Psalms 60
1 [I prayed], “God, you have rejected us [Israelis]! Because you have been angry [with us], you have [enabled our enemies] to break through our ranks. [Please] enable us to be strong again!
For the music director. According to “Lily of the Testimony.” A psalm (miktam) of David, useful for teaching, about the time he fought against Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and then Joab returned and killed 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. You, God, have rejected us! You have broken us; you have been angry with us; but now you have to welcome us back!
2 [When we were defeated, it was as though] [MET] there was a big earthquake in our land that caused the ground to split open. So now, [just as only you can] cause the cracks in the land to disappear, [help our army to be strong again], because [it is as though] our country is (falling apart/being destroyed).
You have sent earthquakes on our land and split it apart. Now heal the cracks, for the land is still having tremors.
3 You have caused [us], your people, to suffer very much; [it is as though] you forced us to drink [strong] wine that caused us to stagger around [after we became drunk].
You have been very hard on your people; you gave us wine that made us stagger around.
4 But you have raised a battle flag for those who revere you in order that they can gather around it and not [be killed by the enemies’] arrows.
But you have given those who respect you the banner of truth to unfurl and rally around. (Selah)
5 Answer our [prayers] and enable us by your power [MTY] to defeat [our enemies] in order that we, the people whom you love, will be saved.”
Rescue those you love! Answer us, and save us by your power!
6 [Then] God [answered my prayer and] spoke from his temple, saying, “Because I have conquered [your enemies], I will divide up [everything in] Shechem [city], and I will distribute it among my people [the land in] Succoth Valley.
God has spoken from his Temple: “Triumphantly I divide up Shechem, and portion out the Valley of Succoth.
7 The Gilead [region] is mine; the [people of the tribe of] Manasseh are mine; [the tribe of] Ephraim is [like] my helmet [MET]; and [the tribe of] Judah is [like] the (scepter/stick [that I hold which shows that I am the ruler]) [MET];
Both Gilead and Manasseh belong to me. Ephraim is my helmet, and Judah is my scepter.
8 but the Moab [region] is [like] my washbasin [MET]; I throw my sandal in the Edom [area to show that it belongs to me]; I shout triumphantly because I have defeated [the people of] the Philistia [area].”
I will treat Moab as my washbasin; I will place my sandal on Edom; I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
9 [Because I want to defeat the people of] Edom, (who will lead my [army triumphantly] to their [capital] city that has strong walls around it?/I want someone to lead my [army triumphantly] to their [capital] city that has strong walls around it.)” [RHQ]
Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who will lead me into Edom?
10 So, God, we [desire/hope that] [RHQ] you have not truly abandoned us, and that you will go with us when our armies march out [to fight our enemies].
Have you rejected us, God? Won't you lead our armies?
11 [We need you to] help us when we fight against our enemies, because the help that humans can give us is worthless.
Please give us help against our enemies, for human help is worthless.
12 But with you [helping us], we shall win; you will enable us to defeat our enemies.
Our strength is in God, and he will crush our enemies.
