Psalms 68

1 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.

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

2 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.

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.

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

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

4 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

8 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16 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.

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

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

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

18 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].

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

30 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

35 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.

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