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Psalm 68
Living Bible
Psalm 68
Living Bible
68 Arise, O God, and scatter all your enemies! Chase them away! 2 Drive them off like smoke before the wind; melt them like wax in fire! So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But may the godly man exult. May he rejoice and be merry. 4 Sing praises to the Lord! Raise your voice in song to him who rides upon the clouds![a] Jehovah is his name—oh, rejoice in his presence. 5 He is a father to the fatherless; he gives justice to the widows, for he is holy.[b] 6 He gives families to the lonely, and releases prisoners from jail, singing with joy! But for rebels there is famine and distress.
7 O God, when you led your people through the wilderness, 8 the earth trembled and the heavens shook. Mount Sinai quailed before you—the God of Israel. 9-10 You sent abundant rain upon your land, O God, to refresh it in its weariness! There your people lived, for you gave them this home when they were destitute.
11-13 The Lord speaks. The enemy flees. The women at home[c] cry out the happy news: “The armies that came to destroy us have fled!” Now all the women of Israel are dividing the booty. See them sparkle with jewels of silver and gold, covered all over as wings cover doves! 14 God scattered their enemies like snowflakes melting in the forests of Zalmon.
15-16 O mighty mountains in Bashan! O splendid many-peaked ranges! Well may you look with envy at Mount Zion, the mount where God has chosen to live forever. 17 Surrounded by unnumbered chariots, the Lord moves on from Mount Sinai and comes to his holy Temple high upon Mount Zion. 18 He ascends the heights, leading many captives in his train. He receives gifts for men,[d] even those who once were rebels. God will live among us here.
19 What a glorious Lord! He who daily bears our burdens also gives us our salvation.
20 He frees us! He rescues us from death. 21 But he will crush his enemies, for they refuse to leave their guilty, stubborn ways. 22 The Lord says, “Come,” to all his people’s enemies;[e] they are hiding on Mount Hermon’s highest slopes and deep within the sea! 23 His people must destroy them. Cover your feet with their blood; dogs will eat them.
24 The procession of God my King moves onward to the sanctuary— 25 singers in front, musicians behind, girls playing the timbrels in between. 26 Let all the people of Israel praise the Lord, who is Israel’s fountain. 27 The little tribe of Benjamin leads the way. The princes and elders of Judah, and the princes of Zebulun and Naphtali are right behind.[f] 28 Summon your might; display your strength, O God, for you have done such mighty things for us.
29 The kings of the earth are bringing their gifts to your Temple in Jerusalem. 30 Rebuke our enemies, O Lord. Bring them—submissive, tax in hand.[g] Scatter all who delight in war. 31 Egypt will send gifts of precious metals. Ethiopia will stretch out her hands to God in adoration. 32 Sing to the Lord, O kingdoms of the earth—sing praises to the Lord, 33 to him who rides upon the ancient heavens, whose mighty voice thunders from the sky.
34 Power belongs to God! His majesty shines down on Israel; his strength is mighty in the heavens. 35 What awe we feel, kneeling here before him in the sanctuary. The God of Israel gives strength and mighty power to his people. Blessed be God!
Footnotes
- Psalm 68:4 clouds, or “deserts.”
- Psalm 68:5 is holy, literally, “is God in his holy habitation.”
- Psalm 68:11 at home, literally, “among the sheepfolds.”
- Psalm 68:18 he receives gifts for men, implied in Ephesians 4:8.
- Psalm 68:22 to all his people’s enemies, literally, “I will bring back from Bashan.”
- Psalm 68:27 are right behind, implied.
- Psalm 68:30 submissive, tax in hand, literally, “everyone submitting himself with pieces of silver.” An alternate rendering of v. 30 could be, “Trample upon those who lust after the tribute of smaller nations and who delight in aggressive wars.”
Psalm 68
New International Version
Psalm 68
New International Version
Psalm 68[a]
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.
1 May God arise,(A) may his enemies be scattered;(B)
may his foes flee(C) before him.
2 May you blow them away like smoke—(D)
as wax melts(E) before the fire,
may the wicked perish(F) before God.
3 But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice(G) before God;
may they be happy and joyful.
4 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)
5 A father to the fatherless,(K) a defender of widows,(L)
is God in his holy dwelling.(M)
6 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)
7 When you, God, went out(R) before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness,[d](S)
8 the earth shook,(T) the heavens poured down rain,(U)
before God, the One of Sinai,(V)
before God, the God of Israel.(W)
9 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
- Psalm 68:1 In Hebrew texts 68:1-35 is numbered 68:2-36.
- Psalm 68:4 Or name, / prepare the way for him who rides through the deserts
- Psalm 68:6 Or the desolate in a homeland
- Psalm 68:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 19 and 32.
- Psalm 68:13 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
- Psalm 68:14 Hebrew Shaddai
- Psalm 68:17 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lord is among them at Sinai in holiness
- Psalm 68:18 Or gifts for people, / even
- Psalm 68:18 Or they
- Psalm 68:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned power for you
- Psalm 68:31 That is, the upper Nile region
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