Psalms 68
For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David.
1Rise up, O God, and scatter your enemies.
Let those who hate God run for their lives.
2Blow them away like smoke.
Melt them like wax in a fire.
Let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
3But let the godly rejoice.
Let them be glad in God’s presence.
Let them be filled with joy.
4Sing praises to God and to his name!
Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds.
Psalms 68:4 Or rides through the deserts.
His name is the Lord—
rejoice in his presence!
5Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
6God 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.
7O God, when you led your people out from Egypt,
when you marched through the dry wasteland,
Interlude
8the earth trembled, and the heavens poured down rain
before you, the God of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9You sent abundant rain, O God,
to refresh the weary land.
10There your people finally settled,
and with a bountiful harvest, O God,
you provided for your needy people.
11The Lord gives the word,
and a great army brings the good news.
Psalms 68:11 Or a host of women.
12Enemy kings and their armies flee,
while the women of Israel divide the plunder.
13Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures—
doves with wings of silver
and feathers of gold.
14The Almighty scattered the enemy kings
like a blowing snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.
15The mountains of Bashan are majestic,
with many peaks stretching high into the sky.
16Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains,
at Mount Zion, where God has chosen to live,
where the Lord himself will live forever?
17Surrounded by unnumbered thousands of chariots,
the Lord came from Mount Sinai into his sanctuary.
18When 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.
19Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!
For each day he carries us in his arms.
Interlude
20Our God is a God who saves!
The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death.
21But God will smash the heads of his enemies,
crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways.
22The Lord says, “I will bring my enemies down from Bashan;
I will bring them up from the depths of the sea.
23You, my people, will wash your feet in their blood,
Psalms 68:23 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads shatter.
and even your dogs will get their share!”
24Your procession has come into view, O God—
the procession of my God and King as he goes into the sanctuary.
25Singers are in front, musicians behind;
between them are young women playing tambourines.
26Praise God, all you people of Israel;
praise the Lord, the source of Israel’s life.
27Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way.
Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judah
and all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali.
28Summon your might, O God.
Psalms 68:28 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek and Syriac versions; most Hebrew manuscripts read Your God has commanded your strength.
Display your power, O God, as you have in the past.
29The kings of the earth are bringing tribute
to your Temple in Jerusalem.
30Rebuke these enemy nations—
these wild animals lurking in the reeds,
this herd of bulls among the weaker calves.
Make them bring bars of silver in humble tribute.
Scatter the nations that delight in war.
31Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals;
Psalms 68:31a Or of rich cloth.
let Ethiopia bring tribute to God.
Psalms 68:31b Hebrew Cush.
32Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth.
Sing praises to the Lord.
Interlude
33Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens,
his mighty voice thundering from the sky.
34Tell everyone about God’s power.
His majesty shines down on Israel;
his strength is mighty in the heavens.
35God is awesome in his sanctuary.
The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Praise be to God!
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Wheaton Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
New Living, NLT, and the New Living Translation logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers. www.tyndale.com
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