Psalms 68
1 For the music director. A psalm of David. A song. Stand up, God, and scatter your enemies. Let those who hate him run away from him!
Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered. Let also those who hate him flee before him.
2 Blow them away as if they were smoke; melt them like beeswax in a fire. Let the wicked die in God's presence.
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But those who are right with God are happy, and they celebrate in God's presence, full of joy.
But let the righteous be glad. Let them exult before God. Yea, let them rejoice with gladness.
4 Sing praises to God! Sing praises to his wonderful reputation! Praise the rider of the clouds—his name is the Lord! Be happy in his presence!
Sing to God, sing praises to his name. Cast up a highway for him who rides through the deserts. His name is Jehovah, and exult ye before him.
5 He is a father to the orphans, a protector of widows. This is who God is, who lives in his holy place.
A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
6 God gives those who are abandoned a family to live with. He sets prisoners free with celebration. But those who rebel live in a desert wasteland.
God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the prisoners into prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7 God, when you led your people out, when you marched through the desert, (Selah)
O God, when thou went forth before thy people, when thou marched through the wilderness (Selah)
8 the earth quaked, and the heavens shook before God, the one of Sinai; before God, the God of Israel.
the earth trembled, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God, Sinai at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You sent plenty of rain to water the promised land; refreshing it when it was dry.
Thou, O God, sent a plentiful rain. Thou confirmed thine inheritance when it was weary.
10 Your people settled there, and because of your kindness, God, you looked after the poor. (Selah)
Thy congregation dwelt in it. Thou, O God, prepared for the poor from thy goodness.
11 The Lord gives the command, and a great army of women spread the good news.
The Lord gave the word. Great was the company of those who published it.
12 The kings of the foreign armies are quick to run away, and the women who stayed at home divide the plunder!
Kings of armies fled quickly, and she who remained at home divided the spoil.
13 Why are you staying at home? There are ornaments in the shape of a dove with wings of silver and feathers of fine gold to be taken.
Though ye lie between two boundaries, it is as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her pinions with yellow gold.
14 The Almighty scattered the foreign kings like a snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.
When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was as it snows in Zalmon.
15 “Mountain of God,” Mount Bashan, with your many high peaks, Mount Bashan,
A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; a high mountain is the mountain of Bashan.
16 why do you look enviously, mountain with many peaks, at the mountain God chose as his home, where the Lord will live forever?
Why look ye askance, ye high mountains, at the mountain which God has desired for his abode? Yea, Jehovah will dwell in it forever.
17 God's chariots can't be counted; there are thousands and thousands of them. He comes among them from Sinai into his Temple.
The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands. The Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the sanctuary.
18 As you ascended to your high throne you led a procession of prisoners. You received gifts from the people, even from those who had rebelled against the home of the Lord God.
Thou have ascended on high. Thou have led captivity captive. Thou have received gifts among men, yea, among the rebellious also, that Jehovah God might dwell with them.
19 May the Lord be blessed, for every day he carries our burdens. God is our salvation. (Selah)
Blessed be the Lord, who bears our burden daily, even the God who is our salvation. (Selah)
20 For us, God is a God who saves. The Lord God provides our escape from death.
God is to us a God of deliverances, and escape from death belongs to Jehovah the Lord.
21 But God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy heads of those who continue to sin.
But God will smite through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of him who still goes in his guiltiness.
22 The Lord says, “I will drag them down from Bashan; I will drag them up from the depths of the sea,
The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan. I will bring again from the depths of the sea,
23 so that you may walk in their blood. Even your dogs will have their share of your enemies.”
that thou may dash thy foot in blood, that the tongue of thy dogs may have its portion from enemies.
24 People watch your processions, God—the processions of my God and King as they go into the Temple.
They have seen thy goings, O God, even the goings of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25 The singers are at the front, the musicians at the back, and in the middle girls playing tambourines.
The singers went before, the minstrels followed after, in the midst of the damsels playing with timbrels.
26 Praise God, everyone who has come to worship; praise the Lord, everyone who belongs to Israel.
Bless ye God in the congregations, the lord of the fountain of Israel.
27 There is the little tribe of Benjamin, followed by the many leaders from Judah; then come the leaders of Zebulun and Naphtali.
There is little Benjamin their ruler, the rulers of Judah and their council, the rulers of Zebulun, the rulers of Naphtali.
28 Display your power, God! Reveal your strength, Lord, as you have done for us in the past.
Thy God has commanded thy strength. Strengthen, O God, that which thou have wrought for us.
29 Because of your Temple in Jerusalem, kings bring tribute to you.
Because of thy temple at Jerusalem kings shall bring presents to thee.
30 Condemn the beasts of the reeds, the bulls and calves! May they be humbled and bring bars of silver in tribute! Scatter the war-loving nations!
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 has scattered the peoples that delight in war.
31 Let Egypt come with bronze gifts; let Ethiopia come quickly and hand over their tributes to God!
Rulers shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God.
32 Sing to God, kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord. (Selah)
Sing to God, ye kingdoms of the earth. O sing praises to the Lord (Selah)
33 Sing to the rider of the ancient heavens, his strong voice sounding like thunder!
to him who rides upon the heaven of heavens, which are of old. Lo, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.
34 Let everyone know of God's power: how his majesty extends over Israel, how his strength is revealed in the heavens.
Ascribe ye strength to God. His excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the skies.
35 How awesome is God in his Temple! The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people! Praise God!
O God, awesome out of thy holy places, the God of Israel, he gives strength and power to his people. Blessed be God.
