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The Lord’s Promise of Victory

14 This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

“For your sakes I will send an army against Babylon,
    forcing the Babylonians[a] to flee in those ships they are so proud of.
15 I am the Lord, your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator and King.
16 I am the Lord, who opened a way through the waters,
    making a dry path through the sea.
17 I called forth the mighty army of Egypt
    with all its chariots and horses.
I drew them beneath the waves, and they drowned,
    their lives snuffed out like a smoldering candlewick.

18 “But forget all that—
    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
19 For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
20 The wild animals in the fields will thank me,
    the jackals and owls, too,
    for giving them water in the desert.
Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland
    so my chosen people can be refreshed.
21 I have made Israel for myself,
    and they will someday honor me before the whole world.

22 “But, dear family of Jacob, you refuse to ask for my help.
    You have grown tired of me, O Israel!
23 You have not brought me sheep or goats for burnt offerings.
    You have not honored me with sacrifices,
though I have not burdened and wearied you
    with requests for grain offerings and frankincense.
24 You have not brought me fragrant calamus
    or pleased me with the fat from sacrifices.
Instead, you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied me with your faults.

25 “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake
    and will never think of them again.
26 Let us review the situation together,
    and you can present your case to prove your innocence.
27 From the very beginning, your first ancestor sinned against me;
    all your leaders broke my laws.
28 That is why I have disgraced your priests;
    I have decreed complete destruction[b] for Jacob
    and shame for Israel.

44 “But now, listen to me, Jacob my servant,
    Israel my chosen one.
The Lord who made you and helps you says:
Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant,
    O dear Israel,[c] my chosen one.
For I will pour out water to quench your thirst
    and to irrigate your parched fields.
And I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants,
    and my blessing on your children.
They will thrive like watered grass,
    like willows on a riverbank.
Some will proudly claim, ‘I belong to the Lord.’
    Others will say, ‘I am a descendant of Jacob.’
Some will write the Lord’s name on their hands
    and will take the name of Israel as their own.”

The Foolishness of Idols

This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:

“I am the First and the Last;
    there is no other God.
Who is like me?
    Let him step forward and prove to you his power.
Let him do as I have done since ancient times
    when I established a people and explained its future.
Do not tremble; do not be afraid.
    Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago?
You are my witnesses—is there any other God?
    No! There is no other Rock—not one!”

How foolish are those who manufacture idols.
    These prized objects are really worthless.
The people who worship idols don’t know this,
    so they are all put to shame.
10 Who but a fool would make his own god—
    an idol that cannot help him one bit?
11 All who worship idols will be disgraced
    along with all these craftsmen—mere humans—
    who claim they can make a god.
They may all stand together,
    but they will stand in terror and shame.

12 The blacksmith stands at his forge to make a sharp tool,
    pounding and shaping it with all his might.
His work makes him hungry and weak.
    It makes him thirsty and faint.
13 Then the wood-carver measures a block of wood
    and draws a pattern on it.
He works with chisel and plane
    and carves it into a human figure.
He gives it human beauty
    and puts it in a little shrine.
14 He cuts down cedars;
    he selects the cypress and the oak;
he plants the pine in the forest
    to be nourished by the rain.
15 Then he uses part of the wood to make a fire.
    With it he warms himself and bakes his bread.
Then—yes, it’s true—he takes the rest of it
    and makes himself a god to worship!
He makes an idol
    and bows down in front of it!
16 He burns part of the tree to roast his meat
    and to keep himself warm.
    He says, “Ah, that fire feels good.”
17 Then he takes what’s left
    and makes his god: a carved idol!
He falls down in front of it,
    worshiping and praying to it.
“Rescue me!” he says.
    “You are my god!”

