Psalm 68
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song.
1 Let God arise!
Let his enemies be scattered!
Let them who hate him also flee
before him.
2 As smoke
is driven away,
so drive them
away.
As wax melts before
the fire,
so let the wicked perish
at the presence
of God.
3 But let
the righteous be glad.
Let them rejoice before God.
Yes, let them rejoice
with gladness.
4 Sing to God!
Sing praises to his name!
Extol him who rides
on the clouds:
to the LORD,
his name!
Rejoice before
him!
5 A father
of the fatherless,
and a defender of
the widows,
is God in
his holy habitation.
6 God sets
the lonely in families.
He brings out the prisoners
with singing,
but the rebellious dwell in
a sun-scorched land.
7 God, when
you went out
before your people,
when you marched
through the wilderness...
Selah.
8 The earth
trembled.
The sky also poured
down rain at the
presence of the God
of Sinai—
at the presence
of God, the God of
Israel.
9 You,
God, sent a plentiful rain.
You confirmed your inheritance
when it was weary.
10 Your congregation lived therein.
You, God, prepared
your goodness for
the poor.
11 The Lord
announced the word.
The ones
who proclaim it
are a great
company.
12 “Kings of
armies flee! They flee!”
She who waits at home divides
the plunder,
13 while
you sleep among the camp fires,
the wings of
a dove sheathed with silver,
her feathers with shining gold.
14 When
the Almighty scattered kings in
her,
it snowed on Zalmon.
15 The mountains of Bashan
are majestic mountains.
The mountains of Bashan
are rugged.
16 Why do
you look in envy,
you rugged mountains,
at the
mountain where God chooses to reign?
Yes, the LORD
will dwell there forever.
17 The chariots
of God are tens
of thousands and thousands
of thousands.
The Lord is
among them,
from Sinai, into the sanctuary.
18 You
have ascended on high.
You have led away captives.
You have received gifts among
people,
yes, among the rebellious also,
that the LORD
God might dwell there.
19 Blessed be
the Lord, who daily bears
our burdens,
even the God who
is our salvation.
Selah.
20 God is
to us a God
of deliverance.
To GOD,
the Lord, belongs escape from death.
21 But God
will strike through the head
of his enemies,
the hairy scalp of such
a one as still continues in his
guiltiness.
22 The Lord
said, “I will bring
you again from Bashan,
I will bring
you again from
the depths of
the sea,
23 that
you may crush them,
dipping your foot in blood,
that the tongues
of your dogs may
have their portion
from your enemies.”
24 They
have seen your processions, God,
even the processions of
my God, my King,
into the sanctuary.
25 The singers
went before,
the minstrels followed after,
among the ladies playing
with tambourines,
26 “Bless God
in the congregations,
even the Lord in
the assembly of Israel!”
27 There
is little Benjamin, their ruler,
the princes of Judah,
their council,
the princes of Zebulun,
and the princes
of Naphtali.
28 Your God
has commanded your strength.
Strengthen, God, that which you
have done for us.
29 Because of
your temple at Jerusalem,
kings shall bring presents to
you.
30 Rebuke
the wild animal of
the reeds,
the multitude of
the bulls with
the calves of
the peoples.
Trample under foot the bars
of silver.
Scatter the nations who delight
in war.
31 Princes
shall come out
of Egypt.
Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out
her hands to God.
32 Sing to
God, you kingdoms
of the earth!
Sing praises to the Lord—
Selah—
33 to him
who rides on the heaven
of heavens, which are
of old;
behold, he utters his voice,
a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe
strength to God!
His excellency is
over Israel,
his strength is
in the skies.
35 You
are awesome, God,
in your sanctuaries.
The God of
Israel gives
strength and power
to his people.
Praise be to God!