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Psalm 68^a

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

May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
may his foes flee before him.

1

God Shall Scatter His Enemies

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
and those who hate him shall flee before him!

2

May you blow them away like smoke —
as wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.

2

As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!

3

But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God;
may they be happy and joyful.

3

But the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!

4

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the cloudsb;
rejoice before him — his name is the Lord.

4

Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
exult before him!

5

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.

5

Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.

6

God sets the lonely in families,c
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

6

God settles the solitary in a home;
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

7

When you, God, went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness,d

7

O God, when you went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness, Selah

8

the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.

8

the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God,a the God of Israel.

9

You gave abundant showers, O God;
you refreshed your weary inheritance.

9

Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
you restored your inheritance as it languished;

10

Your people settled in it,
and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.

10

your flockb found a dwelling in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

11

The Lord announces the word,
and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:

11

The Lord gives the word;
the women who announce the news are a great host:

12

“Kings and armies flee in haste;
the women at home divide the plunder.

12

“The kings of the armies — they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil —

13

Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,e
the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
its feathers with shining gold.”

13

though you men lie among the sheepfolds —
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with shimmering gold.

14

When the Almightyf scattered the kings in the land,
it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.

14

When the Almighty scatters kings there,
let snow fall on Zalmon.

15

Mount Bashan, majestic mountain,
Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,

15

O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
O many-peakedc mountain, mountain of Bashan!

16

why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
at the mountain where God chooses to reign,
where the Lord himself will dwell forever?

16

Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount that God desired for his abode,
yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?

17

The chariots of God are tens of thousands
and thousands of thousands;
the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.g

17

The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands;
the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.

18

When you ascended on high,
you took many captives;
you received gifts from people,
even fromh the rebellious —
that you,iLord God, might dwell there.

18

You ascended on high,
leading a host of captives in your train
and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.

19

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.

19

Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah

20

Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

20

Our God is a God of salvation,
and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.

21

Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.

21

But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.

22

The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
I will bring them from the depths of the sea,

22

The Lord said,
“I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,

23

that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,
while the tongues of your dogs have their share.”

23

that you may strike your feet in their blood,
that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”

24

Your procession, God, has come into view,
the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.

24

Your procession isd seen, O God,
the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary —

25

In front are the singers, after them the musicians;
with them are the young women playing the timbrels.

25

the singers in front, the musicians last,
between them virgins playing tambourines:

26

Praise God in the great congregation;
praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.

26

“Bless God in the great congregation,
the Lord, O youe who are of Israel’s fountain!”

27

There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them,
there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

27

There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
the princes of Judah in their throng,
the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

28

Summon your power, Godj;
show us your strength, our God, as you have done before.

28

Summon your power, O God,f
the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.

29

Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings will bring you gifts.

29

Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings shall bear gifts to you.

30

Rebuke the beast among the reeds,
the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
Scatter the nations who delight in war.

30

Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
scatter the peoples who delight in war.g

31

Envoys will come from Egypt;
Cushk will submit herself to God.

31

Nobles shall come from Egypt;
Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God.

32

Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,
sing praise to the Lord,

32

O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
sing praises to the Lord, Selah

33

to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
who thunders with mighty voice.

33

to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.

34

Proclaim the power of God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
whose power is in the heavens.

34

Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose power is in the skies.

35

You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary;
the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Praise be to God!

35

Awesome is God from hish sanctuary;
the God of Israel — he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!

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Psalms 68

Psalms 68