Psalm 68

¹Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered; *let those who hate him flee before him.

²Let them vanish like smoke when the wind drives it away; *as the wax melts at the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

³But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; *let them also be merry and joyful.

⁴Sing to God, sing praises to his Name; exalt him who rides upon the heavens; *Yahweh is his Name, rejoice before him!

⁵Father of orphans, defender of widows, *God in his holy habitation!

⁶God gives the solitary a home and brings forth prisoners into freedom; *but the rebels shall live in dry places.

⁷O God, when you went forth before your people, *when you marched through the wilderness,

⁸The earth shook, and the skies poured down rain, at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, *at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

⁹You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance; *you refreshed the land when it was weary.

¹⁰Your people found their home in it; *in your goodness, O God, you have made provision for the poor.

¹¹The Lord gave the word; *great was the company of women who bore the tidings:

¹²“Kings with their armies are fleeing away; *the women at home are dividing the spoils.”

¹³Though you lingered among the sheepfolds, *you shall be like a dove whose wings are covered with silver, whose feathers are like green gold.

¹⁴When the Almighty scattered kings, *it was like snow falling in Zalmon.

¹⁵O mighty mountain, O hill of Bashan! *O rugged mountain, O hill of Bashan!

¹⁶Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountain, at the hill which God chose for his resting place? *truly, the Lord will dwell there for ever.

¹⁷The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of thousands; *the Lord comes in holiness from Sinai.

¹⁸You have gone up on high and led captivity captive; you have received gifts even from your enemies, *that the Lord God might dwell among them.

¹⁹Blessed be the Lord day by day, *the God of our salvation, who bears our burdens.

²⁰He is our God, the God of our salvation; *God is the Lord, by whom we escape death.

²¹God shall crush the heads of his enemies, *and the hairy scalp of those who go on still in their wickedness.

²²The Lord has said, “I will bring them back from Bashan; *I will bring them back from the depths of the sea;

²³That your foot may be dipped in blood, *the tongues of your dogs in the blood of your enemies.”

²⁴They see your procession, O God, *your procession into the sanctuary, my God and my King.

²⁵The singers go before, musicians follow after, *in the midst of maidens playing upon the hand-drums.

²⁶Bless God in the congregation; *bless the Lord, you that are of the fountain of Israel.

²⁷There is Benjamin, least of the tribes, at the head; the princes of Judah in a company; *and the princes of Zebulon and Naphtali.

²⁸Send forth your strength, O God; *establish, O God, what you have wrought for us.

²⁹Kings shall bring gifts to you, *for your temple’s sake at Jerusalem.

³⁰Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds, *and the peoples, a herd of wild bulls with its calves.

³¹Trample down those who lust after silver; *scatter the peoples that delight in war.

³²Let tribute be brought out of Egypt; *let Ethiopia stretch out her hands to God.

³³Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; *sing praises to the Lord.

³⁴He rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; *he sends forth his voice, his mighty voice.

³⁵Ascribe power to God; *his majesty is over Israel; his strength is in the skies.

³⁶How wonderful is God in his holy places! *the God of Israel giving strength and power to his people! Blessed be God!