Psalms 68
68
Psalm 68
For the choir director; a psalm by David; a song.
1God will arise.
His enemies will be scattered.
Those who hate him will flee from him.
2Blow them away like smoke.
Let wicked people melt in God’s presence like wax next to a fire.
3But let righteous people rejoice.
Let them celebrate in God’s presence.
Let them overflow with joy.
4Sing to God; make music to praise his name.
Make a highway for him to ride through the deserts.#68:4 Or “Lift a song to him who rides upon the clouds.”
The Lord is his name.
Celebrate in his presence.
5The God who is in his holy dwelling place
is the father of the fatherless and the defender of widows.
6God places lonely people in families.
He leads prisoners out of prison into productive lives,
but rebellious people must live in an unproductive land.
7O God, when you went in front of your people,
when you marched through the desert, Selah
8the earth quaked and the sky poured
in the presence of the God of Sinai,
in the presence of the God of Israel.
9You watered the land with plenty of rain, O God.
You refreshed it when your land was exhausted.
10Your flock settled there.
Out of your goodness, O God,
you provided for oppressed people.
11The Lord gives instructions.
The women who announce the good news are a large army.
12 ⌞They say,⌟ “The kings of the armies flee; they run away.
The women who remained at home will divide the goods.
13Though you stayed among the sheep pens,
⌞you will be like⌟ the wings of a dove covered with silver, its feathers with yellow gold.
14Meanwhile, the Almighty was still scattering kings there
like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.”
15The mountain of Bashan is the mountain of God.
The mountain of Bashan is the mountain with many peaks.
16Why do you look with envy, you mountains with many peaks,
at the mountain where God has chosen to live?
Certainly, the Lord will live there forever.
17The chariots of God are twenty thousand in number,
thousands upon thousands.
The Lord is among them.
⌞The God of⌟ Sinai is in his holy place.
18You went to the highest place.
You took prisoners captive.
You received gifts from people,
even from rebellious people, so that the Lord God may live there.
19Thanks be to the Lord,
who daily carries our burdens for us.
God is our salvation. Selah
20Our God is the God of victories.
The Almighty Lord is our escape from death.
21Certainly, God will crush the heads of his enemies
⌞and destroy even⌟ the hair on the heads
of those who continue to be guilty.
22The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan.
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea
23so that you, ⌞my people,⌟ may bathe #68:23 Greek, Targum, Syriac; Masoretic Text “shatter.” your feet in blood
and the tongues of your dogs
may lick the blood of your enemies.”
24Your festival processions, O God, can be seen by everyone.
They are the processions for my God, my king, into the holy place.
25The singers are in front.
The musicians are behind them.
The young women beating tambourines are between them.
26Thank God, the Lord, the source of Israel, with the choirs.
27Benjamin, the youngest, is leading them,
⌞next⌟ the leaders of Judah with their noisy crowds,
⌞then⌟ the leaders of Zebulun,
⌞then⌟ the leaders of Naphtali.
28Your God has decided you will be strong.
Display your strength, O God,
as you have for us before.
29Kings will bring you gifts
because of your temple high above Jerusalem.
30Threaten the beast who is among the cattails,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the nations,
until it humbles itself with pieces of silver.
Scatter the people who find joy in war.
31Ambassadors will come from Egypt.
Sudan will stretch out its hands to God ⌞in prayer⌟.
32You kingdoms of the world, sing to God.
Make music to praise the Lord. Selah
33God rides through the ancient heaven, the highest heaven.
Listen! He makes his voice heard, his powerful voice.
34Acknowledge the power of God.
His majesty is over Israel, and his power is in the skies.
35God, the God of Israel, is awe-inspiring in his holy place.
He gives strength and power to his people.
Thanks be to God!
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Psalms 68: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Psalms 68
68
The Exodus and Conquest, Pledge of Future Help
1For the leader. A psalm of David; a song.
I
2#The opening line alluding to Nm 10:35 makes clear that God’s assistance in the period of the exodus and conquest is the model and assurance of all future divine help.May God arise;
may his enemies be scattered;
may those who hate him flee before him.#Nm 10:35.
3As the smoke is dispersed, disperse them;
as wax is melted by fire,
so may the wicked perish before God.#Ps 97:5; Jdt 16:15; Wis 5:14; Mi 1:4.
4Then the just will be glad;
they will rejoice before God;
they will celebrate with great joy.