18 Such stupidity and ignorance!
    Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see.
    Their minds are shut, and they cannot think.
19 The person who made the idol never stops to reflect,
    “Why, it’s just a block of wood!
I burned half of it for heat
    and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat.
How can the rest of it be a god?
    Should I bow down to worship a piece of wood?”
20 The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes.
    He trusts something that can’t help him at all.
Yet he cannot bring himself to ask,
    “Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”

Restoration for Jerusalem

21 “Pay attention, O Jacob,
    for you are my servant, O Israel.
I, the Lord, made you,
    and I will not forget you.
22 I have swept away your sins like a cloud.
    I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist.
Oh, return to me,
    for I have paid the price to set you free.”

23 Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done this wondrous thing.
    Shout for joy, O depths of the earth!
Break into song,
    O mountains and forests and every tree!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob
    and is glorified in Israel.

24 This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer and Creator:
“I am the Lord, who made all things.
    I alone stretched out the heavens.
Who was with me
    when I made the earth?
25 I expose the false prophets as liars
    and make fools of fortune-tellers.
I cause the wise to give bad advice,
    thus proving them to be fools.
26 But I carry out the predictions of my prophets!
    By them I say to Jerusalem, ‘People will live here again,’
and to the towns of Judah, ‘You will be rebuilt;
    I will restore all your ruins!’
27 When I speak to the rivers and say, ‘Dry up!’
    they will be dry.
28 When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’
    he will certainly do as I say.
He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’;
    he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.’”

Cyrus, the Lord’s Chosen One

45 This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one,
    whose right hand he will empower.
Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear.
    Their fortress gates will be opened,
    never to shut again.
This is what the Lord says:

“I will go before you, Cyrus,
    and level the mountains.[d]
I will smash down gates of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron.
And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness—
    secret riches.
I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.

“And why have I called you for this work?
    Why did I call you by name when you did not know me?
It is for the sake of Jacob my servant,
    Israel my chosen one.
I am the Lord;
    there is no other God.
I have equipped you for battle,
    though you don’t even know me,
so all the world from east to west
    will know there is no other God.
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
    I create the light and make the darkness.
I send good times and bad times.
    I, the Lord, am the one who does these things.

“Open up, O heavens,
    and pour out your righteousness.
Let the earth open wide
    so salvation and righteousness can sprout up together.
    I, the Lord, created them.

“What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator.
    Does a clay pot argue with its maker?
Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying,
    ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’
Does the pot exclaim,
    ‘How clumsy can you be?’
10 How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father,
    ‘Why was I born?’
or if it said to its mother,
    ‘Why did you make me this way?’”

Footnotes

  1. 43:14 Or Chaldeans.
  2. 43:28 The Hebrew term used here refers to the complete consecration of things or people to the Lord, either by destroying them or by giving them as an offering.
  3. 44:2 Hebrew Jeshurun, a term of endearment for Israel.
  4. 45:2 As in Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version; Masoretic Text reads the swellings.

God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

14 This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer,(A) the Holy One(B) of Israel:
“For your sake I will send to Babylon
    and bring down as fugitives(C) all the Babylonians,[a](D)
    in the ships in which they took pride.
15 I am the Lord,(E) your Holy One,
    Israel’s Creator,(F) your King.(G)

16 This is what the Lord says—
    he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,(H)
17 who drew out(I) the chariots and horses,(J)
    the army and reinforcements together,(K)
and they lay(L) there, never to rise again,
    extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:(M)
18 “Forget the former things;(N)
    do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!(O)
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness(P)
    and streams in the wasteland.(Q)
20 The wild animals(R) honor me,
    the jackals(S) and the owls,
because I provide water(T) in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21     the people I formed(U) for myself(V)
    that they may proclaim my praise.(W)

22 “Yet you have not called on me, Jacob,
    you have not wearied(X) yourselves for[b] me, Israel.(Y)
23 You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings,(Z)
    nor honored(AA) me with your sacrifices.(AB)
I have not burdened(AC) you with grain offerings
    nor wearied you with demands(AD) for incense.(AE)
24 You have not bought any fragrant calamus(AF) for me,
    or lavished on me the fat(AG) of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins
    and wearied(AH) me with your offenses.(AI)

