Psalm 67-68

New International Version

Psalm 67^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

¹May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—^[b]^(A)
²so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation^(B) among all nations.^(C)

³May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you.^(D)
⁴May the nations be glad and sing for joy,^(E)
    for you rule the peoples with equity^(F)
    and guide the nations of the earth.^(G)
⁵May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you.

⁶The land yields its harvest;^(H)
God, our God, blesses us.^(I)
⁷May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth^(J) will fear him.^(K)

Psalm 68^[c]

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

¹May God arise,^(L) may his enemies be scattered;^(M)
    may his foes flee^(N) before him.
²May you blow them away like smoke—^(O)
    as wax melts^(P) before the fire,
    may the wicked perish^(Q) before God.
³But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice^(R) before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

⁴Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,^(S)
    extol him who rides on the clouds^[d]^(T);
    rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.^(U)
⁵A father to the fatherless,^(V) a defender of widows,^(W)
    is God in his holy dwelling.^(X)
⁶God sets the lonely^(Y) in families,^[e]^(Z)
    he leads out the prisoners^(AA) with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.^(AB)

⁷When you, God, went out^(AC) before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,^[f]^(AD)
⁸the earth shook,^(AE) the heavens poured down rain,^(AF)
    before God, the One of Sinai,^(AG)
    before God, the God of Israel.^(AH)
⁹You gave abundant showers,^(AI) O God;
    you refreshed your weary inheritance.
¹⁰Your people settled in it,
    and from your bounty,^(AJ) God, you provided^(AK) for the poor.

¹¹The Lord announces the word,
    and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:^(AL)
¹²“Kings and armies flee^(AM) in haste;
    the women at home divide the plunder.^(AN)
¹³Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,^[g]^(AO)
    the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
    its feathers with shining gold.”
¹⁴When the Almighty^[h] scattered^(AP) the kings in the land,
    it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.^(AQ)

¹⁵Mount Bashan,^(AR) majestic mountain,^(AS)
    Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
¹⁶why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
    at the mountain where God chooses^(AT) to reign,
    where the Lord himself will dwell forever?^(AU)
¹⁷The chariots^(AV) of God are tens of thousands
    and thousands of thousands;^(AW)
    the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.^[i]
¹⁸When you ascended^(AX) on high,^(AY)
    you took many captives;^(AZ)
    you received gifts from people,^(BA)
even from^[j] the rebellious^(BB)—
    that you,^[k] Lord God, might dwell there.

¹⁹Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,^(BC)
    who daily bears our burdens.^(BD)
²⁰Our God is a God who saves;^(BE)
    from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.^(BF)
²¹Surely God will crush the heads^(BG) of his enemies,
    the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
²²The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
    I will bring them from the depths of the sea,^(BH)
²³that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,^(BI)
    while the tongues of your dogs^(BJ) have their share.”

²⁴Your procession, God, has come into view,
    the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.^(BK)
²⁵In front are the singers,^(BL) after them the musicians;^(BM)
    with them are the young women playing the timbrels.^(BN)
²⁶Praise God in the great congregation;^(BO)
    praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.^(BP)
²⁷There is the little tribe^(BQ) of Benjamin,^(BR) leading them,
    there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
    and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.^(BS)

²⁸Summon your power,^(BT) God^[l];
    show us your strength,^(BU) our God, as you have done^(BV) before.
²⁹Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings will bring you gifts.^(BW)
³⁰Rebuke the beast^(BX) among the reeds,^(BY)
    the herd of bulls^(BZ) among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
    Scatter the nations^(CA) who delight in war.^(CB)
³¹Envoys will come from Egypt;^(CC)
    Cush^[m]^(CD) will submit herself to God.

³²Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,^(CE)
    sing praise^(CF) to the Lord,
³³to him who rides^(CG) across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
    who thunders^(CH) with mighty voice.^(CI)
³⁴Proclaim the power^(CJ) of God,
    whose majesty^(CK) is over Israel,
    whose power is in the heavens.
³⁵You, God, are awesome^(CL) in your sanctuary;^(CM)
    the God of Israel gives power and strength^(CN) to his people.^(CO)

Praise be to God!^(CP)

Footnotes

Psalm 67:1 In Hebrew texts 67:1-7 is numbered 67:2-8.
Psalm 67:1 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 4.
Psalm 68:1 In Hebrew texts 68:1-35 is numbered 68:2-36.
Psalm 68:4 Or name, / prepare the way for him who rides through the deserts
Psalm 68:6 Or the desolate in a homeland
Psalm 68:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 19 and 32.
Psalm 68:13 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
Psalm 68:14 Hebrew Shaddai
Psalm 68:17 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lord is among them at Sinai in holiness
Psalm 68:18 Or gifts for people, / even
Psalm 68:18 Or they
Psalm 68:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned power for you
Psalm 68:31 That is, the upper Nile region