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.

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

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.

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).

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

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

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 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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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].

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

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

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

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

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

[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].

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

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.

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

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].

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

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

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.

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!

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

[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].

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.

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.

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

Praise the Lord, who [helps us] carry our heavy loads every day; he is the one who saves/rescues 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 saves us; He is Yahweh, our Lord, the one who (allows us to escape/prevents us) from being killed [in battles].

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

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

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 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].

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.”

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.”

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

Show that power from your temple in Jerusalem, where kings bring 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 [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.

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

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].

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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 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!