Psalm 68:1-35
To the director. Of David. A melody. A song.
68 Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered,And let those who hate him flee from before him.+
2 As smoke is driven away, may you drive them away;As wax melts before the fire,So let the wicked perish before God.+
3 But let the righteous rejoice;+May they be overjoyed before God;May they exult with rejoicing.
4 Sing to God; sing praises* to his name.+
Sing to the One riding through the desert plains.*
Jah* is his name!+ Rejoice before him!
5 A father of the fatherless and a protector* of widows+Is God in his holy dwelling.+
6 God gives those who are alone a home to dwell in;+He leads prisoners out into prosperity.+
But the stubborn* must live in a parched land.+
7 O God, when you led* your people,+When you marched through the desert, (Selah)
8 The earth quaked;+Heaven poured down rain* because of God;This Siʹnai quaked because of God, the God of Israel.+
9 You made it rain in abundance, O God;You reinvigorated your exhausted people.*
10 They dwelled in your tent community;+In your goodness, you provided for the poor, O God.
11 Jehovah gives the command;The women proclaiming the good news are a large army.+
12 The kings of armies flee,+ they flee!
She who remains at home shares in the spoil.+
13 Although you men were lying among the campfires,*There will be the wings of a dove covered with silver,With pinions of fine* gold.
14 When the Almighty One scattered its kings,+Snow fell in Zalʹmon.*
15 The mountain of Baʹshan+ is a mountain of God;*The mountain of Baʹshan is a mountain of peaks.
16 Why do you look with envy, you mountains of peaks,Toward the mountain that God has chosen* as his dwelling?+
Indeed, Jehovah will reside there forever.+
17 The war chariots of God are tens of thousands, thousands upon thousands.+
Jehovah has come from Siʹnai into the holy place.+
18 You ascended on high;+You carried away captives;You took gifts in the form of men,+Yes, even stubborn ones,+ to reside among them, O Jah God.
19 May Jehovah be praised, who daily carries our load,+The true God of our salvation. (Selah)
20 The true God is for us a God who saves;+And Jehovah the Sovereign Lord provides escape from death.+
21 Yes, God will smash the heads of his enemies,The hairy crown of the head of anyone who continues* in his guilt.+
22 Jehovah has said: “I will bring them back from Baʹshan;+I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 So that your foot may be awash in blood+And the tongue of your dogs may have its portion from the enemies.”
24 They see your processions, O God,The processions of my God, my King, into the holy place.+
25 The singers walk in front, the musicians playing stringed instruments after them;+In between are the young women playing tambourines.+
26 In congregated throngs,* praise God;Praise Jehovah, you who are from the Source of Israel.+
27 There Benjamin,+ the youngest, is subduing them,Also the princes of Judah with their noisy crowd,The princes of Zebʹu·lun, the princes of Naphʹta·li.
28 Your God has decreed that you will be strong.
Show your strength, O God, you who have acted in our behalf.+
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem,+Kings will bring gifts to you.+
30 Rebuke the wild beasts of the reeds,The assembly of bulls+ and their calves,Until the peoples bow down bringing* pieces of silver.
But he scatters the peoples who delight in war.
31 Bronze articles will be brought* out of Egypt;+Cush will hasten to offer gifts to God.
32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God,+Sing praises* to Jehovah, (Selah)
33 To the one who rides the ancient heaven of heavens.+
Look! He thunders with his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Acknowledge God’s strength.+
His majesty is over Israel,And his strength is in the skies.*
35 God is awe-inspiring from his* grand sanctuary.+
He is the God of Israel,Who gives strength and power to the people.+
Praise to God.
Footnotes
^ Or “make music.”
^ Or possibly, “on the clouds.”
^ “Jah” is a shortened form of the name Jehovah.
^ Lit., “judge.”
^ Or “rebellious.”
^ Lit., “went out before.”
^ Lit., “dripped.”
^ Lit., “inheritance.”
^ Or possibly, “the sheepfolds.”
^ Or “yellowish-green.”
^ Or “It was as if it snowed in Zalmon.”
^ Or “a majestic mountain.”
^ Or “desires.”
^ Or “walks about.”
^ Lit., “In assemblies.”
^ Or possibly, “stamping down on.”
^ Or possibly, “Ambassadors will come.”
^ Or “Make music.”
^ Lit., “clouds.”
^ Lit., “your.”