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A Prayer Against the Enemies

A song of Asaph.

83 God, do not keep quiet.
    God, do not be silent or still.
Your enemies are making plans.
    Those who hate you are getting ready to attack.
They are making plans against your people.
    They plan to hurt those you love.
They say, “Come, let’s destroy them as a nation.
    Then no one will remember the name ‘Israel’ anymore.”
They are united in their plan.
    These have made an agreement against you:
the families of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
    Moab and the Hagrites,
the people of Byblos, Ammon, Amalek,
    Philistia and Tyre.
Even Assyria has joined them
    to help Ammon and Moab, the descendants of Lot. Selah

God, do to them what you did to Midian.
    Do what you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.
10 They died at Endor.
    Their bodies rotted on the ground.
11 Do to their important leaders what you did to Oreb and Zeeb.
    Do to their princes what you did to Zebah and Zalmunna.
12 They said, “Let’s take for ourselves
    the pasturelands that belong to God.”
13 My God, make them like the tumbleweed,
    like chaff blown away by the wind.
14 Be like a fire that burns a forest
    or like flames that blaze through the hills.
15 Chase them with your storm.
    Frighten them with your wind.
16 Cover them with shame.
    Then people will look for you, Lord.
17 Make them afraid and ashamed forever.
    Disgrace them and destroy them.
18 Then they will know that you are the Lord.
    They will know that only you are God Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 83[a]

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

O God, do not remain silent;(A)
    do not turn a deaf ear,
    do not stand aloof, O God.
See how your enemies growl,(B)
    how your foes rear their heads.(C)
With cunning they conspire(D) against your people;
    they plot against those you cherish.(E)
“Come,” they say, “let us destroy(F) them as a nation,(G)
    so that Israel’s name is remembered(H) no more.”

With one mind they plot together;(I)
    they form an alliance against you—
the tents of Edom(J) and the Ishmaelites,
    of Moab(K) and the Hagrites,(L)
Byblos,(M) Ammon(N) and Amalek,(O)
    Philistia,(P) with the people of Tyre.(Q)
Even Assyria(R) has joined them
    to reinforce Lot’s descendants.[b](S)

Do to them as you did to Midian,(T)
    as you did to Sisera(U) and Jabin(V) at the river Kishon,(W)
10 who perished at Endor(X)
    and became like dung(Y) on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,(Z)
    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,(AA)
12 who said, “Let us take possession(AB)
    of the pasturelands of God.”

13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
    like chaff(AC) before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
    or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,(AD)
15 so pursue them with your tempest(AE)
    and terrify them with your storm.(AF)
16 Cover their faces with shame,(AG) Lord,
    so that they will seek your name.

17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;(AH)
    may they perish in disgrace.(AI)
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord(AJ)
    that you alone are the Most High(AK) over all the earth.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:1 In Hebrew texts 83:1-18 is numbered 83:2-19.
  2. Psalm 83:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.