II
5Sing to God, praise his name;
exalt the rider of the clouds.#Exalt the rider of the clouds: God’s intervention is in the imagery of Canaanite myth in which the storm-god mounted the storm clouds to ride to battle. Such theophanies occur throughout the Psalm: Ps 68:2–3, 8–10, 12–15, 18–19, 22–24, 29–32, 34–35. See Dt 33:26; Ps 18:8–16; Is 19:1.
Rejoice before him
whose name is the Lord.#Ps 18:10; 104:3; Dt 33:26; Is 19:1.
6Father of the fatherless, defender of widows#Ps 103:6; 146:7, 9; Ex 22:20–22; Bar 6:37.—
God in his holy abode,
7God gives a home to the forsaken,
who leads prisoners out to prosperity,
while rebels live in the desert.#While rebels live in the desert: rebels must live in the arid desert, whereas God’s people will live in the well-watered land (Ps 68:8–11).
III
8God, when you went forth before your people,#Ps 44:10; 114:4, 7; Jgs 5:4–5; Heb 12:26.
when you marched through the desert,
Selah
9The earth quaked, the heavens poured,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
10You poured abundant rains, God,
your inheritance was weak and you repaired it.
11Your creatures dwelt in it;
you will establish it in your goodness for the poor, O God.
IV
12The Lord announced:
“Those bringing news are a great Army.
13The kings of the armies are in desperate flight.#Jgs 5:19, 22.
Every household will share the spoil,
14though you lie down among the sheepfolds,#Jgs 5:16.
you shall be covered with silver as the wings of a dove,
her feathers bright as fine gold.”
15When the Almighty routs the kings there,
it will be as when snow fell on Zalmon.#Zalmon: generally taken as the name of a mountain where snow is visible in winter, perhaps to be located in the Golan Heights or in the mountains of Bashan or Hauran east of the Sea of Galilee.
V
16You mountain of God, mountain of Bashan,
you rugged mountain, mountain of Bashan,
17You rugged mountains, why look with envy
at the mountain#The mountain: Mount Zion, the site of the Temple. where God has chosen to dwell,
where the Lord resides forever?#Ps 132:13–14; Ez 43:7.
18God’s chariots were myriad, thousands upon thousands;
from Sinai the Lord entered the holy place.
19You went up to its lofty height;
you took captives, received slaves as tribute,#Ps 47:8; Eph 4:8–10.
even rebels, for the Lord God to dwell.
VI
20Blessed be the Lord day by day,
God, our salvation, who carries us.#Ps 34:2; 145:2; Is 46:3–4; 63:9.
Selah
21Our God is a God who saves;
escape from death is the Lord God’s.
22God will crush the heads of his enemies,
the hairy scalp of the one who walks in sin.#Dt 32:42.
23The Lord has said:
“Even from Bashan I will fetch them,
fetch them even from the depths of the sea.#Even from Bashan…from the depths of the sea: the heights and the depths, the farthest places where enemies might flee.
24You will wash your feet in your enemy’s blood;
the tongues of your dogs will lap it up.”#Ps 58:11; 1 Kgs 21:19; 22:38; Is 63:1–6.
VII
25#Your procession: the procession renews God’s original taking up of residence on Zion, described in Ps 68:16–19.Your procession comes into view, O God,
your procession into the holy place, my God and king.
26The singers go first, the harpists follow;
in their midst girls sound the timbrels.#Ps 81:2–3; 87:7; 149:3; 150:3–5; 2 Sm 6:5.
27In your choirs, bless God;
Lord, Israel’s fountain.
28In the lead is Benjamin, few in number;
there the princes of Judah, a large throng,
the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali, too.#Is 8:23.
VIII
29Summon again, O God, your power,
the divine power you once showed for us,
30From your temple on behalf of Jerusalem,
that kings may bring you tribute.
31Roar at the wild beast of the reeds,#The wild beast of the reeds: probably the Nile crocodile, a symbol for Egypt; see Ps 68:32 and Ez 29:2–5.
the herd of mighty bulls, the calves of the peoples;
trampling those who lust after silver
scatter the peoples that delight in war.
32Let bronze be brought from Egypt,#Ez 29:2ff.
Ethiopia hurry its hands to God.#Is 18:7; 45:14.
IX
33You kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;#Ps 138:4.
chant the praises of the Lord,
Selah
34Who rides the heights of the ancient heavens,
Who sends forth his voice as a mighty voice?
35Confess the power of God,
whose majesty protects Israel,
whose power is in the sky.
36Awesome is God in his holy place,
the God of Israel,
who gives power and strength to his people.#Ps 28:8; 29:11.
Blessed be God!
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