Psalms 68

1 God, arise and scatter your enemies, and cause those who hate you to run away from you.

To the chief Musician, A Psalm [or] Song of David. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

2 Like [wind] blows smoke away, chase your enemies away. Like wax melts when it is near a fire, cause wicked people to (disappear/be destroyed).

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.

3 But righteous people should be joyful; they should rejoice when they are in God’s presence; they should be happy, and be very joyful.

But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

4 Sing to God; sing to praise him; sing a song (OR, make a road) for him who rides on the clouds; his name is Yahweh; be glad when you are in his presence.

Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him.

5 God, who lives in his sacred temple, is [like] [MET] a father to [those who are] orphans, and he is the one who protects widows.

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

6 For those who have no one to live with, he provides families [to live with]. He frees prisoners and enables them to be successful, but those who rebel [against him] will be forced to live in a very hot and dry land.

God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry [land].

7 God, you led your people out [of Egypt], and then you marched with them through the desert.

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

8 After you did that, because when you, the God [worshiped by us] Israeli people, appeared to us at Sinai [Mountain], the earth shook, and rain poured down from the sky.

The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: [even] Sinai itself [was moved] at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

9 You caused plenty of rain to fall [on your land], [and so] you enabled good crops to grow again on the land that you gave [to us Israelis].

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

10 Your people built homes there; and because you were good to them, you provided [food] for those who were poor.

Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.

11 The Lord gave a message, and many women took that message to other places.

The Lord gave the word: great [was] the company of those that published [it].

12 [They proclaimed], “Many kings and their armies are running away [from our army]!” [When our army brought back to their homes] the things that they captured, the women who were at home divided up those things [among themselves and among their families].

Kings of armies did flee apace: and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.

13 Even those women who were in the pens [taking care of] the sheep [received some of those things]; they got statues of doves whose wings were covered with silver and whose feathers were covered with pure yellow gold.

Though ye have lien among the pots, [yet shall ye be as] the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.

14 When Almighty [God] scattered the [enemy] kings [and their armies], [the number of weapons that they abandoned there] seemed like there had been a snowstorm on Zalmon (OR, a black) [Mountain].

When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was [white] as snow in Salmon.

15 There is a very high mountain in the Bashan [region], a mountain which has many peaks.

The hill of God [is as] the hill of Bashan; an high hill [as] the hill of Bashan.

16 But the [people who live near] that mountain should not [RHQ] envy those who live near [Zion], the mountain on which God chose to live! Yahweh will live there forever!

Why leap ye, ye high hills? [this is] the hill [which] God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell [in it] for ever.

17 [After we defeated all our enemies], [it was as though] the Lord, surrounded by many thousands of strong chariots, descended from Sinai [Mountain] and came into the sacred temple [in Jerusalem].

The chariots of God [are] twenty thousand, [even] thousands of angels: the Lord [is] among them, [as in] Sinai, in the holy [place].

18 He ascended the sacred mountain [where his temple is], and took with him many people who had been captured [in battles]; and received gifts from the enemies [whom he had defeated]. He received gifts even from those who had rebelled against him, and Yahweh our God will live there [in his sacred temple] forever.

Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, [for] the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell [among them].

19 Praise the Lord, who [helps us] carry our heavy loads every day; he is the one who saves/rescues us.

Blessed [be] the Lord, [who] daily loadeth us [with benefits, even] the God of our salvation. (Selah)

20 Our God is the God who saves us; He is Yahweh, our Lord, the one who (allows us to escape/prevents us) from being killed [in battles].

[He that is] our God [is] the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord [belong] the issues from death.

21 But God will smash the heads of his enemies, the skulls of those who continue to behave sinfully.

But God shall wound the head of his enemies, [and] the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses.

22 The Lord said, “I will bring back the [corpses of those who were killed in] Bashan, and I will bring back those who sank deep in the ocean [and drowned].

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

23 I will do that in order that you may wash your feet in their blood, and your dogs can [also] lap up some of your enemies’ blood.”

That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of [thine] enemies, [and] the tongue of thy dogs in the same.

24 God, many people see you march triumphantly into your sacred temple, [celebrating that you have defeated your enemies]. You [march like] a king does, and a large crowd walks with you.

They have seen thy goings, O God; [even] the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.

25 The singers are in front, and the people who play stringed instruments are at the rear, and young women who are beating their tambourines are between them.

The singers went before, the players on instruments [followed] after; among [them were] the damsels playing with timbrels.

26 [They are all singing], “You Israeli people, praise God when you gather together; praise Yahweh, all you who are descendants of Jacob!”

Bless ye God in the congregations, [even] the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

27 First come [the people of the tribe of] Benjamin, the smallest [tribe], and following them come the leaders of [the tribe of] Judah and their group, and following them come the leaders of [the tribes of] Zebulun and Naphtali.

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

28 God, show people that you are very powerful; show people the power with which you have helped us previously.

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

29 Show that power from your temple in Jerusalem, where kings bring gifts to you.

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

30 Rebuke [your enemies, such as those in Egypt who are like] wild hippopotamuses/animals that live in the reeds; and [powerful nations that are like] bulls that are among their calves [MET]; rebuke/trample them until they bow down and give you gifts of silver. Scatter the people who enjoy making wars.

Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, [till every one] submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people [that] delight in war.

31 Then people will bring gifts of bronze (OR, of cloth) to you from Egypt; the people in Ethiopia will lift up their hands [to praise you].

Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

32 [You people who are citizens of] kingdoms/countries all over the world, sing to God! Sing praises to the Lord!

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

33 Sing to the God, the one who rides across the sky, the sky that [he created] long ago. Listen as he shouts with a very powerful voice.

To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, [which were] of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, [and that] a mighty voice.

34 Proclaim that God is very powerful; he is the king that rules over Israel, and in the skies [he also shows that] he is powerful.

Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency [is] over Israel, and his strength [is] in the clouds.

35 God is awesome as he comes out of his sacred temple; he is the God whom [we] Israeli people [worship]. He makes [DOU] his people very powerful. Praise God!

O God, [thou art] terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel [is] he that giveth strength and power unto [his] people. Blessed [be] God.