Psalm 68 - New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 68[a]

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

1 May God arise,(A) may his enemies be scattered;(B)
may his foes flee(C) before him.
2 May you blow them away like smoke—(D)
as wax melts(E) before the fire,
may the wicked perish(F) before God.
3 But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice(G) before God;
may they be happy and joyful.

4 Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,(H)
extol him who rides on the clouds[b](I);
rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.(J)
5 A father to the fatherless,(K) a defender of widows,(L)
is God in his holy dwelling.(M)
6 God sets the lonely(N) in families,[c](O)
he leads out the prisoners(P) with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.(Q)

7 When you, God, went out(R) before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness,[d](S)
8 the earth shook,(T) the heavens poured down rain,(U)
before God, the One of Sinai,(V)
before God, the God of Israel.(W)
9 You gave abundant showers,(X) O God;
you refreshed your weary inheritance.
10 Your people settled in it,
and from your bounty,(Y) God, you provided(Z) for the poor.

11 The Lord announces the word,
and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:(AA)
12 “Kings and armies flee(AB) in haste;
the women at home divide the plunder.(AC)
13 Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,[e](AD)
the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
its feathers with shining gold.”
14 When the Almighty[f] scattered(AE) the kings in the land,
it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.(AF)

15 Mount Bashan,(AG) majestic mountain,(AH)
Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
16 why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
at the mountain where God chooses(AI) to reign,
where the Lord himself will dwell forever?(AJ)
17 The chariots(AK) of God are tens of thousands
and thousands of thousands;(AL)
the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.[g]
18 When you ascended(AM) on high,(AN)
you took many captives;(AO)
you received gifts from people,(AP)
even from[h] the rebellious(AQ)—
that you,[i] Lord God, might dwell there.

19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,(AR)
who daily bears our burdens.(AS)
20 Our God is a God who saves;(AT)
from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.(AU)
21 Surely God will crush the heads(AV) of his enemies,
the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
22 The Lord says, “I will bring them from Bashan;
I will bring them from the depths of the sea,(AW)
23 that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,(AX)
while the tongues of your dogs(AY) have their share.”

24 Your procession, God, has come into view,
the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.(AZ)
25 In front are the singers,(BA) after them the musicians;(BB)
with them are the young women playing the timbrels.(BC)
26 Praise God in the great congregation;(BD)
praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.(BE)
27 There is the little tribe(BF) of Benjamin,(BG) leading them,
there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.(BH)

28 Summon your power,(BI) God[j];
show us your strength,(BJ) our God, as you have done(BK) before.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings will bring you gifts.(BL)
30 Rebuke the beast(BM) among the reeds,(BN)
the herd of bulls(BO) among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
Scatter the nations(BP) who delight in war.(BQ)
31 Envoys will come from Egypt;(BR)
Cush[k](BS) will submit herself to God.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,(BT)
sing praise(BU) to the Lord,
33 to him who rides(BV) across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
who thunders(BW) with mighty voice.(BX)
34 Proclaim the power(BY) of God,
whose majesty(BZ) is over Israel,
whose power is in the heavens.
35 You, God, are awesome(CA) in your sanctuary;(CB)
the God of Israel gives power and strength(CC) to his people.(CD)

Praise be to God!(CE)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 68:1 In Hebrew texts 68:1-35 is numbered 68:2-36.
  2. Psalm 68:4 Or name, / prepare the way for him who rides through the deserts
  3. Psalm 68:6 Or the desolate in a homeland
  4. Psalm 68:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 19 and 32.
  5. Psalm 68:13 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
  6. Psalm 68:14 Hebrew Shaddai
  7. Psalm 68:17 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lord is among them at Sinai in holiness
  8. Psalm 68:18 Or gifts for people, / even
  9. Psalm 68:18 Or they
  10. Psalm 68:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned power for you
  11. Psalm 68:31 That is, the upper Nile region

