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Praise God Who Saved the Nation

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

68 Let God rise up and scatter his enemies;
    let those who hate him ·run away [flee] from him.
Blow them away as smoke
    is ·driven [blown] away by the wind [Hos. 13:3].
As wax melts before a fire,
    let the wicked ·be destroyed [perish] before God [Mic. 1:4].
But ·those who do right [the righteous] should be glad
    and should rejoice before God;
they should be happy and glad.

Sing to God; ·sing praises [make a psalm] to his name.
Prepare the way for him
    who rides ·through the desert [on the clouds; C as on a chariot; 18:10–19; 104:3; Is. 19:1; Dan. 7:13–14; Luke 21:27; Rev. 1:7],
whose name is the Lord.
    Rejoice before him.
God is in his holy ·Temple [L abode].
    He is a father to orphans [10:14; 146:9],
    and he defends the widows [146:9].
God gives the lonely a home.
    He leads prisoners out ·with joy [with singing; or to prosperity],
but ·those who turn against God [L the rebellious] will live in a dry land.

God, you led your people out
when you marched through the ·desert [wasteland; wilderness]. ·Selah [Interlude]

The ·ground [earth; land] shook
    and the ·sky [heavens] poured down rain
before God, the God of Mount Sinai [Ex. 19],
    before God, the God of Israel.
God, you sent much rain;
    you ·refreshed [restored] your ·tired [withering] ·land [L inheritance].
10 Your people settled there.
    God, in your goodness
you took care of the poor.

11 The Lord gave the command,
    and a great ·army [or company of women] told the news:
12 “Kings and their ·armies [hosts] ·run away [L flee].
    ·In camp they [L The abode of the house; C may indicate the women] divide the ·wealth taken in war [plunder].
13 Those who stayed ·by the campfires [L between the saddlebags/or sheepfolds]
    will share the ·riches taken in battle [L wings of a dove covered with silver and its feathers with green gold; C specific precious items among the plunder].”
14 The Almighty scattered kings
    like snow on Mount Zalmon [C perhaps near Shechem; Judg. 9:48].

15 The mountains of Bashan [C in the Golan heights, east of the Sea of Galilee] are ·high [mighty];
    the mountains of Bashan have many peaks.
16 Why do you mountains with many peaks look with ·envy [or hostility]
    on the mountain that God ·chose [L desired] for his home [C Zion, the location of the Temple]?
    The Lord will live there forever.
17 God comes with ·millions [L twice ten thousand, thousands of thousands] of chariots;
    the Lord ·comes from Mount Sinai to his holy place [L is among them Sinai in holiness].
18 When you went up to the heights,
    you led a parade of captives.
    You received gifts from the people,
even from those who ·turned [rebelled] against you [2 Cor. 2:14; Eph. 4:8].
    And the Lord God will live there.

19 ·Praise [Blessed be] the Lord, God our ·Savior [Victor],
    who ·helps us [L bears our burdens] every day. ·Selah [Interlude]
20 Our God is a God who ·saves us [gives us victory];
    the Lord God ·saves us [L brings us out] from death.

21 God will ·crush [shatter] his enemies’ heads,
    the hairy ·skulls [pates; C tops of their heads] of those who continue to ·sin [L walk in their guilt].
22 The Lord said, “I will bring ·the enemy [L them] back from Bashan [v. 15];
    I will bring them back from the depths of the sea [C representing chaos].
23 Then you can ·stick [bathe; or shatter] your feet in their blood,
    and ·your dogs can lick [L the tongues of your dogs can have] their share.”

24 God, people have seen your victory ·march [procession];
    God my King marched into the holy place [C the Tabernacle].
25 The singers are in front and the ·instruments [musicians] are behind.
    In the middle are the girls with the tambourines.
26 ·Praise [Bless] God in the ·meeting place [assembly];
    ·praise [bless] the Lord ·in the gathering [or the fountain] of Israel.
27 There is the smallest tribe, Benjamin, ·leading them [L bringing them down].
    And there are the ·leaders [princes] of Judah with their group.
There also are the ·leaders [princes] of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

28 God, ·order up [command] your power;
    show the mighty power you have used for us before.
29 Kings will bring their ·wealth [L presents; gifts] to you,
    ·to [or because of] your Temple in Jerusalem.
30 ·Punish [Reprimand; Rebuke] the beast in the ·tall grass along the river [L reed; C crocodile or hippopotamus representing Egypt].
    ·Punish [Reprimand; Rebuke] ·those bulls among the cows [L the herd of bulls among the calves of the peoples; C leaders of other nations].
·Defeated [Trampled], they will bring you their silver.
    Scatter those ·nations [peoples] that ·love [delight in] war.
31 Messengers will come from Egypt;
    the people of ·Cush [Ethiopia] will ·pray [L stretch their hands] to God.

32 Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
    ·sing praises [make a psalm] to the Lord. ·Selah [Interlude]
33 Sing to the one who rides through the ·skies [heavens], ·which are from long ago [the ancient heavens; v. 4].
    He ·speaks with a thundering voice [L puts forth his voice, his strong voice].
34 ·Announce [Ascribe] that God is ·powerful [strong].
    ·He rules [L His majesty is] over Israel,
    and his power is in the ·skies [clouds].
35 God, you are ·wonderful [awesome] in your ·Temple [sanctuary; L Holy Place].
    The God of Israel gives his people strength and power.

·Praise [Bless] God!

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