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Psalm 68

For the choir director; a psalm by David; a song.

Elohim will arise.
    His enemies will be scattered.
    Those who hate him will flee from him.
Blow them away like smoke.
    Let wicked people melt in Elohim’s presence like wax next to a fire.

But let righteous people rejoice.
    Let them celebrate in Elohim’s presence.
    Let them overflow with joy.
Sing to Elohim; make music to praise his name.
    Make a highway for him to ride through the deserts.[a]
    Yah is his name.
    Celebrate in his presence.

The Elohim who is in his holy dwelling place
    is the Ab of the fatherless and the defender of widows.
Elohim places lonely people in families.
    He leads prisoners out of prison into productive lives,
        but rebellious people must live in an unproductive land.

O Elohim, when you went in front of your people,
    when you marched through the desert, Selah
        the earth quaked and the sky poured
            in the presence of the Elohim of Sinai,
            in the presence of the Elohim of Israel.

You watered the land with plenty of rain, O Elohim.
    You refreshed it when your land was exhausted.
10 Your flock settled there.
    Out of your goodness, O Elohim,
        you provided for oppressed people.

11 Adonay gives instructions.
    The women who announce the good news are a large army.
12 They say, “The kings of the armies flee; they run away.
    The women who remained at home will divide the goods.
13 Though you stayed among the sheep pens,
    you will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
    its feathers with yellow gold.
14 Meanwhile, Shadday was still scattering kings there
    like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.”

15 The mountain of Bashan is the mountain of Elohim.
    The mountain of Bashan is the mountain with many peaks.
16 Why do you look with envy, you mountains with many peaks,
    at the mountain where Elohim has chosen to live?
        Certainly, Yahweh will live there forever.

17 The chariots of Elohim are twenty thousand in number,
    thousands upon thousands.
        Adonay is among them.
            The God of Sinai is in his holy place.
18 You went to the highest place.
    You took prisoners captive.
    You received gifts from people,
    even from rebellious people, so that Yah Elohim may live there.

19 Thanks be to Adonay,
    who daily carries our burdens for us.
        El is our salvation. Selah
20 Our El is the El of victories.
    Yahweh Adonay is our escape from death.

21 Certainly, Elohim will crush the heads of his enemies
    and destroy even the hair on the heads
        of those who continue to be guilty.
22 Adonay said, “I will bring them back from Bashan.
    I will bring them back from the depths of the sea
23 so that you, my people, may bathe[b] your feet in blood
    and the tongues of your dogs
        may lick the blood of your enemies.”

24 Your festival processions, O Elohim, can be seen by everyone.
    They are the processions for my Elohim, my Melek, into the holy place.
25 The singers are in front.
    The musicians are behind them.
        The young women beating tambourines are between them.
26 Thank Elohim, Yahweh, the source of Israel, with the choirs.
27 Benjamin, the youngest, is leading them,
    next the leaders of Judah with their noisy crowds,
        then the leaders of Zebulun,
            then the leaders of Naphtali.

28 Your Elohim has decided you will be strong.
    Display your strength, O Elohim,
        as you have for us before.
29 Kings will bring you gifts
    because of your temple high above Jerusalem.
30 Threaten the beast who is among the cattails,
    the herd of bulls with the calves of the nations,
        until it humbles itself with pieces of silver.
    Scatter the people who find joy in war.[c]
31 Ambassadors will come from Egypt.
    Sudan will stretch out its hands to Elohim in prayer.

32 You kingdoms of the world, sing to Elohim.
    Make music to praise Adonay. Selah
33 Elohim rides through the ancient heaven, the highest heaven.
    Listen! He makes his voice heard, his powerful voice.
34 Acknowledge the power of Elohim.
    His majesty is over Israel, and his power is in the skies.

35 Elohim, the El of Israel, is awe-inspiring in his holy place.
    He gives strength and power to his people.
        Thanks be to Elohim!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:4 Or “Lift a song to him who rides upon the clouds.”
  2. Psalm 68:23 Greek, Targum, Syriac; Masoretic Text “shatter.”
  3. Psalm 68:30 Hebrew meaning of this verse uncertain.

The Glory of God in His Goodness to Israel

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.

68 Let (A)God arise,
Let His enemies be scattered;
Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.
(B)As smoke is driven away,
So drive them away;
(C)As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
But (D)let the righteous be glad;
Let them rejoice before God;
Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.

Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
(E)Extol[a] Him who rides on the [b]clouds,
(F)By His name [c]Yah,
And rejoice before Him.

(G)A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
(H)God sets the solitary in families;
(I)He brings out those who are bound into prosperity;
But (J)the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

O God, (K)when You went out before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness, Selah
The earth shook;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
(L)You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance,
When it was weary.
10 Your congregation dwelt in it;
(M)You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.

11 The Lord gave the word;
Great was the [d]company of those who proclaimed it:
12 “Kings(N) of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home divides the [e]spoil.
13 (O)Though you lie down among the [f]sheepfolds,
(P)You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her feathers with yellow gold.”
14 (Q)When the Almighty scattered kings in it,
It was white as snow in Zalmon.

15 A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why do you [g]fume with envy, you mountains of many peaks?
(R)This is the mountain which God desires to dwell in;
Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.

