Psalms 68

God arises and his enemies scatter

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A song. God arises. His enemies are scattered, and those who hate Him flee His presence.a ²As smoke is blown away, You will drive them out; as wax melts before the fire, the wicked will perish in the presence of God. ³But the righteous will be glad and rejoice before God; they will celebrate with joy.

⁴Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds — His name is the LORD— and rejoice before Him.b ⁵A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in His holy habitation.c ⁶God settles the lonely in families; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.d

⁷O God, when You went out before Your people, when You marched through the wasteland, Selahe ⁸the earth shook and the heavens poured down rain before God, the One on Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.f ⁹You sent abundant rain, O God; You refreshed Your weary inheritance.

¹⁰Your flock settled therein; O God, from Your bounty You provided for the poor. ¹¹The Lord gives the command; a great company of women proclaim it:g ¹²“Kings and their armies flee in haste; she who waits at home divides the plunder.

¹³Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, the wings of the dove are covered with silver, and her feathers with shimmering gold.” ¹⁴When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like the snow falling on Zalmon. ¹⁵A mountain of God is Mount Bashan; a mountain of many peaks is Mount Bashan.

¹⁶Why do you gaze in envy, O mountains of many peaks? This is the mountain God chose for His dwelling, where the LORD will surely dwell forever. ¹⁷The chariots of God are tens of thousands— thousands of thousands are they; the Lord is in His sanctuary as He was at Sinai.h ¹⁸You have ascended on high; You have led captives away. You have received gifts from men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.i

¹⁹Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God of our salvation. Selahj ²⁰Our God is a God of deliverance; the Lord GOD is our rescuer from death.k ²¹Surely God will crush the heads of His enemies, the hairy crowns of those who persist in guilty ways.

²²The Lord said, “I will retrieve them from Bashan, I will bring them up from the depths of the sea, ²³that your foot may be dipped in the blood of your foes— the tongues of your dogs in the same.”l ²⁴They have seen Your procession, O God— the march of my God and King into the sanctuary.

²⁵The singers lead the way, the musicians follow after, among the maidens playing tambourines. ²⁶Bless God in the great congregation; bless the LORD from the fountain of Israel. ²⁷There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them, the princes of Judah in their company, the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

²⁸Summon Your power, O God; show Your strength, O God, which You have exerted on our behalf. ²⁹Because of Your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring You gifts. ³⁰Rebuke the beast in the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations, until it submits, bringing bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.

³¹Envoys will arrive from Egypt; Cush will stretch out her hands to God. ³²Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord— Selah ³³to Him who rides upon the highest heavens of old; behold, His mighty voice resounds.

³⁴Ascribe the power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose strength is in the skies. ³⁵O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!m