25 “I, even I, am he who blots out
    your transgressions,(AJ) for my own sake,(AK)
    and remembers your sins(AL) no more.(AM)
26 Review the past for me,
    let us argue the matter together;(AN)
    state the case(AO) for your innocence.
27 Your first father(AP) sinned;
    those I sent to teach(AQ) you rebelled(AR) against me.
28 So I disgraced the dignitaries of your temple;
    I consigned Jacob to destruction[c](AS)
    and Israel to scorn.(AT)

Israel the Chosen

44 “But now listen, Jacob, my servant,(AU)
    Israel, whom I have chosen.(AV)
This is what the Lord says—
    he who made(AW) you, who formed you in the womb,(AX)
    and who will help(AY) you:
Do not be afraid,(AZ) Jacob, my servant,(BA)
    Jeshurun,[d](BB) whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water(BC) on the thirsty land,
    and streams on the dry ground;(BD)
I will pour out my Spirit(BE) on your offspring,
    and my blessing(BF) on your descendants.(BG)
They will spring up like grass(BH) in a meadow,
    like poplar trees(BI) by flowing streams.(BJ)
Some will say, ‘I belong(BK) to the Lord’;
    others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand,(BL) ‘The Lord’s,’(BM)
    and will take the name Israel.

The Lord, Not Idols

“This is what the Lord says—
    Israel’s King(BN) and Redeemer,(BO) the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;(BP)
    apart from me there is no God.(BQ)
Who then is like me?(BR) Let him proclaim it.
    Let him declare and lay out before me
what has happened since I established my ancient people,
    and what is yet to come—
    yes, let them foretell(BS) what will come.
Do not tremble, do not be afraid.
    Did I not proclaim(BT) this and foretell it long ago?
You are my witnesses. Is there any God(BU) besides me?
    No, there is no other Rock;(BV) I know not one.”

All who make idols(BW) are nothing,
    and the things they treasure are worthless.(BX)
Those who would speak up for them are blind;(BY)
    they are ignorant, to their own shame.(BZ)
10 Who shapes a god and casts an idol,(CA)
    which can profit nothing?(CB)
11 People who do that will be put to shame;(CC)
    such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
    they will be brought down to terror and shame.(CD)

12 The blacksmith(CE) takes a tool
    and works with it in the coals;
he shapes an idol with hammers,
    he forges it with the might of his arm.(CF)
He gets hungry and loses his strength;
    he drinks no water and grows faint.(CG)
13 The carpenter(CH) measures with a line
    and makes an outline with a marker;
he roughs it out with chisels
    and marks it with compasses.
He shapes it in human form,(CI)
    human form in all its glory,
    that it may dwell in a shrine.(CJ)
14 He cut down cedars,
    or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
    or planted a pine,(CK) and the rain made it grow.
15 It is used as fuel(CL) for burning;
    some of it he takes and warms himself,
    he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships(CM) it;
    he makes an idol and bows(CN) down to it.
16 Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
    over it he prepares his meal,
    he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
    “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.(CO)
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
    he bows down to it and worships.(CP)
He prays(CQ) to it and says,
    “Save(CR) me! You are my god!”
18 They know nothing, they understand(CS) nothing;
    their eyes(CT) are plastered over so they cannot see,
    and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
19 No one stops to think,
    no one has the knowledge or understanding(CU) to say,
“Half of it I used for fuel;(CV)
    I even baked bread over its coals,
    I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable(CW) thing from what is left?
    Shall I bow down to a block of wood?”(CX)
20 Such a person feeds on ashes;(CY) a deluded(CZ) heart misleads him;
    he cannot save himself, or say,
    “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?(DA)

21 “Remember(DB) these things, Jacob,
    for you, Israel, are my servant.(DC)
I have made you, you are my servant;(DD)
    Israel, I will not forget you.(DE)
22 I have swept away(DF) your offenses like a cloud,
    your sins like the morning mist.
Return(DG) to me,
    for I have redeemed(DH) you.”

