Psalm 68–70

Psalm 68

God’s Majestic Power

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

¹God arises. His enemies scatter,

and those who hate Him flee from His presence. ^q

²As smoke is blown away,

so You blow them away.

As wax melts before the fire,

so the wicked are destroyed before God. ^r

³But the righteous are glad;

they rejoice before God and celebrate with joy. ^s

⁴Sing to God! Sing praises to His name.

Exalt Him who rides on the clouds ^t —

His name is Yahweh ^u—and rejoice before Him. ^v

⁵God in His holy dwelling is

a father of the fatherless

and a champion of widows. ^w

⁶God provides homes for those who are deserted.

He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, ^x

but the rebellious live in a scorched land. ^y

⁷God, when You went out before Your people,

when You marched through the desert, Selah

⁸the earth trembled and the skies poured down rain

before God, the God of Sinai, ^z

before God, the God of Israel. ^a

⁹You, God, showered abundant rain;

You revived Your inheritance when it languished. ^b

¹⁰Your people settled in it;

God, You provided for the poor by Your goodness. ^c

¹¹The Lord gave the command;

a great company of women brought the good news: ^d

¹²“The kings of the armies flee—they flee!”

She who stays at home divides the spoil. ^e

¹³While ^fyou lie among the sheepfolds, ^g

the wings of a dove are covered with silver,

and its feathers with glistening gold. ^h

¹⁴When the Almighty scattered kings in the land,

it snowed on Zalmon. ^ij

¹⁵Mount Bashan is God’s towering mountain;

Mount Bashan is a mountain of many peaks. ^k

¹⁶Why gaze with envy, you mountain peaks,

at the mountain ^lGod desired for His dwelling?

The Lord will live there forever! ^m

¹⁷God’s chariots are tens of thousands,

thousands and thousands; ⁿ

the Lord is among them in the sanctuary ^o

as He was at Sinai. ^p

¹⁸You ascended to the heights, taking away captives;

You received gifts from ^qpeople,

even from the rebellious,

so that the Lord God might live there. ^rs

¹⁹May the Lord be praised!

Day after day He bears our burdens;

God is our salvation. ^tSelah

²⁰Our God is a God of salvation,

and escape from death belongs to the Lord God. ^u

²¹Surely God crushes the heads of His enemies,

the hairy head of one who goes on in his guilty acts. ^v

²²The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan;

I will bring them back from the depths of the sea ^w

²³so that your foot may wade ^xin blood

and your dogs’ tongues may have their share

from the enemies.” ^y

²⁴People have seen Your procession, God,

the procession of my God,

my King, in the sanctuary. ^za

²⁵Singers ^blead the way,

with musicians following;

among them are young women

playing tambourines. ^c

²⁶Praise God in the assemblies;

praise the Lord from the fountain of Israel. ^d

²⁷There is Benjamin, the youngest, leading them,

the rulers of Judah in their assembly, ^e

the rulers of Zebulun, the rulers of Naphtali. ^f

²⁸Your God has decreed your strength.

Show Your strength, God,

You who have acted on our behalf. ^g

²⁹Because of Your temple at Jerusalem,

kings will bring tribute to You. ^h

³⁰Rebuke the beast ⁱin the reeds,

the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples. ^j

Trample underfoot those with bars of silver. ^k

Scatter the peoples who take pleasure in war. ^l

³¹Ambassadors will come ^mfrom Egypt;

Cush will stretch out its hands ⁿto God. ^o

³²Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth;

sing praise to the Lord, ^pSelah

³³to Him who rides in the ancient, highest heavens. ^q

Look, He thunders with His powerful voice! ^r

³⁴Ascribe power to God.

His majesty is over Israel,

His power among the clouds. ^s

³⁵God, You are awe-inspiring in Your sanctuaries.

The God of Israel gives power and strength to His people.

May God be praised! ^t

Psalm 69

A Plea for Rescue

For the choir director: according to “The Lilies.” ^uDavidic.

