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 *—
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 † 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.‡
18 You 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.
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;*
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 † 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!
* 68:4 Or rides through the deserts † 68:14 Hebrew Shaddai ‡ 68:17 Or the Lord has come from Sinai in His holiness § 68:18 Cited in Ephesians 4:8 * 68:28 LXX and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned your power † 68:31 That is, the upper Nile region