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A Request to Act against Israel’s Neighbors

A song. A psalm of Asaph.[a]

83 O God, do not rest silently.
Do not keep silent or be still, O God.
For look, your enemies roar,
and those who hate you have lifted their head.
They devise cunning schemes[b] against your people,
and consult together against your protected ones.[c]
They say, “Come, let us annihilate them from being a nation,
so that the name of Israel will be remembered no more.”
For they have consulted together with a unified purpose.[d]
They have made a covenant against you:
the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,
Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia, with the inhabitants of Tyre.
Assyria also has joined with them.
They provide help[e] to the children of Lot. Selah
Do to them as you did with Midian,
as with Sisera, as with Jabin at the wadi of Kishon.
10 They were destroyed at En-dor;
they became dung for the ground.
11 Make their leaders like Oreb and Zeeb,
and all their chiefs like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take as our possession
the pastures of God.”
13 O my God, make them like the tumbleweed,
like the chaff before wind.
14 As fire burns a forest,
and as a flame sets afire mountains,
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
16 Fill their faces with shame,
that they may seek your name, O Yahweh.
17 Let them be ashamed and terrified forever,
and let them be humiliated and perish
18 that they may know that you,
whose name is Yahweh, you alone,
are the Most High over the whole earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 83:3 Hebrew “scheme”
  3. Psalm 83:3 Or “your treasured ones”
  4. Psalm 83:5 Literally “with a heart together”
  5. Psalm 83:8 Literally “they have become an arm for”

O God, Do Not Keep Silence

A Song. A Psalm of (A)Asaph.

83 O God, do not keep silence;
    (B)do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
For behold, your enemies (C)make an uproar;
    those who hate you have (D)raised their heads.
They lay (E)crafty plans against your people;
    they consult together against your (F)treasured ones.
They say, “Come, (G)let us wipe them out as a nation;
    let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
For they conspire with one accord;
    against you they make a covenant—
the tents of (H)Edom and (I)the Ishmaelites,
    (J)Moab and (K)the Hagrites,
(L)Gebal and (M)Ammon and (N)Amalek,
    (O)Philistia with the inhabitants of (P)Tyre;
(Q)Asshur also has joined them;
    they are the strong arm of (R)the children of Lot. Selah

Do to them as you did to (S)Midian,
    as to (T)Sisera and Jabin at (U)the river Kishon,
10 who were destroyed at (V)En-dor,
    who became (W)dung for the ground.
11 Make their nobles like (X)Oreb and Zeeb,
    all their princes like (Y)Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, (Z)“Let us take possession for ourselves
    of the pastures of God.”

13 O my God, make them like (AA)whirling dust,[a]
    like (AB)chaff before the wind.
14 As (AC)fire consumes the forest,
    as the flame (AD)sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so may you pursue them (AE)with your tempest
    and terrify them with your hurricane!
16 (AF)Fill their faces with shame,
    that they may seek your name, O Lord.
17 Let them be (AG)put to shame and dismayed forever;
    let them perish in disgrace,
18 that they may (AH)know that you alone,
    (AI)whose name is the Lord,
    are (AJ)the Most High over all the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:13 Or like a tumbleweed