Psalm 68
English Standard Version
God Shall Scatter His Enemies
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.
68 (A)God shall arise, his enemies shall be (B)scattered;
and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As (C)smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
(D)as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But (E)the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!
4 Sing to God, (F)sing praises to his name;
(G)lift up a song to him who (H)rides through (I)the deserts;
his name is (J)the Lord;
exult before him!
5 (K)Father of the fatherless and (L)protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6 God (M)settles the solitary in a home;
he (N)leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but (O)the rebellious dwell in (P)a parched land.
7 O God, when you (Q)went out before your people,
(R)when you marched through (S)the wilderness, Selah
8 (T)the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God,[a] the God of Israel.
9 (U)Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock[b] found a dwelling in it;
in your goodness, O God, you (V)provided for the needy.
11 The Lord gives (W)the word;
(X)the women who announce the news are a great host:
12 (Y)“The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home (Z)divide the spoil—
13 though you men lie among (AA)the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,
let snow fall on (AB)Zalmon.
15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
O many-peaked[c] mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount that God (AC)desired for his abode,
yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 (AD)The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands;
the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 (AE)You ascended on high,
(AF)leading a host of captives in your train
and (AG)receiving gifts among men,
even among (AH)the rebellious, (AI)that the Lord God may dwell there.
19 Blessed be the Lord,
who daily (AJ)bears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
(AK)and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 (AL)But God will strike 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 (AM)from Bashan,
(AN)I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may (AO)strike your feet in their blood,
that (AP)the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
24 Your procession is[d] seen, O God,
the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 (AQ)the singers in front, (AR)the musicians last,
between them (AS)virgins playing tambourines:
26 (AT)“Bless God in the great congregation,
the Lord, O you[e] who are of (AU)Israel's fountain!”
27 There is (AV)Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
the princes of Judah in their throng,
the princes of (AW)Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28 (AX)Summon your power, O God,[f]
the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings shall (AY)bear gifts to you.
30 Rebuke (AZ)the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
the herd of (BA)bulls with the calves of the peoples.
(BB)Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
scatter the peoples who delight in war.[g]
31 Nobles shall come from (BC)Egypt;
(BD)Cush shall hasten to (BE)stretch out her hands to God.
32 (BF)O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 to him (BG)who rides in (BH)the heavens, the ancient heavens;
behold, he (BI)sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 (BJ)Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose (BK)power is in (BL)the skies.
35 (BM)Awesome is God from his[h] (BN)sanctuary;
the God of Israel—he is the one who gives (BO)power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!
Footnotes
- Psalm 68:8 Or before God, even Sinai before God
- Psalm 68:10 Or your congregation
- Psalm 68:15 Or hunch-backed; also verse 16
- Psalm 68:24 Or has been
- Psalm 68:26 The Hebrew for you is plural here
- Psalm 68:28 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew Your God has summoned your power
- Psalm 68:30 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
- Psalm 68:35 Septuagint; Hebrew your
Psalm 68
Common English Bible
Psalm 68
For the music leader. Of David. A psalm. A song.
68 Let God rise up;
let his enemies scatter;
let those who hate him
run scared before him!
2 Like smoke is driven away,
drive them away!
Like wax melting before fire,
let the wicked perish before God!
3 But let the righteous be glad
and celebrate before God.
Let them rejoice with gladness!
4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!
Exalt the one who rides the clouds!
The Lord is his name.
Celebrate before him!
5 Father of orphans and defender of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the lonely in their homes;
he sets prisoners free with happiness,[a]
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7 When you went forth before your people, God,
when you marched through the wasteland, Selah
8 the earth shook!
Yes, heaven poured down
before God, the one from Sinai—
before God, the God of Israel!
9 You showered down abundant rain, God;
when your inheritance grew weary,
you restored it yourself,
10 and your creatures settled in it.
In your goodness, God,
you provided for the poor.
11 My Lord gives the command—
many messengers are bringing good news:
12 “The kings of armies are on the run!
The women back home divide the spoil.
13 Even if you lie down among the sheepfolds,
there are wings of a dove covered with silver;
its pinions covered in precious gold.”[b]
14 When the Almighty[c] scattered the kings there,
snow fell on Mount Zalmon.
15 Mighty mountain, Mount Bashan;
many-peaked mountain, Mount Bashan!
16 You many-peaked mountain:
Why do you look with envy
at the mountain God desired for his dwelling,
the mountain where the Lord dwells forever?
17 God’s chariots are twice ten thousand—
countless thousands!
My Lord came from Sinai[d] into the sanctuary.
18 You ascended the heights,
leading away your captives,
receiving tribute from people,
even from those who rebel
against the Lord God’s dwelling there.
19 Bless the Lord!
The God of our salvation
supports us day after day! Selah
20 Our God is the God of salvation,
and escape from certain death comes through God my Lord.
21 Yes, God will shatter the heads of his enemies—
the very skulls of those who walk in guilt.
22 My Lord has spoken:
“From Bashan I will bring those people back.
I will bring them back from the ocean’s depths
23 so that you can wash your feet in their blood,
so that your dogs’ tongues
can lap up their share of your enemies.”
24 They saw your procession, God—
the procession of my God,
my king, into the sanctuary.
25 First came the singers,
then the musicians;
between them the young women
were playing hand drums:
26 “Bless God in the great congregation;
bless the Lord from Israel’s fountain!”
27 There’s Benjamin leading them,
though he’s little;
then the princes of Judah,
their speaker;
then the princes of Zebulun
and the princes of Naphtali.
28 Summon your strength, God!
Show how strong you are, God,
just as you’ve done for us before,
29 from your temple above Jerusalem,
where kings bring you gifts.
30 Rebuke the wild animals of the marshland,
the herd of bulls among the calves of the peoples.
Trample those who delight in money;
scatter the peoples who take pleasure in battles.
31 Let ambassadors come from Egypt;
let Cush stretch out its hands to God.
32 Sing to God, all kingdoms of the earth!
Sing praises to my Lord. Selah
33 Sing to the one who rides through heaven,
the most ancient heaven.
Look! God sends forth his voice,
his mighty voice.
34 Recognize how strong God is!
His majesty extends over Israel;
his strength is in the clouds.
35 You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries—
the God of Israel who gives strength and power to his people!
Bless God!
Footnotes
- Psalm 68:6 Or skillfully; LXX, Vulg with strength; Heb uncertain
- Psalm 68:13 Heb uncertain
- Psalm 68:14 Heb Shaddai
- Psalm 68:17 Correction; MT My Lord was among them, the one from Sinai, in holiness.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible