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(A song and a psalm by Asaph.)

God Rules All the Earth

Our God, don't just sit there,
    silently doing nothing!
Your hateful enemies
are turning against you
    and rebelling.
They are sly, and they plot
    against those you treasure.
They say, “Let's wipe out
    the nation of Israel
and make sure that no one
    remembers its name!”

All of them fully agree
in their plans against you,
    and among them are
Edom and the Ishmaelites;
    Moab and the Hagrites;
Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek;
    Philistia and Phoenicia.[a]
Even Assyria has joined forces
    with Moab and Ammon.[b]

(A) Our Lord, punish all of them
    as you punished Midian.
Destroy them, as you destroyed
    Sisera and Jabin
at Kishon Creek 10 near Endor,
    and let their bodies rot.
11 (B) Treat their leaders as you did
    Oreb and Zeeb,
    Zebah and Zalmunna.
12 All of them said, “We'll take
    God's valuable land!”

13 Our God, scatter them around
    like dust in a whirlwind.
14 Just as flames destroy forests
    on the mountains,
15 pursue and terrify them
    with storms of your own.
16 Make them blush with shame,
until they turn and worship
    you, our Lord.
17 Let them be forever ashamed
and confused.
    Let them die in disgrace.
18 Make them realize that you
are the Lord Most High,
    the only ruler of earth!

Footnotes

  1. 83.7 Phoenicia: The Hebrew text has “Tyre,” the main city in Phoenicia.
  2. 83.8 Moab and Ammon: The Hebrew text has “the descendants of Lot,” whose older daughter was the mother of the Moabites and whose younger daughter was the mother of the Ammonites (see Genesis 19.30-38).

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.