God Implored to Confound His Enemies.

A Song, a Psalm of Asaph.

83 God, (A)do not remain quiet;
(B)Do not be silent and, God, do not be still.
For behold, Your enemies (C)make an uproar,
And (D)those who hate You have [a](E)exalted themselves.
They (F)make shrewd plans against Your people,
And [b]conspire together against (G)Your [c]treasured ones.
They have said, “Come, and (H)let’s wipe them out [d]as a nation,
So that the (I)name of Israel will no longer be remembered.”
For they have [e](J)conspired together with one mind;
They make a covenant against You:
The tents of (K)Edom and the (L)Ishmaelites,
(M)Moab and the (N)Hagrites;
(O)Gebal, (P)Ammon, and (Q)Amalek,
(R)Philistia with the inhabitants of (S)Tyre;
(T)Assyria also has joined them;
They have become [f]a help to the (U)children of Lot. Selah

Deal with them (V)as with Midian,
As (W)with Sisera and Jabin at the river of Kishon,
10 Who were destroyed at En-dor,
Who (X)became like dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like (Y)Oreb and Zeeb,
And all their leaders like (Z)Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 Who said, “(AA)Let’s possess for ourselves
The (AB)pastures of God.”

13 My God, make them like the [g](AC)whirling dust,
Like (AD)chaff before the wind.
14 Like (AE)fire that burns the forest,
And like a flame that (AF)sets the mountains on fire,
15 So pursue them (AG)with Your heavy gale,
And terrify them with Your storm.
16 (AH)Fill their faces with dishonor,
So that they will seek Your name, Lord.
17 May they be (AI)ashamed and dismayed forever,
And may they be humiliated and perish,
18 So that they will (AJ)know that (AK)You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the (AL)Most High over all the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:2 Lit lifted up the head
  2. Psalm 83:3 Or consult
  3. Psalm 83:3 Or hidden ones
  4. Psalm 83:4 Lit from
  5. Psalm 83:5 Or consulted
  6. Psalm 83:8 Lit an arm
  7. Psalm 83:13 Or tumbleweed

A song. A Psalm of Asaph

A Plea for Judgment

83 God, do not rest!
    Don’t be silent!
        Don’t stay inactive, God!
See! Your enemies rage;
    those who hate you issue threats.[a]
They plot against[b] your people
    and conspire against your cherished ones.
They say, “Let us go and erase them as a nation
    so the name of Israel will not be remembered anymore.”

Indeed, they shrewdly planned together,
    forming an alliance against you—
the tents of Edom, the Ishmaelites,
    Moab, the Hagrites,
Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia,
    and the inhabitants of Tyre.
Even Assyria joined them
    to strengthen the descendants of Lot.
Interlude

Deal with them as you did to Midian,[c]
    Sisera, and Jabin at the Kishon Brook.[d]
10 They were destroyed at En-dor
    and became as dung on the ground.
11 Punish their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,[e]
    and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,[f]
12 who said, “Let us possess the pastures of God.”

13 God, set them up like dried thistles,
    like straw before the wind.
14 Like a fire burning a forest,
    and a flame setting mountains ablaze.
15 Pursue them with your storm and
    terrify them with your whirlwind.
16 Fill their faces with shame
    until they seek your name, God.
17 Let them be humiliated and terrified permanently
    until they die in shame.[g]
18 Then they will know that you alone—
    whose name is Lord
        are the Most High over all the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:2 Lit. you lift their head
  2. Psalm 83:3 Lit. they make shrewd secret counsel
  3. Psalm 83:9 Cf. Judg 7:1-24
  4. Psalm 83:9 Cf. Judg 4:7, 15, 21-24
  5. Psalm 83:11 Cf. Judg 7:25
  6. Psalm 83:11 Cf. Judg 8:12, 21
  7. Psalm 83:17 Lit. they are abased and destroyed