68:1 [For the music director. A Psalm of David. A Song.]
①May God arise, ②may His enemies be scattered,
And ③may those who hate Him flee from His presence.
▷ ①Or God shall ②Or His enemies shall ③Or those who hate Him shall
68:2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
As wax melts before a fire,
So the wicked will perish before God.
68:3 But the righteous will be joyful; they will rejoice before God;
Yes, they will rejoice with gladness.
68:4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
①Exalt Him who rides through the deserts,
Whose name is ②the LORD, and be jubilant before Him.
▷ ①Or Prepare the way for Him ②Heb YAH
68:5 A father of the fatherless and a judge ①for the widows,
Is God in His holy dwelling.
▷ ①Lit of
68:6 God ①makes a home for the lonely;
He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only the rebellious live in parched lands.
▷ ①Lit makes the solitary to dwell in a house
68:7 God, when You went forth before Your people,
When You marched through the desert, Selah
68:8 The earth quaked;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
①Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
▷ ①Lit This is Sinai which
68:9 You made plentiful rain fall, God;
You confirmed Your inheritance when it was ①parched.
▷ ①Lit weary
68:10 Your creatures settled in it;
In Your kindness You provided for the poor, God.
68:11 The Lord gives the ①command;
The women who proclaim good news are a great army:
▷ ①Lit word
68:12 “Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home will divide the spoils!”
68:13 ①When you lie down among the sheepfolds,
You are like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And its pinions with ②glistening gold.
▷ ①Lit If ②I.e., gold alloyed with silver
68:14 When the Almighty scattered the kings ①there,
It was snowing in Zalmon.
▷ ①Lit in it
68:15 The mountain of Bashan is a ①mountain of God;
The mountain of Bashan is a mountain of many peaks.
▷ ①Or mighty mountain
68:16 Why 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.
68:17 The chariots of God are ①myriads, thousands upon thousands;
②The Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness.
▷ ①Lit twice 10,000 ②Another reading is The Lord came from Sinai into the sanctuary
68:18 You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives;
You have received gifts among people,
Even among the rebellious as well, that ①the LORD God may dwell there.
▷ ①Heb YAH
68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,
The God who is our salvation. Selah
68:20 God is to us a God of salvation;
And to ①GOD the Lord belong ways of escape ②from death.
▷ ①Heb YHWH, usually rendered LORD ②I.e., in view of; lit for
68:21 God certainly will shatter the heads of His enemies,
The hairy ①head of one who goes about in his guilt.
▷ ①Lit skull
68:22 The Lord ①said, “I will bring them back from Bashan.
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
▷ ①Or says
68:23 So that ①your foot may shatter them in blood,
And the tongue of your dogs may have its portion from your enemies.”
▷ ①Some ancient versions render, you may bathe your foot in blood
68:24 They have seen Your procession, God,
The procession of my God, my King, ①into the sanctuary.
▷ ①Or in holiness
68:25 The singers went on, the musicians after them,
①In the midst of the young women beating tambourines.
▷ ①Or The maidens in the midst
68:26 Bless God in the congregations,
Even the LORD, you who are of the fountain of Israel.
68:27 Benjamin, the ①youngest, is there, ②ruling them,
The leaders of Judah in their company,
The leaders of Zebulun, the leaders of Naphtali.
▷ ①Or smallest ②Or their ruler
68:28 ①Your God has commanded your strength;
Show Yourself strong, God, You who acted ②in our behalf.
▷ ①Some mss Command, God ②Lit for us
68:29 ①Because of Your temple at Jerusalem
Kings will bring gifts to You.
▷ ①Or From Your temple
68:30 Rebuke the animals ①in the reeds,
The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
Trampling the pieces of silver;
He has scattered the peoples who delight in war.
▷ ①Lit of
68:31 ①Messengers will come from Egypt;
②Cush will quickly stretch out her hands to God.
▷ ①As in LXX; MT uncertain, possibly, Articles of bronze; or Articles of red cloth ②Or Ethiopia
68:32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,
Sing praises to the Lord, Selah
68:33 To Him who rides upon the ①highest heavens, which are from ancient times;
Behold, He ②speaks with His voice, a mighty voice.
▷ ①Lit heaven of heavens of old ②Lit gives forth
68:34 Ascribe strength to God;
His majesty is over Israel,
And His strength is in the ①skies.
▷ ①Lit clouds
68:35 ①God, You are awesome from Your ②sanctuary.
The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people.
Blessed be God!
▷ ①Or Awesome is God from your sanctuary ②Lit holy places