Psalm 68
68
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A song.
1 GOD IS [already] beginning to arise, and His enemies to scatter; let them also who hate Him flee before Him!
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before the presence of God.
3 But let the [uncompromisingly] righteous be glad; let them be in high spirits and glory before God, yes, let them [jubilantly] rejoice!
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name, cast up a highway for Him Who rides through the deserts–His name is the Lord–be in high spirits and glory before Him!
5 A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His holy habitation.
6 God places the solitary in families and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7 O God, when You went forth before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness–Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!–
8 The earth trembled, the heavens also poured down [rain] at the presence of God; yonder Sinai quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You, O God, did send a plentiful rain; You did restore and confirm Your heritage when it languished and was weary.
10 Your flock found a dwelling place in it; You, O God, in Your goodness did provide for the poor and needy.
11 The Lord gives the word [of power]; the women who bear and publish [the news] are a great host.
12 The kings of the enemies' armies, they flee, they flee! She who tarries at home divides the spoil [left behind].
13 Though you [the slackers] may lie among the sheepfolds [in slothful ease, yet for Israel] the wings of a dove are covered with silver, its pinions excessively green with gold [are trophies taken from the enemy].
14 When the Almighty scattered kings in [the land], it was as when it snows on Zalmon [a wooded hill near Shechem].
15 Is Mount Bashan the high mountain of summits, Mount Bashan [east of the Jordan] the mount of God?
16 Why do you look with grudging and envy, you many-peaked mountains, at the mountain [of the city called Zion] which God has desired for His dwelling place? Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands. The Lord is among them as He was in Sinai, [so also] in the Holy Place (the sanctuary in Jerusalem).
18 You have ascended on high. You have led away captive a train of vanquished foes; You have received gifts of men, yes, of the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell there with them. [Eph. 4:8.]
19 Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
20 God is to us a God of deliverances and salvation; and to God the Lord belongs escape from death [setting us free].
21 But God will shatter the heads of His enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as goes on still in his trespasses and guilty ways.
22 The Lord said, I will bring back [your enemies] from Bashan; I will bring them back from the depths of the [Red] Sea,
23 That you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their share from the foe.
24 They see Your goings, O God, even the [solemn processions] of my God, my King, into the sanctuary [in holiness].
25 The singers go in front, the players on instruments last; between them the maidens are playing on tambourines.
26 Bless, give thanks, and gratefully praise God in full congregations, even the Lord, O you who are from [Jacob] the fountain of Israel.
27 There is little Benjamin in the lead [in the procession], the princes of Judah and their company, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
28 Your God has commanded your strength [your might in His service and impenetrable hardness to temptation]; O God, display Your might and strengthen what You have wrought for us!
29 [Out of respect] for Your temple at Jerusalem kings shall bring gifts to You.
30 Rebuke the wild beasts dwelling among the reeds [in Egypt], the herd of bulls (the leaders) with the calves of the peoples; trample underfoot those who lust for tribute money; scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall hasten to stretch out her hands [with the offerings of submission] to God.
32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
33 [Sing praises] to Him Who rides upon the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, He sends forth His voice, His mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power and strength to God; His majesty is over Israel, and His strength and might are in the skies.
35 O God, awe-inspiring, profoundly impressive, and terrible are You out of Your holy places; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and fullness of might to His people. Blessed be God!
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Psalm 68: AMPC
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
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!
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