23 Sing for joy,(DI) you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
    shout aloud, you earth(DJ) beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,(DK)
    you forests and all your trees,(DL)
for the Lord has redeemed(DM) Jacob,
    he displays his glory(DN) in Israel.

Jerusalem to Be Inhabited

24 “This is what the Lord says—
    your Redeemer,(DO) who formed(DP) you in the womb:(DQ)

I am the Lord,
    the Maker of all things,
    who stretches out the heavens,(DR)
    who spreads out the earth(DS) by myself,
25 who foils(DT) the signs of false prophets
    and makes fools of diviners,(DU)
who overthrows the learning of the wise(DV)
    and turns it into nonsense,(DW)
26 who carries out the words(DX) of his servants
    and fulfills(DY) the predictions of his messengers,

who says of Jerusalem,(DZ) ‘It shall be inhabited,’
    of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be rebuilt,’
    and of their ruins,(EA) ‘I will restore them,’(EB)
27 who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry,
    and I will dry up(EC) your streams,’
28 who says of Cyrus,(ED) ‘He is my shepherd
    and will accomplish all that I please;
he will say of Jerusalem,(EE) “Let it be rebuilt,”
    and of the temple,(EF) “Let its foundations(EG) be laid.”’

45 “This is what the Lord says to his anointed,(EH)
    to Cyrus,(EI) whose right hand I take hold(EJ) of
to subdue nations(EK) before him
    and to strip kings of their armor,
to open doors before him
    so that gates will not be shut:
I will go before you(EL)
    and will level(EM) the mountains[e];
I will break down gates(EN) of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron.(EO)
I will give you hidden treasures,(EP)
    riches stored in secret places,(EQ)
so that you may know(ER) that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who summons you by name.(ES)
For the sake of Jacob my servant,(ET)
    of Israel my chosen,
I summon you by name
    and bestow on you a title of honor,
    though you do not acknowledge(EU) me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other;(EV)
    apart from me there is no God.(EW)
I will strengthen you,(EX)
    though you have not acknowledged me,
so that from the rising of the sun
    to the place of its setting(EY)
people may know(EZ) there is none besides me.(FA)
    I am the Lord, and there is no other.
I form the light and create darkness,(FB)
    I bring prosperity and create disaster;(FC)
    I, the Lord, do all these things.

“You heavens above, rain(FD) down my righteousness;(FE)
    let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
    let salvation(FF) spring up,
let righteousness flourish with it;
    I, the Lord, have created it.

“Woe to those who quarrel(FG) with their Maker,(FH)
    those who are nothing but potsherds(FI)
    among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,(FJ)
    ‘What are you making?’(FK)
Does your work say,
    ‘The potter has no hands’?(FL)
10 Woe to the one who says to a father,
    ‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
    ‘What have you brought to birth?’

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 43:14 Or Chaldeans
  2. Isaiah 43:22 Or Jacob; / surely you have grown weary of
  3. Isaiah 43:28 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them.
  4. Isaiah 44:2 Jeshurun means the upright one, that is, Israel.
  5. Isaiah 45:2 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; the meaning of the word in the Masoretic Text is uncertain.

God’s Mysterious Plan Revealed

When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles[a] . . . assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.

And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.[b] By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.

Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. I was chosen to explain to everyone[c] this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Because of Christ and our faith in him,[d] we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. 13 So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored.

Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,[e] 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.[f] 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:1 Paul resumes this thought in verse 14: “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father.”
  2. 3:6 Or because they are united with Christ Jesus.
  3. 3:9 Some manuscripts do not include to everyone.
  4. 3:12 Or Because of Christ’s faithfulness.
  5. 3:14 Some manuscripts read the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  6. 3:15 Or from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.

