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.

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!

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.

Blow them away as if they were smoke; melt them like beeswax in a fire. Let the wicked die in God's presence.

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

But those who are right with God are happy, and they celebrate in God's presence, 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.

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!

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

He is a father to the orphans, a protector of widows. This is who God is, who lives 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.

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.

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

God, when you led your people out, when you marched through the desert, (Selah)

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

the earth quaked, and the heavens shook before God, the one of Sinai; 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 sent plenty of rain to water the promised land; refreshing it when it was dry.

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

Your people settled there, and because of your kindness, God, you looked after the poor. (Selah)

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

The Lord gives the command, and a great army of women spread the good news.

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

The kings of the foreign armies are quick to run away, and the women who stayed at home divide the plunder!

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

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.

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

The Almighty scattered the foreign kings like a snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.

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

“Mountain of God,” Mount Bashan, with your many high peaks, Mount Bashan,

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

why do you look enviously, mountain with many peaks, at the mountain God chose as his home, where the Lord will live forever?

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

God's chariots can't be counted; there are thousands and thousands of them. He comes among them from Sinai into his Temple.

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.

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.

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

May the Lord be blessed, for every day he carries our burdens. God is our salvation. (Selah)

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

For us, God is a God who saves. The Lord God provides our escape from death.

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

But God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy heads of those who continue to sin.

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

The Lord says, “I will drag them down from Bashan; I will drag them up from the depths of the sea,

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

so that you may walk in their blood. Even your dogs will have their share of your enemies.”

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

People watch your processions, God—the processions of my God and King as they go into the Temple.

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

The singers are at the front, the musicians at the back, and in the middle girls playing tambourines.

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

Praise God, everyone who has come to worship; praise the Lord, everyone who belongs to Israel.

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

There is the little tribe of Benjamin, followed by the many leaders from Judah; then come the leaders of Zebulun and Naphtali.

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

Display your power, God! Reveal your strength, Lord, as you have done for us in the past.

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

Because of your Temple in Jerusalem, kings bring tribute to you.

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.

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!

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

Let Egypt come with bronze gifts; let Ethiopia come quickly and hand over their tributes to God!

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

Sing to God, kingdoms of the earth, sing praises 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.

Sing to the rider of the ancient heavens, his strong voice sounding like thunder!

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

Let everyone know of God's power: how his majesty extends over Israel, how his strength is revealed in the heavens.

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

How awesome is God in his Temple! The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people! Praise God!