our burdens for us.
        El is our salvation. Selah
20 Our El is the El of victories.
    Yahweh Adonay is our escape from death.

21 Certainly, Elohim will crush the heads of his enemies
    and destroy even the hair on the heads
        of those who continue to be guilty.
22 Adonay said, “I will bring them back from Bashan.
    I will bring them back from the depths of the sea
23 so that you, my people, may bathe[b] your feet in blood
    and the tongues of your dogs
        may lick the blood of your enemies.”

24 Your festival processions, O Elohim, can be seen by everyone.
    They are the processions for my Elohim, my Melek, into the holy place.
25 The singers are in front.
    The musicians are behind them.
        The young women beating tambourines are between them.
26 Thank Elohim, Yahweh, the source of Israel, with the choirs.
27 Benjamin, the youngest, is leading them,
    next the leaders of Judah with their noisy crowds,
        then the leaders of Zebulun,
            then the leaders of Naphtali.

28 Your Elohim has decided you will be strong.
    Display your strength, O Elohim,
        as you have for us before.
29 Kings will bring you gifts
    because of your temple high above Jerusalem.
30 Threaten the beast who is among the cattails,
    the herd of bulls with the calves of the nations,
        until it humbles itself with pieces of silver.
    Scatter the people who find joy in war.[c]
31 Ambassadors will come from Egypt.
    Sudan will stretch out its hands to Elohim in prayer.

32 You kingdoms of the world, sing to Elohim.
    Make music to praise Adonay. Selah
33 Elohim rides through the ancient heaven, the highest heaven.
    Listen! He makes his voice heard, his powerful voice.
34 Acknowledge the power of Elohim.
    His majesty is over Israel, and his power is in the skies.

35 Elohim, the El of Israel, is awe-inspiring in his holy place.
    He gives strength and power to his people.
        Thanks be to Elohim!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:4 Or “Lift a song to him who rides upon the clouds.”
  2. Psalm 68:23 Greek, Targum, Syriac; Masoretic Text “shatter.”
  3. Psalm 68:30 Hebrew meaning of this verse uncertain.

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.

11 The Lord announces the word,
    and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:(AA)
12 “Kings and armies flee(AB) in haste;
    the women at home divide the plunder.(AC)
13 Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,[e](AD)
    the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
    its feathers with shining gold.”
14 When the Almighty[f] scattered(AE) the kings in the land,
    it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.(AF)

15 Mount Bashan,(AG) majestic mountain,(AH)
    Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
16 why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
    at the mountain where God chooses(AI) to reign,
    where the Lord himself will dwell forever?(AJ)
17 The chariots(AK) of God are tens of thousands
    and thousands of thousands;(AL)
    the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.[g]
18 When you ascended(AM) on high,(AN)
    you took many captives;(AO)
    you received gifts from people,(AP)
even from[h] the rebellious(AQ)
    that you,[i] Lord God, might dwell there.

19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,(AR)
    who daily bears our burdens.(AS)
20 Our God is a God who saves;(AT)
    from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.(AU)
21 Surely God will crush the heads(AV) of his enemies,
    the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
22 The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
    I will bring them from the depths of the sea,(AW)
23 that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,(AX)
    while the tongues of your dogs(AY) have their share.”

24 Your procession, God, has come into view,
    the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.(AZ)
25 In front are the singers,(BA) after them the musicians;(BB)
    with them are the young women playing the timbrels.(BC)
26 Praise God in the great congregation;(BD)
    praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.(BE)
27 There is the little tribe(BF) of Benjamin,(BG) leading them,
    there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
    and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.(BH)

28 Summon your power,(BI) God[j];
    show us your strength,(BJ) our God, as you have done(BK) before.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings will bring you gifts.(BL)
30 Rebuke the beast(BM) among the reeds,(BN)
    the herd of bulls(BO) among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
    Scatter the nations(BP) who delight in war.(BQ)
31 Envoys will come from Egypt;(BR)
    Cush[k](BS) will submit herself to God.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,(BT)
    sing praise(BU) to the Lord,
33 to him who rides(BV) across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
    who thunders(BW) with mighty voice.(BX)
34 Proclaim the power(BY) of God,
    whose majesty(BZ) is over Israel,
    whose power is in the heavens.
35 You, God, are awesome(CA) in your sanctuary;(CB)
    the God of Israel gives power and strength(CC) to his people.(CD)

Praise be to God!(CE)

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.
  5. Psalm 68:13 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
  6. Psalm 68:14 Hebrew Shaddai
  7. Psalm 68:17 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lord is among them at Sinai in holiness
  8. Psalm 68:18 Or gifts for people, / even
  9. Psalm 68:18 Or they
  10. Psalm 68:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned power for you
  11. Psalm 68:31 That is, the upper Nile region