Psalm 68 | New International Reader’s Version

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

1 May God rise up and scatter his enemies. May they turn and run away from him. 2 May you, God, blow them away like smoke. As fire melts wax, so may God destroy sinful people. 3 But may those who do what is right be glad and filled with joy when they are with him. May they be happy and joyful. 4 Sing to God, sing praise to his name. Lift up a song to the God who rides on the clouds. Be glad when you are with him. His name is the LORD. 5 God is in his holy temple. He is a father to children whose fathers have died. He takes care of women whose husbands have died. 6 God gives lonely people a family. He sets prisoners free, and they go out singing. But those who refuse to obey him live in a land that is baked by the sun. 7 God, you led your people out. You marched through the desert. 8 The ground shook when you, the God of Sinai, appeared. The heavens poured down rain when you, the God of Israel, appeared. 9 God, you gave us plenty of rain. You renewed your worn-out land. 10 God, your people made their homes in it. From all your riches, you provided for those who were poor. 11 The Lord gives the message. The women who make it known are a huge group. 12 They said, ‘Kings and armies are running away. The women at home are dividing up the things the army took from their enemies. 13 Even while the soldiers sleep near the sheepfolds, God wins the battle for them. He gives the enemy’s silver and gold to Israel, his dove.’ 14 The Mighty One has scattered the kings around the land. It was like snow falling on Mount Zalmon. 15 Mount Bashan is a majestic mountain. Mount Bashan is a very rocky mountain. 16 Why are you jealous of Mount Zion, you rocky mountain? That’s where God chooses to rule. That’s where the LORD himself will live for ever. 17 God has come with tens of thousands of his chariots. He has come with thousands and thousands of them. The Lord has come from Mount Sinai. He has entered his holy place. 18 When he went up to his place on high, he took many prisoners. He received gifts from people, even from those who refused to obey him. The LORD God went up to live on Mount Zion. 19 Give praise to the Lord. Give praise to God our Saviour. He carries our heavy loads day after day. 20 Our God is a God who saves. He is the King and the LORD. He saves us from death. 21 God will certainly smash the heads of his enemies. He will break the hairy heads of those who keep on sinning. 22 The Lord says, ‘I will bring your enemies from Bashan. I will bring them up from the bottom of the sea. 23 Then your feet can wade in their blood. The tongues of your dogs can lick up all the blood they want.’ 24 God, those who worship you come marching into view. My God and King, those who follow you have entered the sacred tent. 25 The singers are walking in front. Next come the musicians. Young women playing tambourines are with them. 26 The leaders sing, ‘Praise God among all those who worship him. Praise the LORD in the community of Israel.’ 27 The little tribe of Benjamin leads the worshippers. Next comes the great crowd of Judah’s princes. Then come the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali. 28 God, show us your power. Show us your strength. God, do as you have done before. 29 Do it from your temple at Jerusalem, where kings will bring you gifts. 30 Give a strong warning to Egypt, that beast among the tall grass. It is like a herd of bulls among the calves. May that beast bow down before you with gifts of silver. Scatter the nations who like to make war. 31 Messengers will come from Egypt. The people of Cush will be quick to bring gifts to you. 32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth. Sing praise to the Lord. 33 He rides across the highest places in heaven. He rides across the ancient skies above. He thunders with his mighty voice. 34 Tell how powerful God is. He rules as king over Israel. The skies show how powerful he is. 35 How wonderful is God in his holy place! The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Give praise to God!

English Standard Version

God Shall Scatter His Enemies

1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song. God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered; and those who hate him shall flee before him! 2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away; as wax melts before fire, so the wicked shall perish before God! 3 But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy! 4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the Lord; exult before him! 5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. 6 God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. 7 O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, 8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God,* the God of Israel. 9 Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad; you restored your inheritance as it languished; 10 your flock* found a dwelling in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. 11 The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host: 12 “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!” The women at home divide the spoil— 13 though you men lie among the sheepfolds— the wings of a dove covered with silver, its pinions with shimmering gold. 14 When the Almighty scatters kings there, let snow fall on Zalmon. 15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan; O many-peaked* mountain, mountain of Bashan! 16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, at the mount that God desired for his abode, yes, where the Lord will dwell forever? 17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary. 18 You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there. 19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. 20 Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death. 21 But God will strike the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways. 22 The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan, I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, 23 that you may strike your feet in their blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.” 24 Your procession is* seen, O God, the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary— 25 the singers in front, the musicians last, between them virgins playing tambourines: 26 “Bless God in the great congregation, the Lord, O you* who are of Israel’s fountain!” 27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead, the princes of Judah in their throng, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 28 Summon your power, O God,* the power, O God, by which you have worked for us. 29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings shall bear gifts to you. 30 Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples. Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute; scatter the peoples who delight in war.* 31 Nobles shall come from Egypt; Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God. 32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God; sing praises to the Lord, 33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice. 34 Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies. 35 Awesome is God from his* sanctuary; the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!

Psalm 68 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version

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

God Shall Scatter His Enemies