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Psalm 76

Israel’s God—Judge of All the Earth

To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

In Judah God is known;
    his name is great in Israel.(A)
His abode has been established in Salem,
    his dwelling place in Zion.(B)
There he broke the flashing arrows,
    the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah(C)

Glorious are you, more majestic
    than the everlasting mountains.[a]
The courageous were stripped of their spoil;
    they sank into sleep;
none of the troops
    was able to lift a hand.(D)
At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
    both rider and horse lay stunned.

But you indeed are awesome!
    Who can stand before you
    when your anger is roused?(E)
From the heavens you uttered judgment;
    the earth feared and was still(F)
when God rose up to establish judgment,
    to save all the oppressed of the earth. Selah(G)

10 Human wrath serves only to praise you,
    when you bind the last bit of your[b] wrath around you.(H)
11 Make vows to the Lord your God and perform them;
    let all who are around him bring gifts
    to the one who is awesome,(I)
12 who cuts off the spirit of princes,
    who inspires fear in the kings of the earth.(J)

Footnotes

  1. 76.4 Gk: Heb the mountains of prey
  2. 76.10 Heb lacks your

Praise to God for His Rescue of Israel

For the music director, with stringed instruments.

A psalm of Asaph. A song.[a]

76 God is known in Judah.
His name is great in Israel.
His den[b] has been in Salem,
his lair[c] in Zion.
There he broke the flames of the bow,
the shield and sword and battle. Selah
Radiant[d] you are, majestic,
from[e] the mountains of prey.
The stouthearted are plundered;
they sleep their sleep,
and all the able men cannot use[f] their hands.
At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both rider[g] and horse slumber.
You, indeed, are to be feared,[h]
and who can stand before you
when you are angry? [i]
From heaven you proclaimed judgment.
The earth feared and was still
when God rose for justice,
to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah
10 For the anger of humankind will praise you.
You will put on the remnant of anger.[j]
11 Make vows and fulfill them to Yahweh, your God;
let all surrounding him
bring tribute to the one to be feared.[k]
12 He cuts off the spirit of leaders.
He is to be feared by the kings of the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 76:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 76:2 Or “shelter”; but the image of the lion appears in view
  3. Psalm 76:2 Or “refuge”
  4. Psalm 76:4 A possible change in the Hebrew text yields, “You are feared, majestic …” a form found in vv. 8(7), 13(12). This is possibly reflected in the reading of Theodotian
  5. Psalm 76:4 Or “more than”
  6. Psalm 76:5 Literally “find”
  7. Psalm 76:6 Hebrew “chariot,” that is, charioteer
  8. Psalm 76:7 Literally “You, feared you are
  9. Psalm 76:7 A slight change in the vocalization of the MT yields, “from the strength of your anger”
  10. Psalm 76:10 Hebrew “angers”
  11. Psalm 76:11 Hebrew “to the fear”