Psalms 68

1 To the Overseer. — A Psalm, a song of David. Rise doth God — scattered are His enemies! And those hating Him flee from His face.

For the chief musician; A psalm of David, a song. Let God arise; let his enemies be scattered; let those also who hate him flee before him.

2 As the driving away of smoke Thou drivest away, As the melting of wax before fire, The wicked perish at the presence of God.

As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish in the presence of God.

3 And the righteous rejoice, they exult before God, And they joy with gladness.

But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; may they rejoice and be happy.

4 Sing ye to God — praise His name, Raise up a highway for Him who is riding in deserts, In Jah [is] His name, and exult before Him.

Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Praise the one who rides through the plains of the Jordan River valley! Yahweh is his name! Rejoice before him!

5 Father of the fatherless, and judge of the widows, [Is] God in His holy habitation.

A father of the fatherless, a judge of the widows, is God in the holy place where he lives.

6 God — causing the lonely to dwell at home, Bringing out bound ones into prosperity, Only — the refractory have inhabited a dry place.

God puts the lonely into families; he brings out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a parched land.

7 O God, in Thy going forth before Thy people, In Thy stepping through the wilderness, (Selah)

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

8 The earth hath shaken, Yea, the heavens have dropped before God, This Sinai — before God, the God of Israel.

The earth trembled; the heavens also dropped rain in God's presence, in the presence of God when he came to Sinai, in the presence of God, the God of Israel.

9 A shower of free-will gifts thou shakest out, O God. Thine inheritance, when it hath been weary, Thou hast established it.

You, God, sent a plentiful rain; you strengthened your inheritance when it was weary.

10 Thy company have dwelt in it, Thou preparest in Thy goodness for the poor, O God.

Your people lived in it; You, God, gave from your goodness to the poor.

11 The Lord doth give the saying, The female proclaimers [are] a numerous host.

The Lord gave the orders, and those who announced them were a great army.

12 Kings of hosts flee utterly away, And a female inhabitant of the house apportioneth spoil.

Kings of armies flee, they flee, and the women waiting at home divide the plunder:

13 Though ye do lie between two boundaries, Wings of a dove covered with silver, And her pinions with yellow gold.

doves covered with silver with wings of yellow gold. When some of you people stayed among the sheepfolds, why did you do this?

14 When the Mighty spreadeth kings in it, It doth snow in Salmon.

The Almighty scattered kings there, it was as when it snowed on Mount Zalmon.

15 A hill of God [is] the hill of Bashan, A hill of heights [is] the hill of Bashan.

A mighty mountain is the hill country of Bashan; a high mountain is the hill country of Bashan.

16 Why do ye envy, O high hills, The hill God hath desired for His seat? Jehovah also doth tabernacle for ever.

Why do you look in envy, you high hill country, at the mountain which God desires for the place he will live? Indeed, Yahweh will live in it forever.

17 The chariots of God [are] myriads, thousands of changes, The Lord [is] among them, in Sinai, in the sanctuary.

The chariots of God are twenty thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them in the holy place, as at Sinai.

18 Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast taken captive captivity, Thou hast taken gifts for men, That even the refractory may rest, O Jah God.

You have ascended on high; you have led away captives; you have received gifts from among men, even from those who fought against you, so that you, Yahweh God, might live there.

19 Blessed [is] the Lord, day by day He layeth on us. God Himself [is] our salvation. (Selah)

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, the God who is our salvation. (Selah)

20 God Himself [is] to us a God for deliverances, And Jehovah Lord hath the outgoings of death.

Our God is a God who saves; Yahweh the Lord is the one who is able to rescue us from death.

21 Only — God doth smite The head of His enemies, The hairy crown of a habitual walker in his guilt.

But God will strike through the heads of his enemies, through the hairy scalps of those who walk in offenses against him.

22 The Lord said: 'From Bashan I bring back, I bring back from the depths of the sea.

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

23 So that thou dashest thy foot in blood, [In the blood of] enemies — the tongue of Thy dogs.'

so that you may crush your enemies, dipping your foot in blood, and so that the tongues of your dogs may have their share from your enemies.”

24 They have seen Thy goings, O God, Goings of my God, my king, in the sanctuary.

They have seen your processions, God, the processions of my God, my King, into the holy place.

25 Singers have been before, Behind [are] players on instruments, In the midst virgins playing with timbrels.

The singers went first, the minstrels followed after, and in the middle were the unmarried girls playing tambourines.

26 In assemblies bless ye God, The Lord — from the fountain of Israel.

Bless God in the assemblies; praise Yahweh, you who are from the fountain of Israel.

27 There [is] little Benjamin their ruler, Heads of Judah their defence, Heads of Zebulun — heads of Naphtali.

There is first Benjamin, the smallest tribe, then the leaders of Judah and their multitudes, the leaders of Zebulun and the leaders of Naphtali.

28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength, Be strong, O God, this Thou hast wrought for us.

Your God, Israel, has decreed your strength; reveal to us your power, God, as you have revealed it in times past.

29 Because of Thy temple at Jerusalem, To Thee do kings bring a present.

Reveal your power to us from your temple at Jerusalem, where kings bring gifts to you.

30 Rebuke a beast of the reeds, a company of bulls, With calves of the peoples, Each humbling himself with pieces of silver, Scatter Thou peoples delighting in conflicts.

Shout in battle against the wild beasts in the reeds, against the peoples, that multitude of bulls and calves. Humiliate them and make them bring you gifts; scatter the peoples who love to wage war.

31 Come do fat ones out of Egypt, Cush causeth her hands to run to God.

Princes will come out of Egypt; Cush will hurry to reach out with her hands to God.

32 Kingdoms of the earth, sing ye to God, Praise ye the Lord. (Selah)

Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; (Selah) Sing praises to Yahweh.

33 To him who is riding on the heavens of the heavens of old, Lo, He giveth with His voice a strong voice.

To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which exist from ancient times; see, he lifts up his voice with power.

34 Ascribe ye strength to God, Over Israel [is] His excellency, and His strength in the clouds.

Ascribe strength to God; his majesty is over Israel, and his strength is in the skies.

35 Fearful, O God, out of Thy sanctuaries, The God of Israel Himself, Giving strength and might to the people. Blessed [is] God!

God, you are fearsome in your holy place; the God of Israel—he gives strength and power to his people. Blessed be God.