Psalms 68
68
To the director: A praise song of David.
1God, get up and scatter your enemies!
May all your enemies run from you.
2May your enemies be scattered
like smoke blown away by the wind.
May your enemies be destroyed
like wax melting in a fire.
3But let good people be happy.
Let them gather before God and enjoy themselves together.
4Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!
Prepare the way for the one who rides on the clouds.
His name is YAH.#68:4 YAH This is a Hebrew name for God. It is like the Hebrew name usually translated “Lord.” Also in verse 18.
Worship before him with joy.
5God, who lives in his holy palace, is a father to orphans,
and he takes care of widows.
6God provides homes for those who are lonely.
He frees people from prison and makes them happy.
But those who turn against him will live in the desert.
7God, you led your people out of Egypt.
You marched across the desert. Selah
8The ground shook and rain poured from the sky
when God, the God of Israel, came to Sinai.
9God, you sent the rain
to make a tired, old land strong again.
10Your people#68:10 people Or “animals” or “living things.” came back to live there,
and you provided good things for the poor.
11My Lord gave the command,
and many people went to tell the good news:
12“The armies of powerful kings ran away!
At home, the women divide the things brought from the battle.
13Those who stayed home will share in the wealth—
metal doves with wings covered in silver and feathers sparkling with gold.”
14God All-Powerful scattered the kings
like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.
15Mount Bashan is a great mountain
with many high peaks.
16But, Bashan, why are you jealous of Mount Zion?
That is where God has chosen to live.
The Lord will live there forever.
17With his millions of chariots,
the Lord came from Sinai into the holy place.
18You went up to your high place,
leading a parade of captives.
You received gifts from people,#68:18 received gifts from people Or “took people as gifts.” Or “gave gifts to people,” as in the ancient Syriac and Aramaic versions and in Eph. 4:8.
even those who turned against you.
The Lord God went up there to live.
19Praise the Lord!
Every day he helps us with the loads we must carry.
He is the God who saves us. Selah
20He is our God, the God who saves us.
My Lord GOD saves us from death.
21God will smash the heads of his enemies.
He will punish those who fight against him.#68:21 Literally, “God will smash the heads of his enemies. He will smash the hairy skull walking in guilt.”
22My Lord said, “If they run up to Bashan or down to the depths of the sea,
I will bring them back.
23So you will march through pools of their blood,
and there will be plenty left for your dogs.”
24God, everyone can see your victory parade—
the victory march of my God and King into his holy place!#68:24 of my God … holy place Or “led by my holy God and King!”
25Singers come marching in front, followed by the musicians;
they are surrounded by young girls playing tambourines.
26Praise God in the meeting place.#68:26 in the meeting place Or “with the trumpets that announce the assembly!”
Praise the Lord, people of Israel!
27There is the smallest tribe, Benjamin, leading them.
And there comes a large group of leaders from Judah.
Following them are the leaders of Zebulun and Naphtali.
28God, show us your power!
Show us the power you used for us in the past.
29Kings will bring their wealth to you,
to your Temple in Jerusalem.
30Punish the people in Egypt.
They are like cattle in the marshes, like bulls among the calves.
You humiliated them.
You scattered them in war.
Now let them come crawling to you,
bringing their pieces of silver.
31Messengers from Egypt will come bearing gifts.
Ethiopia will offer God their tribute.
32Kings on earth, sing to God!
Sing songs of praise to our Lord! Selah
33Sing to him who rides his chariot through the ancient skies.
Listen to his powerful voice!
34Tell everyone how powerful he is!
He rules over Israel.
His power fills the skies.
35God, you are awesome in your Temple!
The God of Israel is the one who gives strength and power to his people.
Praise God!
Currently Selected:
Psalms 68: ERV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Psalm 68
68
God Shall Scatter His Enemies
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.
1 #
Num. 10:35; Isa. 33:3 God shall arise, his enemies shall be #[Ps. 89:10; 92:9]scattered;
and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2As #See Ps. 37:20 smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
#
Ps. 22:14; 97:5; Mic. 1:4 as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
3But #See Ps. 32:11the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!
4Sing to God, #Ps. 66:4 sing praises to his name;
# [Isa. 62:10] lift up a song to him who #ver. 33; [Ps. 18:10] rides through #Isa. 40:3 the deserts;
his name is #Ps. 89:8the Lord;
exult before him!
5 # See Ps. 10:14 Father of the fatherless and #Deut. 10:18protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6God #Ps. 113:9; 1 Sam. 2:5 settles the solitary in a home;
he #Ps. 69:33; 107:10, 14; 146:7; Acts 12:7; 16:26 leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but #ver. 18 the rebellious dwell in #[Ps. 107:33, 40]a parched land.
