Psalms 68

1 Unto the end. A Canticle Psalm of David himself. May God rise up, and may his enemies be scattered, and may those who hate him flee from before his face.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David, a Song. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered; let them also that hate him flee before him.

2 Just as smoke vanishes, so may they vanish. Just as wax flows away before the face of fire, so may sinners pass away before the face of God.

As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

3 And so, let the just feast, and let them exult in the sight of God and be delighted in gladness.

But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God: yea, let them rejoice with gladness.

4 Sing to God, sing a psalm to his name. Make a path for him, who ascends over the west. The Lord is his name. Exult in his sight; they will be stirred up before his face,

Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: cast up a highway for him that rideth through the deserts; his name is JAH; and exult ye before him.

5 the father of orphans and the judge of widows. God is in his holy place.

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

6 It is God who makes men dwell in a house under one custom. He leads out those who are strongly bound, and similarly, those who exasperate, who dwell in sepulchers.

God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity: but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

7 O God, when you departed in the sight of your people, when you passed through the desert,

O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; (Selah)

8 the earth was moved, for the heavens rained down before the face of the God of Sinai, before the face of the God of Israel.

The earth trembled, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: [even] yon Sinai [trembled] at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

9 You will set aside for your inheritance, O God, a willing rain. And though it was weak, truly, you have made it perfect.

Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.

10 Your animals will dwell in it. O God, in your sweetness, you have provided for the poor.

Thy congregation dwelt therein: thou, O God, didst prepare of thy goodness for the poor.

11 The Lord will give the word to evangelizers, along with great virtue.

The Lord giveth the word: the women that publish the tidings are a great host.

12 The King of virtue is beloved among the beloved. And the beauty of the house will divide spoils.

Kings of armies flee, they flee: and she that tarrieth at home divideth the spoil.

13 If you take your rest in the midst of the clergy, you will be like a dove whose wings are covered with fine silver and edged with pale gold.

Will ye lie among the sheepfolds, [as] the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her pinions with yellow gold?

14 When heaven discerns kings to be over her, they will be whitened with the snows of Zalmon.

When the Almighty scattered kings therein, [it was as when] it snoweth in Zalmon.

15 The mountain of God is a fat mountain, a dense mountain, a thick mountain.

A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; an high mountain is the mountain of Bashan.

16 So then, why are you distrustful of dense mountains? The mountain on which God is well pleased to dwell, even there, the Lord will dwell until the end.

Why look ye askance, ye high mountains, at the mountain which God hath desired for his abode? yea, the LORD will dwell [in it] for ever.

17 The chariot of God is ten thousand fold: thousands rejoice. The Lord is with them in Sinai, in the holy place.

The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands: the Lord is among them, [as in] Sinai, in the sanctuary.

18 You have ascended on high; you have taken captivity captive. You have accepted gifts among men. For even those who do not believe dwell with the Lord God.

Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led [thy] captivity captive; thou hast received gifts among men, yea, [among] the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell [with them].

19 Blessed is the Lord, day after day. The God of our salvation will make our journey prosper for us.

Blessed be the Lord, who daily beareth our burden, even the God who is our salvation. (Selah)

20 Our God is the God who will bring about our salvation, and our Lord is the Lord who has brought an end to death.

God is unto us a God of deliverances; and unto JEHOVAH the Lord belong the issues from death.

21 So then, truly, God will break the heads of his enemies, the hairy skull of those who wander around in their offenses.

But God shall smite through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his guiltiness.

22 The Lord said: I will turn them away from Bashan, I will turn them into the depths of the sea,

The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring [them] again from the depths of the sea:

23 so that your feet may be soaked in the blood of your enemies, so that the tongue of your dogs may be soaked with the same.

That thou mayest dip thy foot in blood, that the tongue of thy dogs may have its portion from [thine] enemies.

24 O God, they have seen your arrival, the arrival of my God, of my king who is in a holy place.

They have seen thy goings, O God, even the goings of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.

25 The leaders went ahead, united with the singers of psalms, in the midst of girls playing on timbrels.

The singers went before, the minstrels followed after, in the midst of the damsels playing with timbrels.

26 In the churches, bless the Lord God from the fountains of Israel.

Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, [ye that are] of the fountain of Israel.

27 In that place, Benjamin is a youth in ecstasy of mind. The leaders of Judah are their governors: the leaders of Zebulun, the leaders of Naphtali.

There is little Benjamin their ruler, the princes of Judah [and] their council, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

28 Command by your virtue, O God. Confirm in this place, O God, what you have wrought in us.

Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.

29 Before your temple in Jerusalem, kings will offer gifts to you.

Because of thy temple at Jerusalem kings shall bring presents unto thee.

30 Rebuke the wild beasts of the reeds, a congregation of bulls with the cows of the people, for they seek to exclude those who have been tested like silver. Scatter the nations that are pleased by wars.

Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples, trampling under foot the pieces of silver; he hath scattered the peoples that delight in war.

31 Ambassadors will come out of Egypt. Ethiopia will offer in advance her hands to God.

Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall haste to stretch out her hands unto God.

32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. Sing psalms to the Lord. Sing psalms to God.

Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; (Selah)

33 He ascends, up to the heaven of the heavens, toward the east. Behold, he will utter his voice, the voice of virtue.

To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which are of old; lo, he uttereth his voice, [and that] a mighty voice.

34 Give glory to God beyond Israel. His magnificence and his virtue is in the clouds.

Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the skies.

35 God is wonderful in his saints. The God of Israel himself will give virtue and strength to his people. Blessed is God.

O God, [thou art] terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel, he giveth strength and power unto [his] people. Blessed be God.