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:

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song. Let God arise! Let his enemies be scattered! Let them who hate him also flee 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.

As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let 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.

But let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.

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.

Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to the LORD, his name! Rejoice before him!

5 The father of the fatherless, And the advocate of widows, Is God, in his holy habitation.

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

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.

God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.

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

God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness... (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 trembled. The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai— at the presence of 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, God, sent a plentiful rain. You confirmed your inheritance when it was weary.

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

Your congregation lived therein. You, God, prepared your goodness for the poor.

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

The Lord announced the word. The ones who proclaim it are a great company.

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

“Kings of armies flee! They flee!” She who waits at home divides the plunder,

13 Though ye rest between the folds, The wings of the dove, shall be covered with silver, And, her pinions, with green-shimmering gold.

while you sleep among the camp fires, the wings of a dove sheathed with silver, her feathers with shining gold.

14 When the Almighty scattereth kings therein, It will gleam like snow in the gloom:

When the Almighty scattered kings in her, it snowed on Zalmon.

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

The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains. The mountains of Bashan are rugged.

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

Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign? Yes, the LORD will dwell there forever.

17 The chariots of God, are two myriads—thousands repeated, My Lord, is among them Sinai, is in the sanctuary!

The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.

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 ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among people, yes, among the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell there.

19 Blessed be My Lord! Day by day, he beareth our burden for us, GOD himself, is our salvation. (Selah)

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation. (Selah)

20 The GOD we have, is a GOD of saving deeds, And, due to Yahweh, My Lord, are escapes from death.

God is to us a God of deliverance. To GOD, the Lord, belongs escape from 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.

But God will strike through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.

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 bring you again from Bashan, I will bring you again from the depths of the sea,

23 That thou mayest bathe thy foot in blood, —The tongue of thy dogs, from the foes, hath its portion.

that you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”

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

They have seen your processions, God, even the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.

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

The singers went before, the minstrels followed after, among the ladies playing with tambourines,

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

“Bless God in the congregations, even the Lord in the assembly 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, their ruler, the princes of Judah, their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength, —The strength, O God, which thou hast wrought for us.

Your God has commanded your strength. Strengthen, God, that which you have done for us.

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

Because of your temple at Jerusalem, kings shall bring presents to you.

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.

Rebuke the wild animal of the reeds, the multitude of the bulls with the calves of the peoples. Trample under foot the bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.

31 Ambassadors come out of Egypt, The Ethiopian, eagerly stretcheth out his hands, unto God.

Princes shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.

32 Ye kingdoms of the earth, sing unto God, Praise in song Adonay. (Selah)

Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth! Sing praises 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 rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.

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, —

Ascribe strength to God! His excellency is over Israel, his strength is in the skies.

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

You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. Praise be to God!