Cross references

  1. Psalm 68:1 : Ps 12:5; 132:8
  2. Psalm 68:1 : Ps 18:14; 89:10; 92:9; 144:6
  3. Psalm 68:1 : Nu 10:35; Isa 17:13; 21:15; 33:3
  4. Psalm 68:2 : S Ps 37:20
  5. Psalm 68:2 : S Ps 22:14
  6. Psalm 68:2 : S Nu 10:35; Ps 9:3; 80:16
  7. Psalm 68:3 : Ps 64:10; 97:12
  8. Psalm 68:4 : S 2Sa 22:50; Ps 7:17; S 30:4; 66:2; 96:2; 100:4; 135:3
  9. Psalm 68:4 : ver 33; S Ex 20:21; S Dt 33:26
  10. Psalm 68:4 : S Ex 6:3; Ps 83:18
  11. Psalm 68:5 : Ps 10:14
  12. Psalm 68:5 : S Ex 22:22; S Dt 10:18
  13. Psalm 68:5 : S Dt 26:15; Jer 25:30
  14. Psalm 68:6 : Ps 25:16
  15. Psalm 68:6 : Ps 113:9
  16. Psalm 68:6 : Ps 79:11; 102:20; 146:7; Isa 61:1; Lk 4:18
  17. Psalm 68:6 : Isa 35:7; 49:10; 58:11
  18. Psalm 68:7 : S Ex 13:21
  19. Psalm 68:7 : Ps 78:40; 106:14
  20. Psalm 68:8 : S 2Sa 22:8
  21. Psalm 68:8 : S Jdg 5:4; 2Sa 21:10; Ecc 11:3
  22. Psalm 68:8 : S Dt 33:2
  23. Psalm 68:8 : S Jdg 5:5
  24. Psalm 68:9 : S Dt 32:2; S Job 36:28; S Eze 34:26
  25. Psalm 68:10 : S Dt 28:12
  26. Psalm 68:10 : Ps 65:9
  27. Psalm 68:11 : Lk 2:13
  28. Psalm 68:12 : Jos 10:16
  29. Psalm 68:12 : S Jdg 5:30
  30. Psalm 68:13 : S Ge 49:14
  31. Psalm 68:14 : 2Sa 22:15
  32. Psalm 68:14 : Jdg 9:48
  33. Psalm 68:15 : ver 22; Nu 21:33; Jer 22:20
  34. Psalm 68:15 : S Ps 36:6
  35. Psalm 68:16 : Dt 12:5; S Ps 2:6; 132:13
  36. Psalm 68:16 : Ps 132:14
  37. Psalm 68:17 : S 2Ki 2:11; Isa 66:15; Hab 3:8
  38. Psalm 68:17 : Da 7:10
  39. Psalm 68:18 : S Ps 47:5
  40. Psalm 68:18 : Ps 7:7
  41. Psalm 68:18 : Jdg 5:12
  42. Psalm 68:18 : Eph 4:8*
  43. Psalm 68:18 : S Nu 17:10
  44. Psalm 68:19 : S Ps 65:5
  45. Psalm 68:19 : Ps 81:6
  46. Psalm 68:20 : S 1Sa 10:19
  47. Psalm 68:20 : Ps 56:13; Jer 45:5; Eze 6:8
  48. Psalm 68:21 : Ps 74:14; 110:5; Hab 3:13
  49. Psalm 68:22 : S Job 36:30; Mt 18:6
  50. Psalm 68:23 : Ps 58:10
  51. Psalm 68:23 : S 1Ki 21:19; S 2Ki 9:36
  52. Psalm 68:24 : S Ps 63:2
  53. Psalm 68:25 : S 1Ch 15:16
  54. Psalm 68:25 : S 1Ch 6:31; S 2Ch 5:12; Rev 18:22
  55. Psalm 68:25 : S Ge 31:27; S Isa 5:12
  56. Psalm 68:26 : S Ps 22:22; Heb 2:12
  57. Psalm 68:26 : S Lev 19:2
  58. Psalm 68:27 : S 1Sa 9:21
  59. Psalm 68:27 : S Nu 34:21
  60. Psalm 68:27 : S Jdg 5:18
  61. Psalm 68:28 : S Ex 9:16
  62. Psalm 68:28 : Ps 29:11
  63. Psalm 68:28 : Isa 26:12; 29:23; 45:11; 60:21; 64:8
  64. Psalm 68:29 : S 2Ch 9:24; S 32:23
  65. Psalm 68:30 : Isa 27:1; 51:9; Eze 29:3
  66. Psalm 68:30 : S Job 40:21
  67. Psalm 68:30 : Ps 22:12; Isa 34:7; Jer 50:27
  68. Psalm 68:30 : Ps 18:14; 89:10
  69. Psalm 68:30 : Ps 120:7; 140:2
  70. Psalm 68:31 : Isa 19:19; 43:3; 45:14
  71. Psalm 68:31 : Isa 11:11; 18:1; Zep 3:10
  72. Psalm 68:32 : S Ps 46:6; 67:4
  73. Psalm 68:32 : Ps 7:17
  74. Psalm 68:33 : S Dt 33:26
  75. Psalm 68:33 : S Ex 9:23; S Ps 29:3
  76. Psalm 68:33 : Ps 29:4; Isa 30:30; 33:3; 66:6
  77. Psalm 68:34 : ver 28
  78. Psalm 68:34 : Ps 45:3
  79. Psalm 68:35 : S Dt 7:21
  80. Psalm 68:35 : S Ge 28:17
  81. Psalm 68:35 : Ps 18:1; Isa 40:29; 41:10; 50:2
  82. Psalm 68:35 : S Ps 29:11
  83. Psalm 68:35 : Ps 28:6; 66:20; 2Co 1:3

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