Psalm
Select chapter 68

Psalm 68

The God of Sinai and of the Sanctuary.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David. A Song.

1[a]Let God arise, [b]let His enemies be scattered,
And [c]let those who hate Him flee before Him.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish before God.
3 But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God;
Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
[d]Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts,
Whose name is [e]the Lord, and exult before Him.

5 A father of the fatherless and a judge [f]for the widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
6 God [g]makes a home for the lonely;
He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

7 O God, when You went forth before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness, [h]Selah.
8 The earth quaked;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
[i]Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God;
You confirmed Your inheritance when it was [j]parched.
10 Your creatures settled in it;
You provided in Your goodness for the poor, O God.

11 The Lord gives the [k]command;
The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host:
12 “Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home will divide the spoil!”
13 [l]When you lie down among the [m]sheepfolds,
You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And its pinions with glistening gold.
14 When the Almighty scattered the kings [n]there,
It was snowing in Zalmon.

15 A [o]mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan;
A mountain of many peaks is the mountain of Bashan.
16 Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks,
At the mountain which God has desired for His abode?
Surely the Lord will dwell there forever.
17 The chariots of God are [p]myriads, thousands upon thousands;
[q]The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.
18 You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives;
You have received gifts among men,
Even among the rebellious also, that [r]the Lord God may dwell there.

19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,
The God who is our salvation. Selah.
20 God is to us a God of deliverances;
And to [s]God the Lord belong escapes [t]from death.
21 Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies,
The hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds.
22 The Lord [u]said, “I will bring them back from Bashan.
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea;
23 That [v]your foot may shatter them in blood,
The tongue of your dogs may have its portion from your enemies.”

24 They have seen Your [w]procession, O God,
The [x]procession of my God, my King, [y]into the sanctuary.
25 The singers went on, the musicians after them,
[z]In the midst of the maidens beating tambourines.
26 Bless God in the congregations,
Even the Lord, you who are of the fountain of Israel.
27 There is Benjamin, the [aa]youngest, [ab]ruling them,
The princes of Judah in their throng,
The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

28 [ac]Your God has commanded your strength;
Show Yourself strong, O God, who have acted [ad]on our behalf.
29 [ae]Because of Your temple at Jerusalem
Kings will bring gifts to You.
30 Rebuke the beasts [af]in the reeds,
The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Trampling under foot the pieces of silver;
He has scattered the peoples who delight in war.
31 Envoys will come out of Egypt;
[ag]Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.

32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
Sing praises to the Lord, Selah.
33 To Him who rides upon the [ah]highest heavens, which are from ancient times;
Behold, He [ai]speaks forth with His voice, a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe strength to God;
His majesty is over Israel
And His strength is in the [aj]skies.
35 [ak]O God, You are awesome from Your [al]sanctuary.
The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people.
Blessed be God!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:1 Or God shall
  2. Psalm 68:1 Or His enemies shall
  3. Psalm 68:1 Or those who hate Him shall
  4. Psalm 68:4 Or Cast up a highway
  5. Psalm 68:4 Heb Yah
  6. Psalm 68:5 Lit of
  7. Psalm 68:6 Lit makes the solitary to dwell in a house
  8. Psalm 68:7 Selah may mean: Pause, Crescendo or Musical interlude
  9. Psalm 68:8 Lit This is Sinai which
  10. Psalm 68:9 Lit weary
  11. Psalm 68:11 Lit word
  12. Psalm 68:13 Lit If
  13. Psalm 68:13 Or cooking stones or saddle bags
  14. Psalm 68:14 Lit in it
  15. Psalm 68:15 Or mighty mountain is
  16. Psalm 68:17 Lit twice ten thousand
  17. Psalm 68:17 Another reading is The Lord came from Sinai into the sanctuary
  18. Psalm 68:18 Heb Yah
  19. Psalm 68:20 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  20. Psalm 68:20 I.e. in view of; lit for
  21. Psalm 68:22 Or says
  22. Psalm 68:23 Some versions render, you may bathe your foot in blood
  23. Psalm 68:24 Lit goings
  24. Psalm 68:24 Lit goings
  25. Psalm 68:24 Lit in the sanctuary; or in holiness
  26. Psalm 68:25 Or The maidens in the midst
  27. Psalm 68:27 Or smallest
  28. Psalm 68:27 Or their ruler
  29. Psalm 68:28 Some mss read Command, God
  30. Psalm 68:28 Lit for us
  31. Psalm 68:29 Or From Your temple
  32. Psalm 68:30 Lit of
  33. Psalm 68:31 Lit Cush
  34. Psalm 68:33 Lit heaven of heavens of old
  35. Psalm 68:33 Lit gives forth
  36. Psalm 68:34 Lit clouds
  37. Psalm 68:35 Or Awesome is God from your sanctuary
  38. Psalm 68:35 Lit holy places
Psalm 68