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A song. A Psalm of Asaph

A Plea for Judgment

83 God, do not rest!
    Don’t be silent!
        Don’t stay inactive, God!
See! Your enemies rage;
    those who hate you issue threats.[a]
They plot against[b] your people
    and conspire against your cherished ones.
They say, “Let us go and erase them as a nation
    so the name of Israel will not be remembered anymore.”

Indeed, they shrewdly planned together,
    forming an alliance against you—
the tents of Edom, the Ishmaelites,
    Moab, the Hagrites,
Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia,
    and the inhabitants of Tyre.
Even Assyria joined them
    to strengthen the descendants of Lot.
Interlude

Deal with them as you did to Midian,[c]
    Sisera, and Jabin at the Kishon Brook.[d]
10 They were destroyed at En-dor
    and became as dung on the ground.
11 Punish their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,[e]
    and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,[f]
12 who said, “Let us possess the pastures of God.”

13 God, set them up like dried thistles,
    like straw before the wind.
14 Like a fire burning a forest,
    and a flame setting mountains ablaze.
15 Pursue them with your storm and
    terrify them with your whirlwind.
16 Fill their faces with shame
    until they seek your name, God.
17 Let them be humiliated and terrified permanently
    until they die in shame.[g]
18 Then they will know that you alone—
    whose name is Lord
        are the Most High over all the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:2 Lit. you lift their head
  2. Psalm 83:3 Lit. they make shrewd secret counsel
  3. Psalm 83:9 Cf. Judg 7:1-24
  4. Psalm 83:9 Cf. Judg 4:7, 15, 21-24
  5. Psalm 83:11 Cf. Judg 7:25
  6. Psalm 83:11 Cf. Judg 8:12, 21
  7. Psalm 83:17 Lit. they are abased and destroyed

Psalm 83[a]

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

O God, do not remain silent;(A)
    do not turn a deaf ear,
    do not stand aloof, O God.
See how your enemies growl,(B)
    how your foes rear their heads.(C)
With cunning they conspire(D) against your people;
    they plot against those you cherish.(E)
“Come,” they say, “let us destroy(F) them as a nation,(G)
    so that Israel’s name is remembered(H) no more.”

With one mind they plot together;(I)
    they form an alliance against you—
the tents of Edom(J) and the Ishmaelites,
    of Moab(K) and the Hagrites,(L)
Byblos,(M) Ammon(N) and Amalek,(O)
    Philistia,(P) with the people of Tyre.(Q)
Even Assyria(R) has joined them
    to reinforce Lot’s descendants.[b](S)

Do to them as you did to Midian,(T)
    as you did to Sisera(U) and Jabin(V) at the river Kishon,(W)
10 who perished at Endor(X)
    and became like dung(Y) on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,(Z)
    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,(AA)
12 who said, “Let us take possession(AB)
    of the pasturelands of God.”

13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
    like chaff(AC) before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
    or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,(AD)
15 so pursue them with your tempest(AE)
    and terrify them with your storm.(AF)
16 Cover their faces with shame,(AG) Lord,
    so that they will seek your name.

17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;(AH)
    may they perish in disgrace.(AI)
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord(AJ)
    that you alone are the Most High(AK) over all the earth.(AL)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:1 In Hebrew texts 83:1-18 is numbered 83:2-19.
  2. Psalm 83:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.