Psalms 68

1 TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM. A SONG OF DAVID. God rises [and] His enemies are scattered! And those hating Him flee from His face.

To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. A Song. Let God be seen, and let his haters be put to flight; let those who are against him be turned back before him.

2 You drive them away as the driving away of smoke, As the melting of wax before fire, The wicked perish at the presence of God.

Let them be like smoke before the driving wind; as wax turning soft before the fire, so let them come to an end before the power of God.

3 And the righteous rejoice, they exult before God, And they rejoice with gladness.

But let the upright be glad; let them have delight before God; let them be full of joy.

4 Sing to God—praise His Name, Raise up a highway for Him who is riding in deserts, In YAH [is] His Name, and exult before Him.

Make songs to God, make songs of praise to his name; make a way for him who comes through the waste lands; his name is Jah; be glad before him.

5 Father of the fatherless, and judge of the widows, [Is] God in His holy habitation.

A father to those who have no father, a judge of the widows, is God in his holy place.

6 God—causing the lonely to dwell at home, Bringing out bound ones into prosperity, Only—the stubborn have inhabited a dry place.

Those who are without friends, God puts in families; he makes free those who are in chains; but those who are turned away from him are given a dry land.

7 O God, in Your going forth before Your people, In Your stepping through the wilderness, (Selah)

O God, when you went out before your people, wandering through the waste land; (Selah)

8 The earth has shaken, Indeed, the heavens have dropped before God, This Sinai—before God, the God of Israel.

The earth was shaking and the heavens were streaming, because God was present; even Sinai itself was moved before God, the God of Israel.

9 You shake out a shower of free-will gifts, O God. Your inheritance, when it has been weary, You have established it.

You, O God, did freely send the rain, giving strength to the weariness of your heritage.

10 Your creature has dwelt in it, You prepare for the poor in Your goodness, O God.

Those whose resting-place was there, even the poor, were comforted by your good things, O God.

11 The Lord gives the saying, The female proclaimers [are] a numerous host.

The Lord gives the word; great is the number of the women who make it public.

12 Kings of hosts utterly flee away, And a female inhabitant of the house apportions spoil.

Kings of armies quickly go in flight: and the women in the houses make a division of their goods.

13 Though you lie between two boundaries, Wings of a dove covered with silver, And her pinions with yellow gold.

Will you take your rest among the flocks? like the wings of a dove covered with silver, and its feathers with yellow gold.

14 When the Mighty spreads kings in it, it snows in Salmon.

When the Most High put the kings to flight, it was as white as snow in Salmon.

15 A hill of God [is] the hill of Bashan, A hill of heights [is] the hill of Bashan.

A hill of God is the hill of Bashan; a hill with high tops is the hill of Bashan.

16 Why do you envy, O high hills, The hill God has desired for His seat? YHWH also dwells forever.

Why are you looking with envy, you high hills, on the hill desired by God as his resting-place? truly, God will make it his house for ever.

17 The chariots of God [are] myriads, thousands of changes, The Lord [is] among them, in Sinai, in the sanctuary.

The war-carriage of God is among Israel's thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai to the holy place.

18 You have ascended on high, You have taken captivity captive, You have taken gifts for men, That even the stubborn may rest, O YAH God.

You have gone up on high, taking your prisoners with you; you have taken offerings from men; the Lord God has taken his place on the seat of his power.

19 Blessed [is] the Lord, day by day He lays on us. God Himself [is] our salvation. (Selah)

Praise be to the Lord, who is our support day by day, even the God of our salvation. (Selah)

20 God Himself [is] to us a God for deliverances, And YHWH Lord has the outgoings of death.

Our God is for us a God of salvation; his are the ways out of death.

21 Only—God strikes The head of His enemies, The hairy crown of a habitual walker in his guilt.

The heads of the haters of God will be crushed; even the head of him who still goes on in his evil ways.

22 The Lord said: “From Bashan I bring back, I bring back from the depths of the sea.

The Lord said, I will make them come back from Bashan, and from the deep parts of the sea;

23 So that you dash your foot In the blood of enemies—the tongue of Your dogs.”

So that your foot may be red with blood, and the tongues of your dogs with the same.

24 They have seen Your goings, O God, Goings of my God, my king, in the sanctuary.

We see your going, O God: even the going of my God, my King, into the holy place.

25 Singers have been before, Behind [are] players on instruments, Virgins playing with timbrels in the midst.

The makers of songs go before, the players of music come after, among the young girls playing on brass instruments.

26 In assemblies bless God, The Lord—from the fountain of Israel.

Give praise to God in the great meeting; even the Lord, you who come from the fountain of Israel.

27 There [is] little Benjamin, their ruler, Heads of Judah their defense, Heads of Zebulun—heads of Naphtali.

There is little Benjamin ruling them, the chiefs of Judah and their army, the rulers of Zebulun and the rulers of Naphtali.

28 Your God has commanded your strength, Be strong, O God, You have worked this for us.

O God, send out your strength; the strength, O God, with which you have done great things for us,

29 Because of Your temple at Jerusalem, Kings bring a present to You.

Out of your Temple in Jerusalem.

30 Rebuke a beast of the reeds, a herd of bulls, With calves of the peoples, Each humbling himself with pieces of silver, You scatter peoples delighting in conflicts.

Say sharp words to the beast among the water-plants, the band of strong ones, with the lords of the peoples, put an end to the people whose delight is in war.

31 Fat ones come out of Egypt, Cush causes her hands to run to God.

Kings will give you offerings, they will come out of Egypt; from Pathros will come offerings of silver; Ethiopia will be stretching out her hands to God.

32 Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God, Praise the Lord! (Selah)

Make songs to God, you kingdoms of the earth; O make songs of praise to the Lord; (Selah)

33 To Him who is riding on the heavens of the heavens of old, Behold, He gives with His voice a strong voice.

To him who goes or the clouds of heaven, the heaven which was from earliest times; he sends out his voice of power.

34 Ascribe strength to God, His excellence [is] over Israel, and His strength in the clouds.

Make clear that strength is God's: he is lifted up over Israel, and his power is in the clouds.

35 Fearful, O God, out of Your sanctuaries, The God of Israel Himself, Giving strength and might to the people. Blessed [is] God!

O God, you are to be feared in your holy place: the God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. Praise be to God.