Psalm 68
God’s Enemies Are Scattered
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A song.
¹ God arises. His enemies are scattered, and those who hate Him flee His presence.
² As smoke is blown away, You will drive them out; as wax melts before the fire, the wicked will perish in the presence of God.
³ But the righteous will be glad and rejoice before God; they will celebrate with joy.
⁴ Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds 1— His name is the LORD— and rejoice before Him.
⁵ A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation.
⁶ God settles the lonely in families; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.
⁷ O God, when You went out before Your people, when You marched through the wasteland, Selah
⁸ the earth shook and the heavens poured down rain before God, the One on Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.
⁹ You sent abundant rain, O God; You refreshed Your weary inheritance.
¹⁰ Your flock settled therein; O God, from Your bounty You provided for the poor.
¹¹ The Lord gives the command; a great company of women proclaim it:
¹² “Kings and their armies flee in haste; she who waits at home divides the plunder.
¹³ Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, the wings of the dove are covered with silver, and her feathers with shimmering gold.”
¹⁴ When the Almighty 2 scattered the kings in the land, it was like the snow falling on Zalmon.
¹⁵ A mountain of God is Mount Bashan; a mountain of many peaks is Mount Bashan.
¹⁶ Why 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.
¹⁷ The chariots of God are tens of thousands— thousands of thousands are they; the Lord is in His sanctuary as He was at Sinai.3
¹⁸ You have ascended on high; You have led captives away. You have received gifts from men,4 even from the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.
¹⁹ Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God of our salvation. Selah
²⁰ Our God is a God of deliverance; the Lord GOD is our rescuer from death.
²¹ Surely God will crush the heads of His enemies, the hairy crowns of those who persist in guilty ways.
²² The Lord said, “I will retrieve them from Bashan, I will bring them up from the depths of the sea,
²³ that your foot may be dipped in the blood of your foes— the tongues of your dogs in the same.”
²⁴ They have seen Your procession, O God— the march of my God and King into the sanctuary.
²⁵ The singers lead the way, the musicians follow after, among the maidens playing tambourines.
²⁶ Bless God in the great congregation; bless the LORD from the fountain of Israel.
²⁷ There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them, the princes of Judah in their company, the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.
²⁸ Summon Your power, O God;5 show Your strength, O God, which You have exerted on our behalf.
²⁹ Because of Your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring You gifts.
³⁰ Rebuke 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.
³¹ Envoys will arrive from Egypt; Cush 6 will 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 highest heavens of old; behold, His mighty voice resounds.
³⁴ Ascribe the power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose strength is in the skies.
³⁵ O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!