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

68 May God rise up and scatter his enemies.
    May they turn and run away from him.
    May you, God, blow them away like smoke.
As fire melts wax,
    so may God destroy sinful people.
But may those who do what is right be glad
    and filled with joy when they are with him.
    May they be happy and joyful.

Sing to God, sing praise to his name.
    Lift up a song to the God who rides on the clouds.
    Be glad when you are with him.
    His name is the Lord.
God is in his holy temple.
    He is a father to children whose fathers have died.
    He takes care of women whose husbands have died.
God gives lonely people a family.
    He sets prisoners free, and they go out singing.
But those who refuse to obey him
    live in a land that is baked by the sun.

God, you led your people out.
    You marched through the desert.
The ground shook
    when you, the God of Sinai, appeared.
The heavens poured down rain
    when you, the God of Israel, appeared.
God, you gave us plenty of rain.
    You renewed your worn-out land.
10 God, your people made their homes in it.
    From all your riches, you provided for those who were poor.

11 The Lord gives the message.
    The women who make it known are a huge group.
12 They said, “Kings and armies are running away.
    The women at home are dividing up
    the things the army took from their enemies.
13 Even while the soldiers sleep near the sheep pens,
    God wins the battle for them.
He gives the enemy’s silver and gold
    to Israel, his dove.”
14 The Mighty One has scattered the kings around the land.
    It was like snow falling on Mount Zalmon.

15 Mount Bashan is a majestic mountain.
    Mount Bashan is a very rocky mountain.
16 Why are you jealous of Mount Zion, you rocky mountain?
    That’s where God chooses to rule.
    That’s where the Lord himself will live forever.
17 God has come with tens of thousands of his chariots.
    He has come with thousands and thousands of them.
The Lord has come from Mount Sinai.
    He has entered his holy place.
18 When he went up to his place on high,
    he took many prisoners.
He received gifts from people,
    even from those who refused to obey him.
    The Lord God went up to live on Mount Zion.

19 Give praise to the Lord. Give praise to God our Savior.
    He carries our heavy loads day after day.
20 Our God is a God who saves.
    He is the King and the Lord. He saves us from death.

21 God will certainly smash the heads of his enemies.
    He will break the hairy heads of those who keep on sinning.
22 The Lord says, “I will bring your enemies from Bashan.
    I will bring them up from the bottom of the sea.
23 Then your feet can wade in their blood.
    The tongues of your dogs can lick up all the blood they want.”

24 God, those who worship you come marching into view.
    My God and King, those who follow you have entered the sacred tent.
25 The singers are walking in front.
    Next come the musicians.
    Young women playing tambourines are with them.
26 The leaders sing, “Praise God among all those who worship him.
    Praise the Lord in the community of Israel.”
27 The little tribe of Benjamin leads the worshipers.
    Next comes the great crowd of Judah’s princes.
    Then come the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

28 God, show us your power.
    Show us your strength.
    God, do as you have done before.
29 Do it from your temple at Jerusalem,
    where kings will bring you gifts.
30 Give a strong warning to Egypt, that beast among the tall grass.
    It is like a herd of bulls among the calves.
May that beast bow down before you with gifts of silver.
    Scatter the nations who like to make war.
31 Messengers will come from Egypt.
    The people of Cush will be quick to bring gifts to you.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth.
    Sing praise to the Lord.
33 He rides across the highest places in heaven.
He rides across the ancient skies above.
    He thunders with his mighty voice.
34 Tell how powerful God is.
    He rules as king over Israel.
    The skies show how powerful he is.
35 How wonderful is God in his holy place!
    The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.

Give praise to God!

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.

19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,(AR)
    who daily bears our burdens.(AS)
20 Our God is a God who saves;(AT)
    from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.(AU)
21 Surely God will crush the heads(AV) of his enemies,
    the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
22 The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
    I will bring them from the depths of the sea,(AW)
23 that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,(AX)
    while the tongues of your dogs(AY) have their share.”

24 Your procession, God, has come into view,
    the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.(AZ)
25 In front are the singers,(BA) after them the musicians;(BB)
    with them are the young women playing the timbrels.(BC)
26 Praise God in the great congregation;(BD)
    praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.(BE)
27 There is the little tribe(BF) of Benjamin,(BG) leading them,
    there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
    and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.(BH)

28 Summon your power,(BI) God[j];
    show us your strength,(BJ) our God, as you have done(BK) before.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings will bring you gifts.(BL)
30 Rebuke the beast(BM) among the reeds,(BN)
    the herd of bulls(BO) among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
    Scatter the nations(BP) who delight in war.(BQ)
31 Envoys will come from Egypt;(BR)
    Cush[k](BS) will submit herself to God.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,(BT)
    sing praise(BU) to the Lord,
33 to him who rides(BV) across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
    who thunders(BW) with mighty voice.(BX)
34 Proclaim the power(BY) of God,
    whose majesty(BZ) is over Israel,
    whose power is in the heavens.
35 You, God, are awesome(CA) in your sanctuary;(CB)
    the God of Israel gives power and strength(CC) to his people.(CD)

Praise be to God!(CE)

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
  10. Psalm 68:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned power for you
  11. Psalm 68:31 That is, the upper Nile region