7O God, when you #Ex. 13:21; Judg. 4:14; Hab. 3:13; Zech. 14:3 went out before your people,
#
Judg. 5:4 when you marched through #Ps. 78:40the wilderness, Selah
8 #
Ex. 19:18; Judg. 5:4 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God,#68:8 Or before God, even Sinai before God the God of Israel.
9 # See Ps. 65:9, 10 Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10your flock#68:10 Or your congregation found a dwelling in it;
in your goodness, O God, you #Ps. 65:9; 78:20provided for the needy.
11The Lord gives #[Ps. 33:9] the word;
# [Ex. 15:20; 1 Sam. 18:6] the women who announce the news are a great host:
12 #
Ps. 110:5; [Num. 31:8; Josh. 10:16; Judg. 5:19]; See Josh. 12:7-24 “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home #Judg. 5:30divide the spoil—
13though you men lie among #[Gen. 49:14; Judg. 5:16]the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with shimmering gold.
14When the Almighty scatters kings there,
let snow fall on #Judg. 9:48Zalmon.
15O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
O many-peaked#68:15 Or hunch-backed; also verse 16 mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount that God #Ps. 132:13, 14; [Ps. 78:54; 87:1, 2; Deut. 12:5]desired for his abode,
yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 #
2 Kgs. 6:17; Hab. 3:8 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands;
the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 #
Ps. 7:7; 47:5; Cited Eph. 4:8; [Acts 1:9] You ascended on high,
#
Judg. 5:12 leading a host of captives in your train
and #[Acts 2:4, 33] receiving gifts among men,
even among #[Rom. 5:8; 1 Tim. 1:13] the rebellious, #Ps. 78:60; Ex. 29:45; Rev. 21:3; [John 14:23]that the Lord God may dwell there.
19Blessed be the Lord,
who daily #[Isa. 46:4]bears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah
20Our God is a God of salvation,
#
Deut. 32:39; Eccles. 7:18; Rev. 1:18 and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 #
Ps. 110:6; Hab. 3:13 But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22The Lord said,
“I will bring them back #Num. 21:33 from Bashan,
# See Amos 9:2-4 I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23that you may #Ps. 58:10 strike your feet in their blood,
that #[1 Kgs. 21:19; 22:38]the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
24Your procession is#68:24 Or has been seen, O God,
the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 #
Ps. 47:5; 1 Chr. 13:8; 15:16 the singers in front, #See Ps. 33:3 the musicians last,
between them #Ex. 15:20; Judg. 11:34virgins playing tambourines:
26 #
Ps. 22:25; 26:12 “Bless God in the great congregation,
the Lord, O you#68:26 The Hebrew for you is plural here who are of #Deut. 33:28; Isa. 48:1; [Isa. 51:1]Israel’s fountain!”
27There is #[1 Sam. 9:21] Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
the princes of Judah in their throng,
the princes of #[Judg. 5:18]Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28 # See Ps. 42:8 Summon your power, O God,#68:28 By revocalization (compare Septuagint); Hebrew Your God has summoned your power
the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings shall #Ps. 45:12; 76:11; 1 Kgs. 10:10, 25; 2 Chr. 32:23; Isa. 18:7bear gifts to you.
30Rebuke #Job 40:21; Isa. 19:6; Ezek. 29:3, 4; [Ezek. 32:2] the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
the herd of #Ps. 22:12 bulls with the calves of the peoples.
# [2 Sam. 8:2, 6] Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
scatter the peoples who delight in war.#68:30 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
31Nobles shall come from #Isa. 19:19, 21 Egypt;
#
Ps. 87:4; Isa. 45:14; Zeph. 3:10 Cush shall hasten to #Ps. 44:20stretch out her hands to God.
32 #
Ps. 102:22
O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33to him #Ps. 18:10; 104:3; Deut. 33:26 who rides in #Deut. 10:14; 1 Kgs. 8:27 the heavens, the ancient heavens;
behold, he #Ps. 29:4; See Ps. 46:6sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 #
Ps. 29:1 Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose #Ps. 150:1 power is in #Ps. 36:5; 57:10; 108:4the skies.
35 # [Ps. 65:5]; See Ps. 47:2 Awesome is God from his#68:35 Septuagint; Hebrew your #[Ps. 110:2] sanctuary;
the God of Israel—he is the one who gives #Isa. 40:29; See Ps. 29:11power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV: