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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.

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