Psalm 83
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 83
Prayer for Judgment on Israel’s Foes
A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.
1 O God, do not keep silent;
do not hold your peace or be still, O God!(A)
2 Even now your enemies are in tumult;
those who hate you have raised their heads.(B)
3 They lay crafty plans against your people;
they consult together against those you protect.(C)
4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Israel be remembered no more.”(D)
5 They conspire with one accord;
against you they make a covenant—(E)
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,(F)
7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8 Assyria also has joined them;
they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah
9 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
- 83.13 Or a tumbleweed
Psalm 83
International Standard Version
A song. A Psalm of Asaph
A Plea for Judgment
83 God, do not rest!
Don’t be silent!
Don’t stay inactive, God!
2 See! Your enemies rage;
those who hate you issue threats.[a]
3 They plot against[b] your people
and conspire against your cherished ones.
4 They say, “Let us go and erase them as a nation
so the name of Israel will not be remembered anymore.”
5 Indeed, they shrewdly planned together,
forming an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom, the Ishmaelites,
Moab, the Hagrites,
7 Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia,
and the inhabitants of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria joined them
to strengthen the descendants of Lot.
9 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
- Psalm 83:2 Lit. you lift their head
- Psalm 83:3 Lit. they make shrewd secret counsel
- Psalm 83:9 Cf. Judg 7:1-24
- Psalm 83:9 Cf. Judg 4:7, 15, 21-24
- Psalm 83:11 Cf. Judg 7:25
- Psalm 83:11 Cf. Judg 8:12, 21
- Psalm 83:17 Lit. they are abased and destroyed
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
