Psalms 68

1 To the Overseer. — A Psalm, a song of David. Rise doth God — scattered are His enemies! And those hating Him flee from His face.

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A song. God arises. His enemies are scattered, and those who hate Him flee His presence.

2 As the driving away of smoke Thou drivest away, As the melting of wax before fire, The wicked perish at the presence of God.

As smoke is blown away, You will drive them out; as wax melts before the fire, the wicked will perish in the presence of God.

3 And the righteous rejoice, they exult before God, And they joy with gladness.

But the righteous will be glad and rejoice before God; they will celebrate with joy.

4 Sing ye to God — praise His name, Raise up a highway for Him who is riding in deserts, In Jah [is] His name, and exult before Him.

Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds — His name is the LORD— and rejoice before Him.

5 Father of the fatherless, and judge of the 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 — causing the lonely to dwell at home, Bringing out bound ones into prosperity, Only — the refractory have inhabited a dry place.

God settles the lonely in families; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.

7 O God, in Thy going forth before Thy people, In Thy stepping through the wilderness, (Selah)

O God, when You went out before Your people, when You marched through the wasteland,

8 The earth hath shaken, Yea, the heavens have dropped before God, This Sinai — before God, the God of Israel.

the earth shook and the heavens poured down rain before God, the One on Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.

9 A shower of free-will gifts thou shakest out, O God. Thine inheritance, when it hath been weary, Thou hast established it.

You sent abundant rain, O God; You refreshed Your weary inheritance.

10 Thy company have dwelt in it, Thou preparest in Thy goodness for the poor, O God.

Your flock settled therein; O God, from Your bounty You provided for the poor.

11 The Lord doth give the saying, The female proclaimers [are] a numerous host.

The Lord gives the command; a great company of women proclaim it:

12 Kings of hosts flee utterly away, And a female inhabitant of the house apportioneth spoil.

“Kings and their armies flee in haste; she who waits at home divides the plunder.

13 Though ye do lie between two boundaries, Wings of a dove covered with silver, And her pinions with yellow gold.

Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, the wings of the dove are covered with silver, and her feathers with shimmering gold.”

14 When the Mighty spreadeth kings in it, It doth snow in Salmon.

When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like the snow falling on Zalmon.

15 A hill of God [is] the hill of Bashan, A hill of heights [is] the hill of Bashan.

A mountain of God is Mount Bashan; a mountain of many peaks is Mount Bashan.

16 Why do ye envy, O high hills, The hill God hath desired for His seat? Jehovah also doth tabernacle for ever.

Why do you gaze in envy, O mountains of many peaks? This is the mountain God chose for His dwelling, where the LORD will surely dwell forever.

17 The chariots of God [are] myriads, thousands of changes, The Lord [is] among them, in Sinai, in the sanctuary.

The chariots of God are tens of thousands— thousands of thousands are they; the Lord is in His sanctuary as He was at Sinai.

18 Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast taken captive captivity, Thou hast taken gifts for men, That even the refractory may rest, O Jah God.

You have ascended on high; You have led captives away. You have received gifts from men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.

19 Blessed [is] the Lord, day by day He layeth on us. God Himself [is] our salvation. (Selah)

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God of our salvation.

20 God Himself [is] to us a God for deliverances, And Jehovah Lord hath the outgoings of death.

Our God is a God of deliverance; the Lord GOD is our rescuer from death.

21 Only — God doth smite The head of His enemies, The hairy crown of a habitual walker in his guilt.

Surely God will crush the heads of His enemies, the hairy crowns of those who persist in guilty ways.

22 The Lord said: 'From Bashan I bring back, I bring back from the depths of the sea.

The Lord said, “I will retrieve them from Bashan, I will bring them up from the depths of the sea,

23 So that thou dashest thy foot in blood, [In the blood of] enemies — the tongue of Thy dogs.'

that your foot may be dipped in the blood of your foes— the tongues of your dogs in the same.”

24 They have seen Thy goings, O God, Goings of my God, my king, in the sanctuary.

They have seen Your procession, O God— the march of my God and King into the sanctuary.

25 Singers have been before, Behind [are] players on instruments, In the midst virgins playing with timbrels.

The singers lead the way, the musicians follow after, among the maidens playing tambourines.

26 In assemblies bless ye God, The Lord — from the fountain of Israel.

Bless God in the great congregation; bless the LORD from the fountain of Israel.

27 There [is] little Benjamin their ruler, Heads of Judah their defence, Heads of Zebulun — heads of Naphtali.

There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them, the princes of Judah in their company, the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength, Be strong, O God, this Thou hast wrought for us.

Summon Your power, O God; show Your strength, O God, which You have exerted on our behalf.

29 Because of Thy temple at Jerusalem, To Thee do kings bring a present.

Because of Your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring You gifts.

30 Rebuke a beast of the reeds, a company of bulls, With calves of the peoples, Each humbling himself with pieces of silver, Scatter Thou peoples delighting in conflicts.

Rebuke the beast in the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations, until it submits, bringing bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.

31 Come do fat ones out of Egypt, Cush causeth her hands to run to God.

Envoys will arrive from Egypt; Cush will stretch out her hands to God.

32 Kingdoms of the earth, sing ye to God, Praise ye the Lord. (Selah)

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord—

33 To him who is riding on the heavens of the heavens of old, Lo, He giveth with His voice a strong voice.

to Him who rides upon the highest heavens of old; behold, His mighty voice resounds.

34 Ascribe ye strength to God, Over Israel [is] His excellency, and His strength in the clouds.

Ascribe the power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose strength is in the skies.

35 Fearful, O God, out of Thy sanctuaries, The God of Israel Himself, Giving strength and might to the people. Blessed [is] God!

O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!