Psalm 68 - Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Psalm 68

God’s Majestic Power

For the choir director. A Davidic psalm. A song.

1 God arises. His enemies scatter,
and those who hate Him flee from His presence.(A)
2 As smoke is blown away,
so You blow them away.
As wax melts before the fire,
so the wicked are destroyed before God.(B)
3 But the righteous are glad;
they rejoice before God and celebrate with joy.(C)

4 Sing to God! Sing praises to His name.
Exalt Him who rides on the clouds[a] —
His name is Yahweh[b]—and rejoice before Him.(D)
5 God in His holy dwelling is
a father of the fatherless
and a champion of widows.(E)
6 God provides homes for those who are deserted.
He leads out the prisoners to prosperity,[c]
but the rebellious live in a scorched land.(F)

7 God, when You went out before Your people,
when You marched through the desert,Selah
8 the earth trembled and the skies poured down rain
before God, the God of Sinai,[d]
before God, the God of Israel.(G)
9 You, God, showered abundant rain;
You revived Your inheritance when it languished.(H)
10 Your people settled in it;
God, You provided for the poor by Your goodness.(I)

11 The Lord gave the command;
a great company of women brought the good news:(J)
12 “The kings of the armies flee—they flee!”
She who stays at home divides the spoil.(K)
13 While[e] you lie among the sheepfolds,[f]
the wings of a dove are covered with silver,
and its feathers with glistening gold.(L)
14 When the Almighty scattered kings in the land,
it snowed on Zalmon.[g](M)

15 Mount Bashan is God’s towering mountain;
Mount Bashan is a mountain of many peaks.(N)
16 Why gaze with envy, you mountain peaks,
at the mountain[h] God desired for His dwelling?
The Lord will live there forever!(O)
17 God’s chariots are tens of thousands,
thousands and thousands;(P)
the Lord is among them in the sanctuary[i]
as He was at Sinai.(Q)
18 You ascended to the heights, taking away captives;
You received gifts from[j] people,
even from the rebellious,
so that the Lord God might live there.[k](R)

19 May the Lord be praised!
Day after day He bears our burdens;
God is our salvation.(S)Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
and escape from death belongs to the Lord God.(T)
21 Surely God crushes the heads of His enemies,
the hairy head of one who goes on in his guilty acts.(U)
22 The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan;
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea(V)
23 so that your foot may wade[l] in blood
and your dogs’ tongues may have their share
from the enemies.”(W)
24 People have seen Your procession, God,
the procession of my God,
my King, in the sanctuary.[m](X)
25 Singers[n] lead the way,
with musicians following;
among them are young women
playing tambourines.(Y)
26 Praise God in the assemblies;
praise the Lord from the fountain of Israel.(Z)
27 There is Benjamin, the youngest, leading them,
the rulers of Judah in their assembly,[o]
the rulers of Zebulun, the rulers of Naphtali.(AA)

28 Your God has decreed your strength.
Show Your strength, God,
You who have acted on our behalf.(AB)
29 Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,
kings will bring tribute to You.(AC)
30 Rebuke the beast[p] in the reeds,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.(AD)
Trample underfoot those with bars of silver.[q]
Scatter the peoples who take pleasure in war.(AE)
31 Ambassadors will come[r] from Egypt;
Cush will stretch out its hands[s] to God.(AF)

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;
sing praise to the Lord,(AG)Selah
33 to Him who rides in the ancient, highest heavens.(AH)
Look, He thunders with His powerful voice!(AI)
34 Ascribe power to God.
His majesty is over Israel,
His power among the clouds.(AJ)
35 God, You are awe-inspiring in Your sanctuaries.
The God of Israel gives power and strength to His people.
May God be praised!(AK)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:4 Or rides through the desert
  2. Psalm 68:4 Lit Yah
  3. Psalm 68:6 Or prisoners with joyous music; Hb uncertain
  4. Psalm 68:8 Lit God, this Sinai
  5. Psalm 68:13 Or If
  6. Psalm 68:13 Or campfires, or saddlebags; Hb obscure
  7. Psalm 68:14 Or Black Mountain
  8. Psalm 68:16 = Mount Zion
  9. Psalm 68:17 Or in holiness
  10. Psalm 68:18 Lit among
  11. Psalm 68:18 Or even those rebelling against the Lord God’s living there, or even rebels are living with the Lord God; Hb obscure
  12. Psalm 68:23 LXX, Syr read dip
  13. Psalm 68:24 Or in holiness
  14. Psalm 68:25 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr read Officials
  15. Psalm 68:27 Hb obscure
  16. Psalm 68:30 Probably Egypt
  17. Psalm 68:30 Or peoples, trampling on those who take pleasure in silver, or peoples, trampling on the bars of silver, or peoples, who trample each other for bars of silver
  18. Psalm 68:31 Or They bring red cloth, or They bring bronze
  19. Psalm 68:31 Probably with tribute or in submission

Cross references

  1. 68:1 : Nm 10:35; Ps 7:6; Ezk 30:26
  2. 68:2 : Ps 37:20; Hs 13:3
  3. 68:3 : Ps 32:11; 40:16; 64:10
  4. 68:4 : Dt 33:26; Ps 7:17; 66:4; Is 19:1
  5. 68:5 : Dt 24:17, 19; Ps 146:9
  6. 68:6 : Ps 107:14; 113:9; 146:7
  7. 68:7-8 : Ex 19:16-18; Jdg 5:4-5
  8. 68:9 : Lv 26:4; Ezk 34:26
  9. 68:10 : Ps 74:19; 78:20; 107:9
  10. 68:11 : 1Sm 18:6-7
  11. 68:12 : Jos 10:16; Jdg 5:30
  12. 68:13 : Gn 49:14; Jdg 5:16
  13. 68:14 : Jos 10:10; Jdg 9:48
  14. 68:15 : Ps 36:6
  15. 68:16 : Ps 48:1-2; 132:13-14; Is 2:2-4
  16. 68:17 : Hab 3:8
  17. 68:17 : Dt 33:2
  18. 68:18 : Dt 21:10; Ps 7:7; Eph 4:8
  19. 68:19 : Ps 55:22; Is 46:3-4
  20. 68:20 : Dt 32:39; Ps 49:15; 56:13
  21. 68:21 : Ps 110:6; Hab 3:13
  22. 68:22 : Nm 21:33; Am 9:1-4
  23. 68:23 : 1Kg 21:19; 22:38; Jr 15:3
  24. 68:24 : Ps 42:4; Is 60:11
  25. 68:25 : Ex 15:20; Jdg 11:34; 1Sm 18:6
  26. 68:26 : Ps 22:25; 26:12
  27. 68:27 : Jdg 5:14, 18; 1Sm 9:21
  28. 68:28 : Ps 44:4; Is 26:12
  29. 68:29 : Ps 72:10; Is 18:7; Hg 2:7
  30. 68:30 : Ps 22:12
  31. 68:30 : Ps 18:42; 89:10
  32. 68:31 : Is 45:14; Zph 3:10
  33. 68:32 : Ps 67:4; 102:22
  34. 68:33 : Dt 33:26
  35. 68:33 : Ps 29:3-5; 46:6; Is 30:30
  36. 68:34 : Ps 29:1; 150:1
  37. 68:35 : Dt 10:21; Ps 29:11; Is 40:29

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