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!
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.
2 Blow them away as if they were smoke; melt them like beeswax in a fire. Let the wicked die in God's presence.
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.
3 But those who are right with God are happy, and they celebrate in God's presence, full of joy.
And so, let the just feast, and let them exult in the sight of God and be delighted in 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 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,
5 He is a father to the orphans, a protector of widows. This is who God is, who lives in his holy place.
the father of orphans and the judge of widows. God is in his holy place.
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.
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.
7 God, when you led your people out, when you marched through the desert, (Selah)
O God, when you departed in the sight of your people, when you passed through the desert,
8 the earth quaked, and the heavens shook before God, the one of Sinai; before God, the God of Israel.
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.
9 You sent plenty of rain to water the promised land; refreshing it when it was dry.
You will set aside for your inheritance, O God, a willing rain. And though it was weak, truly, you have made it perfect.
10 Your people settled there, and because of your kindness, God, you looked after the poor. (Selah)
Your animals will dwell in it. O God, in your sweetness, you have provided for the poor.
11 The Lord gives the command, and a great army of women spread the good news.
The Lord will give the word to evangelizers, along with great virtue.
12 The kings of the foreign armies are quick to run away, and the women who stayed at home divide the plunder!
The King of virtue is beloved among the beloved. And the beauty of the house will divide spoils.
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.
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.
14 The Almighty scattered the foreign kings like a snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.
When heaven discerns kings to be over her, they will be whitened with the snows of Zalmon.
15 “Mountain of God,” Mount Bashan, with your many high peaks, Mount Bashan,
The mountain of God is a fat mountain, a dense mountain, a thick mountain.
16 why do you look enviously, mountain with many peaks, at the mountain God chose as his home, where the Lord will live forever?
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.
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 chariot of God is ten thousand fold: thousands rejoice. The Lord is with them in Sinai, in the holy place.
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.
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.
19 May the Lord be blessed, for every day he carries our burdens. God is our salvation. (Selah)
Blessed is the Lord, day after day. The God of our salvation will make our journey prosper for us.
20 For us, God is a God who saves. The Lord God provides our escape from death.
Our God is the God who will bring about our salvation, and our Lord is the Lord who has brought an end to death.
21 But God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy heads of those who continue to sin.
So then, truly, God will break the heads of his enemies, the hairy skull of those who wander around in their offenses.
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 turn them away from Bashan, I will turn them into the depths of the sea,
23 so that you may walk in their blood. Even your dogs will have their share of your enemies.”
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.
24 People watch your processions, God—the processions of my God and King as they go into the Temple.
O God, they have seen your arrival, the arrival of my God, of my king who is in a holy place.
25 The singers are at the front, the musicians at the back, and in the middle girls playing tambourines.
The leaders went ahead, united with the singers of psalms, in the midst of girls playing on timbrels.
26 Praise God, everyone who has come to worship; praise the Lord, everyone who belongs to Israel.
In the churches, bless the Lord God from the fountains 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.
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.
28 Display your power, God! Reveal your strength, Lord, as you have done for us in the past.
Command by your virtue, O God. Confirm in this place, O God, what you have wrought in us.
29 Because of your Temple in Jerusalem, kings bring tribute to you.
Before your temple in Jerusalem, kings will offer gifts to you.
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 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.
31 Let Egypt come with bronze gifts; let Ethiopia come quickly and hand over their tributes to God!
Ambassadors will come out of Egypt. Ethiopia will offer in advance her hands to God.
32 Sing to God, kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord. (Selah)
Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. Sing psalms to the Lord. Sing psalms to God.
33 Sing to the rider of the ancient heavens, his strong voice sounding like thunder!
He ascends, up to the heaven of the heavens, toward the east. Behold, he will utter his voice, the voice of virtue.
34 Let everyone know of God's power: how his majesty extends over Israel, how his strength is revealed in the heavens.
Give glory to God beyond Israel. His magnificence and his virtue is in the clouds.
35 How awesome is God in his Temple! The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people! Praise God!
God is wonderful in his saints. The God of Israel himself will give virtue and strength to his people. Blessed is God.
