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For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song.

68 Let God arise!
    Let his enemies be scattered!
    Let them who hate him also flee before him.
As smoke is driven away,
    so drive them away.
As wax melts before the fire,
    so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
But let the righteous be glad.
    Let them rejoice before God.
    Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.
Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!
    Extol him who rides on the clouds:
to Yah, his name!
    Rejoice before him!
A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows,
    is God in his holy habitation.
God sets the lonely in families.
He brings out the prisoners with singing,
    but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.

God, when you went out before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness... Selah.
The earth trembled.
    The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai—
    at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
You, God, sent a plentiful rain.
    You confirmed your inheritance when it was weary.
10 Your congregation lived therein.
    You, God, prepared your goodness for the poor.
11 The Lord announced the word.
    The ones who proclaim it are a great company.
12 “Kings of armies flee! They flee!”
    She who waits at home divides the plunder,
13     while you sleep among the camp fires,
    the wings of a dove sheathed with silver,
    her feathers with shining gold.
14 When the Almighty scattered kings in her,
    it snowed on Zalmon.
15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains.
    The mountains of Bashan are rugged.
16 Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains,
    at the mountain where God chooses to reign?
    Yes, Yahweh will dwell there forever.
17 The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands.
    The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.
18 You have ascended on high.
    You have led away captives.
You have received gifts among people,
    yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah God might dwell there.

19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens,
    even the God who is our salvation. Selah.
20 God is to us a God of deliverance.
    To Yahweh, the Lord, belongs escape from death.
21 But God will strike through the head of his enemies,
    the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.
22 The Lord said, “I will bring you again from Bashan,
    I will bring you again from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood,
    that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”
24 They have seen your processions, God,
    even the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25 The singers went before, the minstrels followed after,
    among the ladies playing with tambourines,
26 “Bless God in the congregations,
    even the Lord in the assembly of Israel!”
27 There is little Benjamin, their ruler,
    the princes of Judah, their council,
    the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

28 Your God has commanded your strength.
    Strengthen, God, that which you have done for us.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem,
    kings shall bring presents to you.
30 Rebuke the wild animal of the reeds,
    the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the peoples.
Being humbled, may it bring bars of silver.
    Scatter the nations that delight in war.
31 Princes shall come out of Egypt.
    Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth!
    Sing praises to the Lord— Selah—
33 to him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old;
    behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe strength to God!
    His excellency is over Israel,
    his strength is in the skies.
35 You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries.
    The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people.
    Praise be to God!

Psalm 68[a]

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

May God arise,(A) may his enemies be scattered;(B)
    may his foes flee(C) before him.
May you blow them away like smoke—(D)
    as wax melts(E) before the fire,
    may the wicked perish(F) before God.
But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice(G) before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,(H)
    extol him who rides on the clouds[b](I);
    rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.(J)
A father to the fatherless,(K) a defender of widows,(L)
    is God in his holy dwelling.(M)
God sets the lonely(N) in families,[c](O)
    he leads out the prisoners(P) with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.(Q)

When you, God, went out(R) before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,[d](S)
the earth shook,(T) the heavens poured down rain,(U)
    before God, the One of Sinai,(V)
    before God, the God of Israel.(W)
You gave abundant showers,(X) O God;
    you refreshed your weary inheritance.
10 Your people settled in it,
    and from your bounty,(Y) God, you provided(Z) for the poor.

11 The Lord announces the word,
    and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:(AA)
12 “Kings and armies flee(AB) in haste;
    the women at home divide the plunder.(AC)
13 Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,[e](AD)
    the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
    its feathers with shining gold.”
14 When the Almighty[f] scattered(AE) the kings in the land,
    it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.(AF)

15 Mount Bashan,(AG) majestic mountain,(AH)
    Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
16 why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
    at the mountain where God chooses(AI) to reign,
    where the Lord himself will dwell forever?(AJ)
17 The chariots(AK) of God are tens of thousands
    and thousands of thousands;(AL)
    the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.[g]
18 When you ascended(AM) on high,(AN)
    you took many captives;(AO)
    you received gifts from people,(AP)
even from[h] the rebellious(AQ)
    that you,[i] Lord God, might dwell there.

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

24 Your procession, God, has come into view,
    the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.(AZ)
25 In front are the singers,(BA) after them the musicians;(BB)
    with them are the young women playing the timbrels.(BC)
26 Praise God in the great congregation;(BD)
    praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.(BE)
27 There is the little tribe(BF) of Benjamin,(BG) leading them,
    there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
    and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.(BH)

28 Summon your power,(BI) God[j];
    show us your strength,(BJ) our God, as you have done(BK) before.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings will bring you gifts.(BL)
30 Rebuke the beast(BM) among the reeds,(BN)
    the herd of bulls(BO) among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
    Scatter the nations(BP) who delight in war.(BQ)
31 Envoys will come from Egypt;(BR)
    Cush[k](BS) will submit herself to God.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,(BT)
    sing praise(BU) to the Lord,
33 to him who rides(BV) across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
    who thunders(BW) with mighty voice.(BX)
34 Proclaim the power(BY) of God,
    whose majesty(BZ) is over Israel,
    whose power is in the heavens.
35 You, God, are awesome(CA) in your sanctuary;(CB)
    the God of Israel gives power and strength(CC) to his people.(CD)

Praise be to God!(CE)

Footnotes

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