Psalm 68

The God of Sinai and of the Sanctuary.

¹May God arise, may His enemies be scattered,[#68:1 Or God shall; #68:1 Or His enemies shall]

And may those who hate Him flee from His presence.

²As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;

As wax melts before a fire,

So the wicked will perish before God.

³But the righteous will be joyful; they will rejoice before God;

Yes, they will rejoice with gladness.

⁴Sing to God, sing praises to His name;

Exalt Him who rides through the deserts,

Whose name is the Lord , and be jubilant before Him.

⁵¶A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows,[#68:5 Lit of]

Is God in His holy dwelling.

⁶God makes a home for the lonely;[#68:6 Lit makes the solitary to dwell in a house]

He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,

Only the rebellious live in parched lands.

⁷¶God, when You went forth before Your people,

When You marched through the desert, Selah

⁸The earth quaked;

The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;

Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

⁹You made plentiful rain fall, God;

You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched.

¹⁰Your creatures settled in it;

In Your kindness You provided for the poor, God.

¹¹¶The Lord gives the command;[#68:11 Lit word]

The women who proclaim good news are a great army:

¹²“Kings of armies flee, they flee,

And she who remains at home will divide the spoils!”

¹³When you lie down among the sheepfolds,[#68:13 Lit If]

You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver,

And its pinions with glistening gold.

¹⁴When the Almighty scattered the kings there,[#68:14 Lit in it]

It was snowing in Zalmon.

¹⁵¶The mountain of Bashan is a mountain of God;[#68:15 Or mighty mountain]

The mountain of Bashan is a mountain of many peaks.

¹⁶Why do you look with envy, you mountains of many peaks,

At the mountain God has desired as His dwelling?

Indeed, the Lord will dwell there forever.

¹⁷The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands;[#68:17 Lit twice 10,000]

The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.

¹⁸You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives;

You have received gifts among people,

Even among the rebellious as well, that the Lord God may dwell there.

¹⁹¶Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,

The God who is our salvation. Selah

²⁰God is to us a God of salvation;

And to God the Lord belong ways of escape from death.

²¹God certainly will shatter the heads of His enemies,

The hairy head of one who goes about in his guilt.

²²The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan.[#68:22 Or says]

I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,

²³So that your foot may shatter them in blood,[#68:23 Some ancient versions render, you may bathe your foot in blood]

And the tongue of your dogs may have its portion from your enemies.”

²⁴¶They have seen Your procession, God,

The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.

²⁵The singers went on, the musicians after them,

In the midst of the young women beating tambourines.

²⁶Bless God in the congregations,

Even the Lord , you who are of the fountain of Israel.

²⁷Benjamin, the youngest, is there, ruling them,[#68:27 Or smallest; #68:27 Or their ruler]

The leaders of Judah in their company,

The leaders of Zebulun, the leaders of Naphtali.

²⁸¶Your God has commanded your strength;[#68:28 Some mss Command, God]

Show Yourself strong, God, You who acted in our behalf.

²⁹Because of Your temple at Jerusalem[#68:29 Or From Your temple]

Kings will bring gifts to You.

³⁰Rebuke the animals in the reeds,[#68:30 Lit of]

The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,

Trampling the pieces of silver;

He has scattered the peoples who delight in war.

³¹Messengers will come from Egypt;[#68:31 As in LXX; MT uncertain, possibly, Articles of bronze; or Articles of red cloth]

Cush will quickly stretch out her hands to God.

³²¶Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,

Sing praises to the Lord, Selah

³³To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times;[#68:33 Lit heaven of heavens of old]

Behold, He speaks with His voice, a mighty voice.

³⁴Ascribe strength to God;

His majesty is over Israel,

And His strength is in the skies.

³⁵God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary.[#68:35 Or Awesome is God from your sanctuary; #68:35 Lit holy places]

The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people.

Blessed be God!