God’s Marvelous Plan for the Gentiles

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner(A) of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—

Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me(B) for you, that is, the mystery(C) made known to me by revelation,(D) as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight(E) into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.(F) This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs(G) together with Israel, members together of one body,(H) and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.(I)

I became a servant of this gospel(J) by the gift of God’s grace given me(K) through the working of his power.(L) Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,(M) this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles(N) the boundless riches of Christ,(O) and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery,(P) which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God(Q) should be made known(R) to the rulers and authorities(S) in the heavenly realms,(T) 11 according to his eternal purpose(U) that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God(V) with freedom and confidence.(W) 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.

A Prayer for the Ephesians

14 For this reason I kneel(X) before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches(Y) he may strengthen you with power(Z) through his Spirit in your inner being,(AA) 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts(AB) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted(AC) and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,(AD) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep(AE) is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge(AF)—that you may be filled(AG) to the measure of all the fullness of God.(AH)

20 Now to him who is able(AI) to do immeasurably more than all we ask(AJ) or imagine, according to his power(AK) that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.(AL)

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 3:15 The Greek for family (patria) is derived from the Greek for father (pater).

Psalm 68

For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David.

Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.
    Let those who hate God run for their lives.
Blow them away like smoke.
    Melt them like wax in a fire.
    Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
But let the godly rejoice.
    Let them be glad in God’s presence.
    Let them be filled with joy.
Sing praises to God and to his name!
    Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.[a]
His name is the Lord
    rejoice in his presence!

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
    this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
God places the lonely in families;
    he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

O God, when you led your people out from Egypt,
    when you marched through the dry wasteland, Interlude
the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain
    before you, the God of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
You sent abundant rain, O God,
    to refresh the weary land.
10 There your people finally settled,
    and with a bountiful harvest, O God,
    you provided for your needy people.

11 The Lord gives the word,
    and a great army[b] brings the good news.
12 Enemy kings and their armies flee,
    while the women of Israel divide the plunder.
13 Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures—
    doves with wings of silver
    and feathers of gold.
14 The Almighty scattered the enemy kings
    like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.

15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic,
    with many peaks stretching high into the sky.
16 Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains,
    at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live,
    where the Lord himself will live forever?

17 Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots,
    the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.
18 When you ascended to the heights,
    you led a crowd of captives.
You received gifts from the people,
    even from those who rebelled against you.
    Now the Lord God will live among us there.

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Footnotes

  1. 68:4 Or rides through the deserts.
  2. 68:11 Or a host of women.

Psalm 68[a]

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

May God arise,(A) may his enemies be scattered;(B)
    may his foes flee(C) before him.
May you blow them away like smoke—(D)
    as wax melts(E) before the fire,
    may the wicked perish(F) before God.
But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice(G) before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

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)
A father to the fatherless,(K) a defender of widows,(L)
    is God in his holy dwelling.(M)
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)

When you, God, went out(R) before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,[d](S)
the earth shook,(T) the heavens poured down rain,(U)
    before God, the One of Sinai,(V)
    before God, the God of Israel.(W)
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.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:1 In Hebrew texts 68:1-35 is numbered 68:2-36.
  2. Psalm 68:4 Or name, / prepare the way for him who rides through the deserts
  3. Psalm 68:6 Or the desolate in a homeland
  4. Psalm 68:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 19 and 32.
  5. Psalm 68:13 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
  6. Psalm 68:14 Hebrew Shaddai
  7. Psalm 68:17 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lord is among them at Sinai in holiness
  8. Psalm 68:18 Or gifts for people, / even
  9. Psalm 68:18 Or they

24 Don’t envy evil people
    or desire their company.
For their hearts plot violence,
    and their words always stir up trouble.

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Saying 20

24 Do not envy(A) the wicked,
    do not desire their company;
for their hearts plot violence,(B)
    and their lips talk about making trouble.(C)

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