Psalms 68
1 To the Chief Musician. David’s. A Melody, a Song. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered, Yea let them that hate him flee before him:
For the music director. A psalm of David. A song. Stand up, God, and scatter your enemies. Let those who hate him run away from him!
2 As smoke is driven about, Let them be driven about, —As wax is melted before a fire, Let the lawless perish before God.
Blow them away as if they were smoke; melt them like beeswax in a fire. Let the wicked die in God's presence.
3 But let, the righteous, be glad, let them exult before God, Yea let them rejoice with gladness.
But those who are right with God are happy, and they celebrate in God's presence, full of joy.
4 Sing ye to God, Make music of his Name, —Lift up (a song), to him that rideth through the waste plains, —Since Yah is his name, exult ye before him.
Sing praises to God! Sing praises to his wonderful reputation! Praise the rider of the clouds—his name is the Lord! Be happy in his presence!
5 The father of the fatherless, And the advocate of widows, Is God, in his holy habitation.
He is a father to the orphans, a protector of widows. This is who God is, who lives in his holy place.
6 God, is he that causeth the solitary to dwell in a home, That bringeth out prisoners into prosperity, But, the rebellious, have made their habitation in a sunburnt land.
God gives those who are abandoned a family to live with. He sets prisoners free with celebration. But those who rebel live in a desert wasteland.
7 O God! When thou camest forth before thy people, When thou didst stride through the wilderness, (Selah)
God, when you led your people out, when you marched through the desert, (Selah)
8 Earth, trembled, Yea, the heavens, dripped at the presence of God, —This Sinai—at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
the earth quaked, and the heavens shook before God, the one of Sinai; before God, the God of Israel.
9 A bounteous rain, dost thou shed abroad, O God, upon thine inheritance, When exhausted, thou thyself, hast supported it:
You sent plenty of rain to water the promised land; refreshing it when it was dry.
10 Thy living host, have remained therein, Thou dost provide, in thy bounty, for the humbled ones—O God!
Your people settled there, and because of your kindness, God, you looked after the poor. (Selah)
11 Let, My Lord, but give the word, The herald bands, will be a mighty host:
The Lord gives the command, and a great army of women spread the good news.
12 Kings of armies, they flee! they flee! And, she that stayeth at home, shall share the spoil.
The kings of the foreign armies are quick to run away, and the women who stayed at home divide the plunder!
13 Though ye rest between the folds, The wings of the dove, shall be covered with silver, And, her pinions, with green-shimmering gold.
Why are you staying at home? There are ornaments in the shape of a dove with wings of silver and feathers of fine gold to be taken.
14 When the Almighty scattereth kings therein, It will gleam like snow in the gloom:
The Almighty scattered the foreign kings like a snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.
15 A mighty mountain, is the mountain of Bashan, A mountain of peaks, is the mountain of Bashan!—
“Mountain of God,” Mount Bashan, with your many high peaks, Mount Bashan,
16 Wherefore start ye up, ye mountains, ye peaks? The mountain God hath coveted for his habitation, Surely, Yahweh will inhabit it ever!
why do you look enviously, mountain with many peaks, at the mountain God chose as his home, where the Lord will live forever?
17 The chariots of God, are two myriads—thousands repeated, My Lord, is among them Sinai, is in the sanctuary!
God's chariots can't be counted; there are thousands and thousands of them. He comes among them from Sinai into his Temple.
18 Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led in procession a body of captives, Thou hast received gifts consisting of men, Yea even the rebellious, That, Yah, Elohim, might settle down to rest.
As you ascended to your high throne you led a procession of prisoners. You received gifts from the people, even from those who had rebelled against the home of the Lord God.
19 Blessed be My Lord! Day by day, he beareth our burden for us, GOD himself, is our salvation. (Selah)
May the Lord be blessed, for every day he carries our burdens. God is our salvation. (Selah)
20 The GOD we have, is a GOD of saving deeds, And, due to Yahweh, My Lord, are escapes from death.
For us, God is a God who saves. The Lord God provides our escape from death.
21 Yea, God himself, will smite through the head of his foes, —The hairy crown of him that is marching on in his guilty deeds.
But God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy heads of those who continue to sin.
22 Said My Lord, From Bashan, will I bring back, —I will bring back from the depths of the sea:
The Lord says, “I will drag them down from Bashan; I will drag them up from the depths of the sea,
23 That thou mayest bathe thy foot in blood, —The tongue of thy dogs, from the foes, hath its portion.
so that you may walk in their blood. Even your dogs will have their share of your enemies.”
24 They have seen thy progress O God, The progress of my GOD, my king into the sanctuary:
People watch your processions, God—the processions of my God and King as they go into the Temple.
25 In front are the singers, Behind are the harpers, In the midst of damsels playing on timbrels:
The singers are at the front, the musicians at the back, and in the middle girls playing tambourines.
26 In the congregations, bless ye God, My Lord, from among the called of Israel:
Praise God, everyone who has come to worship; praise the Lord, everyone who belongs to Israel.
27 There, is Benjamin, the Diminutive—ruling them, The princes of Judah—their throng, The princes of Zebulun, The princes of Naphtali.
There is the little tribe of Benjamin, followed by the many leaders from Judah; then come the leaders of Zebulun and Naphtali.
28 Thy God hath commanded thy strength, —The strength, O God, which thou hast wrought for us.
Display your power, God! Reveal your strength, Lord, as you have done for us in the past.
29 Because of thy temple above Jerusalem, Unto thee, shall kings bear along a gift—
Because of your Temple in Jerusalem, kings bring tribute to you.
30 Rebuke thou, The wild beast of the reeds, The herd of mighty oxen among the calves of the peoples—Each one bowing down with bars of silver, —Scatter thou the peoples, who in wars take delight.
Condemn the beasts of the reeds, the bulls and calves! May they be humbled and bring bars of silver in tribute! Scatter the war-loving nations!
31 Ambassadors come out of Egypt, The Ethiopian, eagerly stretcheth out his hands, unto God.
Let Egypt come with bronze gifts; let Ethiopia come quickly and hand over their tributes to God!
32 Ye kingdoms of the earth, sing unto God, Praise in song Adonay. (Selah)
Sing to God, kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord. (Selah)
33 Unto him that rideth upon the most ancient heavens, Lo! he uttereth his voice, a voice of strength.
Sing to the rider of the ancient heavens, his strong voice sounding like thunder!
34 Ascribe ye strength unto God, —Over Israel, is his majesty, And his strength, in the skies. To be revered is God, for his sanctuary, —
Let everyone know of God's power: how his majesty extends over Israel, how his strength is revealed in the heavens.
35 As for the GOD of Israel, he, is giving strength and abundant might to the people. Blessed be God!
How awesome is God in his Temple! The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people! Praise God!