17 (S)The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
Even thousands of thousands;
The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place.
18 (T)You have ascended on high,
(U)You have led captivity captive;
(V)You have received gifts among men,
Even from (W)the rebellious,
(X)That the Lord God might dwell there.

19 Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah
20 Our God is the God of salvation;
And (Y)to God the Lord belong escapes from death.

21 But (Z)God will wound the head of His enemies,
(AA)The hairy scalp of the one who still goes on in his trespasses.
22 The Lord said, “I will bring (AB)back from Bashan,
I will bring them back (AC)from the depths of the sea,
23 (AD)That [h]your foot may crush them in blood,
(AE)And the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”

24 They have seen Your [i]procession, O God,
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25 (AF)The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;
Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.
26 Bless God in the congregations,
The Lord, from (AG)the fountain of Israel.
27 (AH)There is little Benjamin, their leader,
The princes of Judah and their [j]company,
The princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

28 [k]Your God has (AI)commanded your strength;
Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.
29 Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,
(AJ)Kings will bring presents to You.
30 Rebuke the beasts of the reeds,
(AK)The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Till everyone (AL)submits himself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 (AM)Envoys will come out of Egypt;
(AN)Ethiopia will quickly (AO)stretch out her hands to God.

32 Sing to God, you (AP)kingdoms of the earth;
Oh, sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 To Him (AQ)who rides on the heaven of heavens, which were of old!
Indeed, He sends out His voice, a (AR)mighty voice.
34 (AS)Ascribe strength to God;
His excellence is over Israel,
And His strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, (AT)You are more awesome than Your holy places.
The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.

Blessed be God!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:4 Praise
  2. Psalm 68:4 MT deserts; Tg. heavens (cf. v. 34 and Is. 19:1)
  3. Psalm 68:4 Lit. Lord, a shortened Heb. form
  4. Psalm 68:11 host
  5. Psalm 68:12 plunder
  6. Psalm 68:13 Or saddlebags
  7. Psalm 68:16 Lit. stare
  8. Psalm 68:23 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. you may dip your foot
  9. Psalm 68:24 Lit. goings
  10. Psalm 68:27 throng
  11. Psalm 68:28 LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg. Command, O God

God Shall Scatter His Enemies

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

68 (A)God shall arise, his enemies shall be (B)scattered;
    and those who hate him shall flee before him!
As (C)smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
    (D)as wax melts before fire,
    so the wicked shall perish before God!
But (E)the righteous shall be glad;
    they shall exult before God;
    they shall be jubilant with joy!

Sing to God, (F)sing praises to his name;
    (G)lift up a song to him who (H)rides through (I)the deserts;
his name is (J)the Lord;
    exult before him!
(K)Father of the fatherless and (L)protector of widows
    is God in his holy habitation.
God (M)settles the solitary in a home;
    he (N)leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
    but (O)the rebellious dwell in (P)a parched land.

O God, when you (Q)went out before your people,
    (R)when you marched through (S)the wilderness, Selah
(T)the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
    before God, the One of Sinai,
    before God,[a] the God of Israel.
(U)Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
    you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock[b] found a dwelling in it;
    in your goodness, O God, you (V)provided for the needy.

11 The Lord gives (W)the word;
    (X)the women who announce the news are a great host:
12     (Y)“The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home (Z)divide the spoil—
13     though you men lie among (AA)the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
    its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,
    let snow fall on (AB)Zalmon.

15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
    O many-peaked[c] mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
    at the mount that God (AC)desired for his abode,
    yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 (AD)The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
    thousands upon thousands;
    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 (AE)You ascended on high,
    (AF)leading a host of captives in your train
    and (AG)receiving gifts among men,
even among (AH)the rebellious, (AI)that the Lord God may dwell there.

19 Blessed be the Lord,
    who daily (AJ)bears us up;
    God is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
    (AK)and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 (AL)But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The Lord said,
    “I will bring them back (AM)from Bashan,
(AN)I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may (AO)strike your feet in their blood,
    that (AP)the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”

24 Your procession is[d] seen, O God,
    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 (AQ)the singers in front, (AR)the musicians last,
    between them (AS)virgins playing tambourines:
26 (AT)“Bless God in the great congregation,
    the Lord, O you[e] who are of (AU)Israel's fountain!”
27 There is (AV)Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
    the princes of Judah in their throng,
    the princes of (AW)Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

28 (AX)Summon your power, O God,[f]
    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings shall (AY)bear gifts to you.
30 Rebuke (AZ)the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
    the herd of (BA)bulls with the calves of the peoples.
(BB)Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
    scatter the peoples who delight in war.[g]
31 Nobles shall come from (BC)Egypt;
    (BD)Cush shall hasten to (BE)stretch out her hands to God.

32 (BF)O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
    sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 to him (BG)who rides in (BH)the heavens, the ancient heavens;
    behold, he (BI)sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 (BJ)Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel,
    and whose (BK)power is in (BL)the skies.
35 (BM)Awesome is God from his[h] (BN)sanctuary;
    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives (BO)power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:8 Or before God, even Sinai before God
  2. Psalm 68:10 Or your congregation
  3. Psalm 68:15 Or hunch-backed; also verse 16
  4. Psalm 68:24 Or has been
  5. Psalm 68:26 The Hebrew for you is plural here
  6. Psalm 68:28 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew Your God has summoned your power
  7. Psalm 68:30 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
  8. Psalm 68:35 Septuagint; Hebrew your