Psalm 83–84

Psalm 83

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

¹God, don’t keep silent.

God, don’t keep quiet. Don’t be still.

²See how your enemies are getting ready for action.

See how they are rising up against you.

³They make clever plans against your people.

They make evil plans against those you love.

⁴“Come,” they say. “Let’s destroy that whole nation.

Then the name of Israel won’t be remembered anymore.”

⁵All of them agree on the evil plans they have made.

They join forces against you.

⁶Their forces include the people of Edom,

Ishmael, Moab and Hagar.

⁷They also include the people of Byblos, Ammon, Amalek,

Philistia and Tyre.

⁸Even Assyria has joined them

to give strength to the people of Moab and Ammon. Selah

⁹Do to them what you did to the people of Midian.

Do to them what you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.

¹⁰Sisera and Jabin died near the town of Endor.

Their bodies were left to rot on the ground.

¹¹Do to the nobles of your enemies what you did to Oreb and Zeeb.

Do to all of their princes what you did to Zebah and Zalmunna.

¹²They said, “Let’s take over

the grasslands that belong to God.”

¹³My God, make them like straw that the wind blows away.

Make them like tumbleweed.

¹⁴Destroy them as fire burns up a forest.

Destroy them as a flame sets mountains on fire.

¹⁵Chase them with your mighty winds.

Terrify them with your storm.

¹⁶Lord, put them to shame

so that people will worship you.

¹⁷May they always be filled with terror and shame.

May they die in dishonor.

¹⁸Your name is the Lord. Let them know

that you alone are the Most High God over the whole earth.

Psalm 84

For the director of music. For gittith. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

¹Lord who rules over all,

how lovely is the place where you live!

²I long to be in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple.

I deeply long to be there.

My whole being cries out

for the living God.

³Lord who rules over all,

even the sparrow has found a home near your altar.

My King and my God,

the swallow also has a nest there,

where she may have her young.

⁴Blessed are those who live in your house.

They are always praising you. Selah

⁵Blessed are those whose strength comes from you.

They have decided to travel to your temple.

⁶As they pass through the dry Valley of Baca,

they make it a place where water flows.

The rain in the fall covers it with pools.

⁷Those people get stronger as they go along,

until each of them appears in Zion, where God lives.

⁸Lord God who rules over all, hear my prayer.

God of the people of Jacob, listen to me. Selah

⁹God, look with favor on your anointed king.

You appointed him to be like a shield that keeps us safe.

¹⁰A single day in your courtyards is better

than a thousand anywhere else.

I would rather guard the door of the house of my God

than live in the tents of sinful people.

¹¹The Lord God is like the sun that gives us light.

He is like a shield that keeps us safe.

The Lord blesses us with favor and honor.

He doesn’t hold back anything good

from those whose lives are without blame.

¹²Lord who rules over all,

blessed is everyone who trusts in you.