Psalms 68

1 To the Chief Musician. David’s. A Melody, a Song. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered, Yea let them that hate him flee before him:

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 As smoke is driven about, Let them be driven about, —As wax is melted before a fire, Let the lawless perish before 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 But let, the righteous, be glad, let them exult before God, Yea let them rejoice with gladness.

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

4 Sing ye to God, Make music of his Name, —Lift up (a song), to him that rideth through the waste plains, —Since Yah is his name, exult ye 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 The father of the fatherless, And the advocate of 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, is he that causeth the solitary to dwell in a home, That bringeth out prisoners into prosperity, But, the rebellious, have made their habitation in a sunburnt land.

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! When thou camest forth before thy people, When thou didst stride through the wilderness, (Selah)

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

8 Earth, trembled, Yea, the heavens, dripped at the presence of God, —This Sinai—at the presence of 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 A bounteous rain, dost thou shed abroad, O God, upon thine inheritance, When exhausted, thou thyself, hast supported it:

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

10 Thy living host, have remained therein, Thou dost provide, in thy bounty, for the humbled ones—O God!

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

11 Let, My Lord, but give the word, The herald bands, will be a mighty host:

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

12 Kings of armies, they flee! they flee! And, she that stayeth at home, shall share the spoil.

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

13 Though ye rest between the folds, The wings of the dove, shall be covered with silver, And, her pinions, with green-shimmering 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 Almighty scattereth kings therein, It will gleam like snow in the gloom:

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

15 A mighty mountain, is the mountain of Bashan, A mountain of peaks, is the mountain of Bashan!—

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

16 Wherefore start ye up, ye mountains, ye peaks? The mountain God hath coveted for his habitation, Surely, Yahweh will inhabit it ever!

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 two myriads—thousands repeated, My Lord, is among them Sinai, is in the sanctuary!

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

18 Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led in procession a body of captives, Thou hast received gifts consisting of men, Yea even the rebellious, That, Yah, Elohim, might settle down to rest.

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 be My Lord! Day by day, he beareth our burden for 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 The GOD we have, is a GOD of saving deeds, And, due to Yahweh, My Lord, are escapes from death.

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

21 Yea, God himself, will smite through the head of his foes, —The hairy crown of him that is marching on in his guilty deeds.

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

22 Said My Lord, From Bashan, will I bring back, —I will 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 That thou mayest bathe thy foot in blood, —The tongue of thy dogs, from the foes, hath its portion.

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

24 They have seen thy progress O God, The progress of my GOD, my king into the sanctuary:

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

25 In front are the singers, Behind are the harpers, In the midst of damsels playing on timbrels:

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

26 In the congregations, bless ye God, My Lord, from among the called of Israel:

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

27 There, is Benjamin, the Diminutive—ruling them, The princes of Judah—their throng, The princes of Zebulun, The princes 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 Thy God hath commanded thy strength, —The strength, O God, which thou hast wrought for us.

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

29 Because of thy temple above Jerusalem, Unto thee, shall kings bear along a gift—

Out of your Temple in Jerusalem.

30 Rebuke thou, The wild beast of the reeds, The herd of mighty oxen among the calves of the peoples—Each one bowing down with bars of silver, —Scatter thou the peoples, who in wars take delight.

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 Ambassadors come out of Egypt, The Ethiopian, eagerly stretcheth out his hands, unto 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 Ye kingdoms of the earth, sing unto God, Praise in song Adonay. (Selah)

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

33 Unto him that rideth upon the most ancient heavens, Lo! he uttereth his voice, a voice of strength.

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 ye strength unto God, —Over Israel, is his majesty, And his strength, in the skies. To be revered is God, for his sanctuary, —

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

35 As for the GOD of Israel, he, is giving strength and abundant might to the people. Blessed be 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.