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Psalm 83

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

O God, do not be silent!
    Do not be deaf.
    Do not be quiet, O God.
Don’t you hear the uproar of your enemies?
    Don’t you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up?
They devise crafty schemes against your people;
    they conspire against your precious ones.
“Come,” they say, “let us wipe out Israel as a nation.
    We will destroy the very memory of its existence.”
Yes, this was their unanimous decision.
    They signed a treaty as allies against you—
these Edomites and Ishmaelites;
    Moabites and Hagrites;
Gebalites, Ammonites, and Amalekites;
    and people from Philistia and Tyre.
Assyria has joined them, too,
    and is allied with the descendants of Lot. Interlude

Do to them as you did to the Midianites
    and as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.
10 They were destroyed at Endor,
    and their decaying corpses fertilized the soil.
11 Let their mighty nobles die as Oreb and Zeeb did.
    Let all their princes die like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 for they said, “Let us seize for our own use
    these pasturelands of God!”
13 O my God, scatter them like tumbleweed,
    like chaff before the wind!
14 As a fire burns a forest
    and as a flame sets mountains ablaze,
15 chase them with your fierce storm;
    terrify them with your tempest.
16 Utterly disgrace them
    until they submit to your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be ashamed and terrified forever.
    Let them die in disgrace.
18 Then they will learn that you alone are called the Lord,
    that you alone are the Most High,
    supreme over all the earth.

Psalm 83

Prayer for Judgment on Israel’s Foes

A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.

O God, do not keep silent;
    do not hold your peace or be still, O God!(A)
Even now your enemies are in tumult;
    those who hate you have raised their heads.(B)
They lay crafty plans against your people;
    they consult together against those you protect.(C)
They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
    let the name of Israel be remembered no more.”(D)
They conspire with one accord;
    against you they make a covenant—(E)
the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
    Moab and the Hagrites,(F)
Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
    Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
Assyria also has joined them;
    they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah

Do to them as you did to Midian,
    as to Sisera and Jabin at the Wadi Kishon,(G)
10 who were destroyed at En-dor,
    who became dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,(H)
12 who said, “Let us take the pastures of God
    for our own possession.”(I)

13 O my God, make them like whirling dust,[a]
    like chaff before the wind.(J)
14 As fire consumes the forest,
    as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,(K)
15 so pursue them with your tempest
    and terrify them with your hurricane.(L)
16 Fill their faces with shame,
    so that they may seek your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
    let them perish in disgrace.(M)
18 Let them know that you alone,
    whose name is the Lord,
    are the Most High over all the earth.(N)

Footnotes

  1. 83.13 Or a tumbleweed