Psalm 68
American Standard Version
Jehovah the God of Sinai and of the sanctuary.
For the Chief Musician; A Psalm of David, a Song.
[a]68 Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered;
Let them also that hate him flee before him.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away:
As wax melteth before the fire,
So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God:
Yea, let them rejoice with gladness.
4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name:
Cast up a highway for him that rideth through the deserts;
His name is [b]Jehovah; and exult ye before him.
5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows,
Is God in his holy habitation.
6 God [c]setteth the solitary in families:
He bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity;
But the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people,
When thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah
8 The earth trembled,
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God:
Yon Sinai trembled at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain,
Thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
10 Thy [d]congregation dwelt therein:
Thou, O God, didst prepare of thy goodness for the poor.
11 The Lord giveth the word:
The women that publish the tidings are a great host.
12 Kings of armies flee, they flee;
And she that tarrieth at home divideth the spoil.
13 [e]When ye lie among the sheepfolds,
It is as the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her pinions with yellow gold.
14 When the Almighty scattered kings therein,
It [f]was as when it snoweth in Zalmon.
15 A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A [g]high mountain is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why look ye askance, ye high mountains,
At the mountain which God hath desired for his abode?
Yea, Jehovah will dwell in it for ever.
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands:
The Lord is among them, [h]as in Sinai, in the sanctuary.
18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led away captives;
Thou hast received gifts among men,
Yea, among the rebellious also, that [i]Jehovah God might [j]dwell with them.
19 Blessed be [k]the Lord, who daily beareth our burden,
Even the God who is our salvation. Selah
20 God is unto us a God of deliverances;
And unto Jehovah the Lord belongeth escape from death.
21 But God will smite through the head of his enemies,
The hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his guiltiness.
22 The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan,
I will bring them again from the depths of the sea;
23 That thou mayest crush them, dipping thy foot in blood,
That the tongue of thy dogs may have its portion from thine enemies.
24 They have seen thy goings, O God,
Even the goings of my God, my King, [l]into the sanctuary.
25 The singers went before, the minstrels followed after,
In the midst of the damsels playing with timbrels.
26 Bless ye God in the congregations,
Even the Lord, ye that are of the fountain of Israel.
27 There is little Benjamin their ruler,
The princes of Judah and their [m]council,
The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength:
[n]Strengthen, O God, that which thou [o]hast wrought for us.
29 Because of thy temple at Jerusalem
Kings shall bring presents unto thee.
30 Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds,
The multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples,
[p]Trampling under foot the pieces of silver:
[q]He hath scattered the peoples that delight in war.
31 Princes shall come out of Egypt;
[r]Ethiopia shall haste to stretch out her hands unto God.
32 Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth;
Oh sing praises unto the Lord; Selah
33 To him that rideth upon the heaven of heavens, which are of old;
Lo, he uttereth his voice, a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe ye strength unto God:
His excellency is over Israel,
And his strength is in the skies.
35 [s]O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places:
The God of Israel, he giveth strength and power unto his people.
Blessed be God.
Footnotes
- Psalm 68:1 Or, God ariseth; and so throughout verses 1, 2, 3
- Psalm 68:4 Hebrew Jah.
- Psalm 68:6 Hebrew maketh the solitary to dwell in a house.
- Psalm 68:10 Or, troop
- Psalm 68:13 Or, Will ye lie among the sheepfolds, as the wings . . . gold?
- Psalm 68:14 Or, snowed
- Psalm 68:15 Hebrew mountain of summits.
- Psalm 68:17 Or, Sinai is in the sanctuary
- Psalm 68:18 Hebrew Jah.
- Psalm 68:18 Or, dwell there
- Psalm 68:19 Or, the Lord day by day: if one oppresseth us, God is our salvation
- Psalm 68:24 Or, in the sanctuary. Or, in holiness
- Psalm 68:27 Or, company
- Psalm 68:28 Or, Be strong, O God, thou that hast etc.
- Psalm 68:28 Or, hast wrought for us out of thy temple. Unto Jerusalem etc.
- Psalm 68:30 Or, Every one submitting himself with pieces of silver
- Psalm 68:30 Or, as otherwise read, Scatter thou
- Psalm 68:31 Hebrew Cush.
- Psalm 68:35 Or, Terrible is God
Psalm 68
English Standard Version
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!
2 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!
3 But (E)the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!
4 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!
5 (K)Father of the fatherless and (L)protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6 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.
7 O God, when you (Q)went out before your people,
(R)when you marched through (S)the wilderness, Selah
8 (T)the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God,[a] the God of Israel.
9 (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
- Psalm 68:8 Or before God, even Sinai before God
- Psalm 68:10 Or your congregation
- Psalm 68:15 Or hunch-backed; also verse 16
- Psalm 68:24 Or has been
- Psalm 68:26 The Hebrew for you is plural here
- Psalm 68:28 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew Your God has summoned your power
- Psalm 68:30 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
- Psalm 68:35 Septuagint; Hebrew your
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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