¹Save me, God,

for the water has risen to my neck. ^v

²I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no footing;

I have come into deep waters,

and a flood sweeps over me. ^w

³I am weary from my crying;

my throat is parched.

My eyes fail, looking for my God. ^x

⁴Those who hate me without cause

are more numerous than the hairs of my head;

my deceitful enemies, who would destroy me,

are powerful. ^y

Though I did not steal, I must repay. ^z

⁵God, You know my foolishness,

and my guilty acts are not hidden from You. ^a

⁶Do not let those who put their hope in You

be disgraced because of me,

Lord God of Hosts;

do not let those who seek You

be humiliated because of me,

God of Israel. ^b

⁷For I have endured insults because of You,

and shame has covered my face. ^c

⁸I have become a stranger to my brothers

and a foreigner to my mother’s sons ^d

⁹because zeal for Your house has consumed me, ^e

and the insults of those who insult You

have fallen on me. ^f

¹⁰I mourned and fasted,

but it brought me insults. ^g

¹¹I wore sackcloth as my clothing,

and I was a joke to them.

¹²Those who sit at the city gate talk about me,

and drunkards make up songs about me. ^h

¹³But as for me, Lord,

my prayer to You is for a time of favor.

In Your abundant, faithful love, God,

answer me with Your sure salvation. ⁱ

¹⁴Rescue me from the miry mud; don’t let me sink.

Let me be rescued from those who hate me

and from the deep waters. ^j

¹⁵Don’t let the floodwaters sweep over me

or the deep swallow me up;

don’t let the Pit close its mouth over me. ^k

¹⁶Answer me, Lord,

for Your faithful love is good;

in keeping with Your great compassion,

turn to me. ^l

¹⁷Don’t hide Your face from Your servant,

for I am in distress.

Answer me quickly! ^m

¹⁸Draw near to me and redeem me;

ransom me because of my enemies. ⁿ

¹⁹You know the insults I endure—

my shame and disgrace.

You are aware of all my adversaries. ^o

²⁰Insults have broken my heart,

and I am in despair.

I waited for sympathy,

but there was none;

for comforters, but found no one. ^p

²¹Instead, they gave me gall ^qfor my food,

and for my thirst

they gave me vinegar to drink. ^r

²²Let their table set before them be a snare,

and let it be a trap for their allies. ^s

²³Let their eyes grow too dim to see,

and let their loins continually shake. ^t

²⁴Pour out Your rage on them,

and let Your burning anger overtake them. ^u

²⁵Make their fortification desolate;

may no one live in their tents. ^v

²⁶For they persecute the one You struck

and talk about the pain of those You wounded. ^w

²⁷Add guilt to their guilt;

do not let them share in Your righteousness. ^x

²⁸Let them be erased from the book of life

and not be recorded with the righteous. ^y

²⁹But as for me—poor and in pain—

let Your salvation protect me, God. ^z

³⁰I will praise God’s name with song

and exalt Him with thanksgiving. ^a

³¹That will please Yahweh more than an ox,

more than a bull with horns and hooves. ^b

³²The humble will see it and rejoice.

You who seek God, take heart! ^c

³³For the Lord listens to the needy

and does not despise

His own who are prisoners. ^d

³⁴Let heaven and earth praise Him,

the seas and everything that moves in them, ^e

³⁵for God will save Zion

and build up ^fthe cities of Judah.

They will live there and possess it. ^g

³⁶The descendants of His servants will inherit it,

and those who love His name will live in it. ^h

Psalm 70

A Call for Deliverance

For the choir director. Davidic. To bring remembrance. ⁱ

¹God, deliver me.

Hurry to help me, Lord! ^j

²Let those who seek my life

be disgraced and confounded;

let those who wish me harm

be driven back and humiliated.

³Let those who say, “Aha, aha!”

retreat because of their shame. ^k

⁴Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

let those who love Your salvation

continually say, “God is great!” ^l

⁵I am afflicted and needy;

hurry to me, God.

You are my help and my deliverer;

Lord, do not delay. ^m