Psalm 68

God’s Majestic Power

For the choir director. A psalm of David. A song.

God arises. His enemies scatter,
and those who hate him flee from his presence.(A)
As smoke is blown away,
so you blow them away.
As wax melts before the fire,
so the wicked are destroyed before God.(B)
But the righteous are glad;
they rejoice before God and celebrate with joy.(C)

Sing to God! Sing praises to his name.
Exalt him who rides on the clouds[a]
his name is the Lord[b]—and celebrate before him.(D)
God in his holy dwelling is
a father of the fatherless
and a champion of widows.(E)
God provides homes for those who are deserted.
He leads out the prisoners to prosperity,[c]
but the rebellious live in a scorched land.(F)

God, when you went out before your people,
when you marched through the desert,Selah
the earth trembled and the skies poured rain
before God, the God of Sinai,[d]
before God, the God of Israel.(G)
You, God, showered abundant rain;
you revived your inheritance when it languished.(H)
10 Your people settled in it;
God, you provided for the poor by your goodness.(I)

11 The Lord gave the command;
a great company of women brought the good news:(J)
12 “The kings of the armies flee—they flee!”
She who stays at home divides the spoil.(K)
13 While[e] you lie among the sheep pens,[f]
the wings of a dove are covered with silver,
and its feathers with glistening gold.(L)
14 When the Almighty scattered kings in the land,
it snowed on Zalmon.[g](M)

15 Mount Bashan is God’s towering mountain;
Mount Bashan is a mountain of many peaks.(N)
16 Why gaze with envy, you mountain peaks,
at the mountain God desired for his abode?
The Lord will dwell there forever!(O)
17 God’s chariots are tens of thousands,
thousands and thousands;(P)
the Lord is among them in the sanctuary[h]
as he was at Sinai.(Q)
18 You ascended to the heights, taking away captives;
you received gifts from[i] people,
even from the rebellious,
so that the Lord God might dwell there.[j](R)

19 Blessed be the Lord!
Day after day he bears our burdens;
God is our salvation.(S)Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
and escape from death belongs to the Lord my Lord.(T)
21 Surely God crushes the heads of his enemies,
the hairy brow of one who goes on in his guilty acts.(U)
22 The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan;
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea(V)
23 so that your foot may wade[k] in blood
and your dogs’ tongues may have their share
from the enemies.”(W)
24 People have seen your procession, God,
the procession of my God,
my King, in the sanctuary.(X)
25 Singers lead the way,
with musicians following;
among them are young women
playing tambourines.(Y)
26 Bless God in the assemblies;
bless the Lord from the fountain of Israel.(Z)
27 There is Benjamin, the youngest, leading them,
the rulers of Judah in their assembly,[l]
the rulers of Zebulun, the rulers of Naphtali.(AA)

28 Your God has decreed your strength.
Show your strength, God,
you who have acted on our behalf.(AB)
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem,
kings will bring tribute to you.(AC)
30 Rebuke the beast in the reeds,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.(AD)
Trample underfoot those with bars of silver.[m]
Scatter the peoples who take pleasure in war.(AE)
31 Ambassadors will come[n] from Egypt;
Cush will stretch out its hands to God.(AF)

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;
sing praise to the Lord,(AG)Selah
33 to him who rides in the ancient, highest heavens.(AH)
Look, he thunders with his powerful voice!(AI)
34 Ascribe power to God.
His majesty is over Israel;
his power is among the clouds.(AJ)
35 God, you are awe-inspiring in your sanctuaries.
The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!(AK)

Notas al pie

  1. 68:4 Or rides through the desert
  2. 68:4 Hb Yah
  3. 68:6 Or prisoners with joyous music; Hb uncertain
  4. 68:8 Or God, this one of Sinai
  5. 68:13 Or If
  6. 68:13 Or the campfires, or the saddlebags; Hb obscure
  7. 68:14 Or Black Mountain
  8. 68:17 Or in holiness, also in v. 24
  9. 68:18 Lit among
  10. 68:18 Or even those rebelling against the Lord God’s living there; Hb obscure
  11. 68:23 LXX, Syr read dip
  12. 68:27 Hb obscure
  13. 68:30 Or peoples, trampling on those who take pleasure in silver, or peoples, trampling on the bars of silver, or peoples, who trample each other for bars of silver
  14. 68:31 Or They bring red cloth, or They bring bronze

To the Director of music: A Psalm. A song.

A Song of Praise to God

68 God arises,
    and his enemies are scattered.
        Those who hate him flee from his presence.[a]
As smoke is driven away, so you drive them away.
    As wax melts in the presence of fire,
        so the wicked die in the presence of God.
But the righteous rejoice and exult before God;
    they are overwhelmed with joy.

Sing to God!
    Sing praise to his name!
        Exalt the one who rides on the clouds.
The Lord is his name.
    Be jubilant in his presence.
A father to orphans and an advocate for widows
    is God in his holy dwelling place.
God causes the lonely to dwell in families.[b]
    He leads prisoners into prosperity,
        but rebels live on parched land.

God, when you led out your people,
    when you marched through the desert,
Interlude
the land quaked.
Indeed, the heavens poured down rain
    from the presence of God,
        this God of Sinai,
    from the presence of God,
        the God of Israel.
God, you poured out abundant rain on your inheritance.
    When Israel[c] was weary, you sustained her.
10 Your people live[d] there;
    you sustain the needy[e] with your goodness, God.

11 The Lord issues a command.
    Numerous are the women who announce the news:
12 “Kings of armies retreat and flee,
    while the lady of the house divides the spoil.
13 When you men lie down among the sheepfolds,
    you are like[f] the wings of the dove covered with silver,
        with its feathers in glittering gold.”

14 When the Almighty scattered the kings there,
    there was snow on Mt. Zalmon.

15 The mountain of God is as the mountain of Bashan;
    a mountain of many peaks is Mount Bashan.

16 You mountains of many peaks, why do you watch with envy
    the mountain in which God has chosen to dwell?
        Indeed, the Lord will live there forever.
17 God’s chariots were many thousands.
    The Lord was there with them at Sinai in holiness.
18 You ascended to the heights,
    you took captives.
You received gifts among mankind,
    even the rebellious,
        so the Lord God may live there.[g]
19 Blessed be the Lord who daily carries us.
    God is our deliverer.

20 God is for us the God of our deliverance.
    The Lord God rescues us from death.
21 God surely strikes the heads of his enemies,
    even the hairy heads of those who continue in their guilt.
22 The Lord says, “From Bashan I will bring them,
    I will bring them from the depths of the sea,
23 that your feet may wade through blood.
The tongues of your dogs will have their portions
    from your enemies.”

24 They have observed your processions, God,
    the processions of my God,
        my king, in the sanctuary.
25 The singers are in front,
    the musicians follow,
        strumming their stringed instruments
among the maidens who are playing their tambourines.

26 Bless God in the great congregation,
    the Lord who is the fountain of Israel.
27 Little Benjamin is there, leading them,
    and the princes of Judah all together
        with the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

28 Summon the power of your God,
    the power, God, that you have shown us.
29 Because of your Temple in Jerusalem,
    kings bring tribute to you.
30 Rebuke the wildlife that lives among the reeds,
    the nations that congregate like bulls and cows,
humbling themselves with pieces of silver,
    for God[h] scatters the nations that delight in battle.
31 Envoys will come from Egypt.
    Let the Ethiopians stretch out their hands to God.

32 You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God!
    Sing praises to the Lord,
Interlude
33 to the one who rides the heavens, the ancient heavens.
    Behold! He thunders with a mighty voice.

34 Ascribe power to God, whose glory is over Israel,
    whose power is in the skies.
35 You are awesome, God, from your sanctuaries.
    The God of Israel is the one
        who gives strength and power to the people.

Blessed be God!

Notas al pie

  1. Psalm 68:1 Lit. face
  2. Psalm 68:6 Lit. in a house
  3. Psalm 68:9 Lit. it
  4. Psalm 68:10 Or tribe lives
  5. Psalm 68:10 Or afflicted
  6. Psalm 68:13 The Heb. lacks you are like
  7. Psalm 68:18 The Heb. lacks there
  8. Psalm 68:30 Lit. he