Psalm 68a

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

1 May God arise,p may his enemies be scattered;q

may his foes fleer before him.

2 May you blow them away like smoke—s

as wax meltst before the fire,

may the wicked perishu before God.

3 But may the righteous be glad

and rejoicev before God;

may they be happy and joyful.

4 Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,w

extol him who rides on the cloudsb x;

rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.y

5 A father to the fatherless,z a defender of widows,a

is God in his holy dwelling.b

6 God sets the lonelyc in families,c d

he leads out the prisonerse with singing;

but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.f

7 When you, God, went outg before your people,

when you marched through the wilderness,d h

8 the earth shook,i the heavens poured down rain,j

before God, the One of Sinai,k

before God, the God of Israel.l

9 You gave abundant showers,m O God;

you refreshed your weary inheritance.

10 Your people settled in it,

and from your bounty,n God, you providedo for the poor.

11 The Lord announces the word,

and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:p

12 “Kings and armies fleeq in haste;

the women at home divide the plunder.r

13 Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,e s

the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,

its feathers with shining gold.”

14 When the Almightyf scatteredt the kings in the land,

it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.u

15 Mount Bashan,v majestic mountain,w

Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,

16 why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,

at the mountain where God choosesx to reign,

where the Lord himself will dwell forever?y

17 The chariotsz of God are tens of thousands

and thousands of thousands;a

the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.g

18 When you ascendedb on high,c

you took many captives;d

you received gifts from people,e

even fromh the rebelliousf—

that you,i Lord God, might dwell there.

19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,g

who daily bears our burdens.h

20 Our God is a God who saves;i

from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.j

21 Surely God will crush the headsk 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,l

23 that your feet may wade in the blood of your foes,m

while the tongues of your dogsn have their share.”

24 Your procession, God, has come into view,

the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.o

25 In front are the singers,p after them the musicians;q

with them are the young women playing the timbrels.r

26 Praise God in the great congregation;s

praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.t

27 There is the little tribeu of Benjamin,v leading them,

there the great throng of Judah’s princes,

and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.w

28 Summon your power,x Godj;

show us your strength,y our God, as you have donez before.

29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem

kings will bring you gifts.a

30 Rebuke the beastb among the reeds,c

the herd of bullsd among the calves of the nations.

Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.

Scatter the nationse who delight in war.f

31 Envoys will come from Egypt;g

Cushk h will submit herself to God.

32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,i

sing praisej to the Lord,

33 to him who ridesk across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,

who thundersl with mighty voice.m

34 Proclaim the powern of God,

whose majestyo is over Israel,

whose power is in the heavens.

35 You, God, are awesomep in your sanctuary;q

the God of Israel gives power and strengthr to his people.s

Praise be to God!t

Psalm 69a

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David.

1 Save me, O God,

for the watersu have come up to my neck.v

2 I sink in the miry depths,w

where there is no foothold.

I have come into the deep waters;

the floods engulf me.

3 I am worn out calling for help;x

my throat is parched.

My eyes fail,y

looking for my God.

4 Those who hate mez without reasona

outnumber the hairs of my head;

many are my enemies without cause,b

those who seek to destroy me.c

I am forced to restore

what I did not steal.

5 You, God, know my folly;d

my guilt is not hidden from you.e

6 Lord, the Lord Almighty,

may those who hope in you

not be disgraced because of me;

God of Israel,

may those who seek you

not be put to shame because of me.

7 For I endure scornf for your sake,g

and shame covers my face.h

8 I am a foreigner to my own family,

a stranger to my own mother’s children;i

9 for zeal for your house consumes me,j

and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.k

10 When I weep and fast,l

I must endure scorn;

11 when I put on sackcloth,m

people make sport of me.

12 Those who sit at the gaten mock me,

and I am the song of the drunkards.o

13 But I pray to you, Lord,

in the time of your favor;p

in your great love,q O God,

answer me with your sure salvation.

14 Rescue me from the mire,

do not let me sink;

deliver me from those who hate me,

from the deep waters.r

15 Do not let the floodwaterss engulf me

or the depths swallow me upt

or the pit close its mouth over me.u

16 Answer me, Lord, out of the goodness of your love;v

in your great mercy turn to me.

17 Do not hide your facew from your servant;

answer me quickly,x for I am in trouble.y

18 Come near and rescue me;

deliverz me because of my foes.

19 You know how I am scorned,a disgraced and shamed;

all my enemies are before you.

20 Scorn has broken my heart

and has left me helpless;

I looked for sympathy, but there was none,

for comforters,b but I found none.c

21 They put gall in my food

and gave me vinegard for my thirst.e

22 May the table set before them become a snare;

may it become retribution andb a trap.f

23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,

and their backs be bent forever.g

24 Pour out your wrathh on them;

let your fierce anger overtake them.

25 May their place be deserted;i

let there be no one to dwell in their tents.j

26 For they persecute those you wound

and talk about the pain of those you hurt.k

27 Charge them with crime upon crime;l

do not let them share in your salvation.m

28 May they be blotted out of the book of lifen

and not be listed with the righteous.o

29 But as for me, afflicted and in pain—

may your salvation, God, protect me.p

30 I will praise God’s name in songq

and glorify himr with thanksgiving.

31 This will please the Lord more than an ox,

more than a bull with its horns and hooves.s

32 The poor will see and be gladt—

you who seek God, may your hearts live!u

33 The Lord hears the needyv

and does not despise his captive people.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him,

the seas and all that move in them,w

35 for God will save Zionx

and rebuild the cities of Judah.y

Then people will settle there and possess it;

36 the children of his servants will inherit it,z

and those who love his name will dwell there.a