Psalms 68

1 For the chief musician; A psalm of David, a song. Let God arise; let his enemies be scattered; let those also who hate him flee before him.

Unto the end. A Canticle Psalm of David himself. May God rise up, and may his enemies be scattered, and may those who hate him flee from before his face.

2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish in the presence of God.

Just as smoke vanishes, so may they vanish. Just as wax flows away before the face of fire, so may sinners pass away before the face of God.

3 But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; may they rejoice and be happy.

And so, let the just feast, and let them exult in the sight of God and be delighted in gladness.

4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Praise the one who rides through the plains of the Jordan River valley! Yahweh is his name! Rejoice before him!

Sing to God, sing a psalm to his name. Make a path for him, who ascends over the west. The Lord is his name. Exult in his sight; they will be stirred up before his face,

5 A father of the fatherless, a judge of the widows, is God in the holy place where he lives.

the father of orphans and the judge of widows. God is in his holy place.

6 God puts the lonely into families; he brings out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a parched land.

It is God who makes men dwell in a house under one custom. He leads out those who are strongly bound, and similarly, those who exasperate, who dwell in sepulchers.

7 God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, (Selah)

O God, when you departed in the sight of your people, when you passed through the desert,

8 The earth trembled; the heavens also dropped rain in God's presence, in the presence of God when he came to Sinai, in the presence of God, the God of Israel.

the earth was moved, for the heavens rained down before the face of the God of Sinai, before the face of the God of Israel.

9 You, God, sent a plentiful rain; you strengthened your inheritance when it was weary.

You will set aside for your inheritance, O God, a willing rain. And though it was weak, truly, you have made it perfect.

10 Your people lived in it; You, God, gave from your goodness to the poor.

Your animals will dwell in it. O God, in your sweetness, you have provided for the poor.

11 The Lord gave the orders, and those who announced them were a great army.

The Lord will give the word to evangelizers, along with great virtue.

12 Kings of armies flee, they flee, and the women waiting at home divide the plunder:

The King of virtue is beloved among the beloved. And the beauty of the house will divide spoils.

13 doves covered with silver with wings of yellow gold. When some of you people stayed among the sheepfolds, why did you do this?

If you take your rest in the midst of the clergy, you will be like a dove whose wings are covered with fine silver and edged with pale gold.

14 The Almighty scattered kings there, it was as when it snowed on Mount Zalmon.

When heaven discerns kings to be over her, they will be whitened with the snows of Zalmon.

15 A mighty mountain is the hill country of Bashan; a high mountain is the hill country of Bashan.

The mountain of God is a fat mountain, a dense mountain, a thick mountain.

16 Why do you look in envy, you high hill country, at the mountain which God desires for the place he will live? Indeed, Yahweh will live in it forever.

So then, why are you distrustful of dense mountains? The mountain on which God is well pleased to dwell, even there, the Lord will dwell until the end.

17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them in the holy place, as at Sinai.

The chariot of God is ten thousand fold: thousands rejoice. The Lord is with them in Sinai, in the holy place.

18 You have ascended on high; you have led away captives; you have received gifts from among men, even from those who fought against you, so that you, Yahweh God, might live there.

You have ascended on high; you have taken captivity captive. You have accepted gifts among men. For even those who do not believe dwell with the Lord God.

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

Blessed is the Lord, day after day. The God of our salvation will make our journey prosper for us.

20 Our God is a God who saves; Yahweh the Lord is the one who is able to rescue us from death.

Our God is the God who will bring about our salvation, and our Lord is the Lord who has brought an end to death.

21 But God will strike through the heads of his enemies, through the hairy scalps of those who walk in offenses against him.

So then, truly, God will break the heads of his enemies, the hairy skull of those who wander around in their offenses.

22 The Lord said, “I will bring my enemies back from Bashan; I will bring them back from the depths of the sea

The Lord said: I will turn them away from Bashan, I will turn them into the depths of the sea,

23 so that you may crush your enemies, dipping your foot in blood, and so that the tongues of your dogs may have their share from your enemies.”

so that your feet may be soaked in the blood of your enemies, so that the tongue of your dogs may be soaked with the same.

24 They have seen your processions, God, the processions of my God, my King, into the holy place.

O God, they have seen your arrival, the arrival of my God, of my king who is in a holy place.

25 The singers went first, the minstrels followed after, and in the middle were the unmarried girls playing tambourines.

The leaders went ahead, united with the singers of psalms, in the midst of girls playing on timbrels.

26 Bless God in the assemblies; praise Yahweh, you who are from the fountain of Israel.

In the churches, bless the Lord God from the fountains of Israel.

27 There is first Benjamin, the smallest tribe, then the leaders of Judah and their multitudes, the leaders of Zebulun and the leaders of Naphtali.

In that place, Benjamin is a youth in ecstasy of mind. The leaders of Judah are their governors: the leaders of Zebulun, the leaders of Naphtali.

28 Your God, Israel, has decreed your strength; reveal to us your power, God, as you have revealed it in times past.

Command by your virtue, O God. Confirm in this place, O God, what you have wrought in us.

29 Reveal your power to us from your temple at Jerusalem, where kings bring gifts to you.

Before your temple in Jerusalem, kings will offer gifts to you.

30 Shout in battle against the wild beasts in the reeds, against the peoples, that multitude of bulls and calves. Humiliate them and make them bring you gifts; scatter the peoples who love to wage war.

Rebuke the wild beasts of the reeds, a congregation of bulls with the cows of the people, for they seek to exclude those who have been tested like silver. Scatter the nations that are pleased by wars.

31 Princes will come out of Egypt; Cush will hurry to reach out with her hands to God.

Ambassadors will come out of Egypt. Ethiopia will offer in advance her hands to God.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; (Selah) Sing praises to Yahweh.

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. Sing psalms to the Lord. Sing psalms to God.

33 To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which exist from ancient times; see, he lifts up his voice with power.

He ascends, up to the heaven of the heavens, toward the east. Behold, he will utter his voice, the voice of virtue.

34 Ascribe strength to God; his majesty is over Israel, and his strength is in the skies.

Give glory to God beyond Israel. His magnificence and his virtue is in the clouds.

35 God, you are fearsome in your holy place; the God of Israel—he gives strength and power to his people. Blessed be God.

God is wonderful in his saints. The God of Israel himself will give virtue and strength to his people. Blessed is God.