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^a —

His name is the LORD—

and rejoice before Him.

⁵ A father of the fatherless,

and a defender of the 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^b 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.^c

¹⁸ You have ascended on high;

You have led captives away.

You have received gifts from men,^d

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;^e

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^f 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!