God's New Bible

The Book of Psalms

Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 68 -

God's enemies are scattered

1
God, arise and scatter your enemies, and cause those who hate you to run away from you.
2
As wind blows smoke away, you chase your enemies away. As wax melts when it is near a fire, may you cause wicked people to disappear.
3
But may the righteous people be joyful; may they rejoice when they are in God’s presence; may they be happy and very joyful.
4
Sing to God; sing to praise him; sing a song for him who rides in the desert plains; his name is Yahweh; be glad when you are in his presence.
5
God, who lives in his sacred temple, is like a father to those who are orphans, and he is the one who protects widows.
6
He provides families for those who have no one to live with. He frees prisoners and enables them to be successful, but those who rebel against him will be forced to live in a very hot and dry land.
7
God, you led your people out of Egypt, and then you marched with them through the desert.
8
After you did that, the earth shook at Mount Sinai when you appeared to your people, and rain poured down from the sky, and your people worshiped you.
9
You caused plenty of rain to fall there in the wilderness, and so you enabled good crops to grow again on that land that you gave to us Israelites.
10
Your people built homes there; because you were good to them, you provided food for those who were poor.
11
The Lord spoke this message, and many people took his message to other places.
12
They proclaimed, “Many kings and their armies are running away from our army!” When our army brought back to their homes the things that they captured, the women who were at home divided up those things among themselves and among their families.
13
They got statues of pigeons whose wings were covered with silver and whose feathers were covered with pure yellow gold. But some of the people stayed with the sheep and did not go to fight in the battle. Why did you not go?
14
When God Almighty scattered the enemy kings and their armies, it reminded me of a snowstorm on Mount Zalmon!
15
There is a very high mountain in the Bashan hills, a mountain that has many peaks.
16
But the people who live near that mountain should not envy those who live near Mount Zion, the mountain on which God chose to live! Yahweh will live there forever!
17
After we defeated all our enemies, it was as though the Lord, surrounded by many thousands of strong chariots, descended from Mount Sinai and came into the sacred temple in Jerusalem.
18
He ascended the sacred mountain where his temple is and took with him many people who had been captured in battles; he received gifts from the enemies whom he had defeated. He received gifts even from those who had rebelled against him, and Yahweh, our God, will live there in his sacred temple forever.
19
Praise the Lord, who helps us carry our heavy loads every day; he is the one who saves us.
20
Our God is the God who saves us; He is Yahweh, our Lord, the one who allows us to escape from dying in battles.
21
But God will smash the heads of his enemies, the long-haired skulls of those who continue to behave sinfully.
22
The Lord said, “I will bring back the corpses of my enemies who were killed in Bashan, and I will bring back those who sank deep in the ocean and drowned.
23
I will do that so that you may wash your feet in their blood, and your dogs can also lap up some of your enemies’ blood.”
24
God, many people see you march triumphantly into your sacred temple, celebrating that you have defeated your enemies. You march like a king does, and a large crowd walks with you.
25
The singers are in front, and the people who play stringed instruments are at the rear, and young women who are beating their tambourines are between them.
26
They are all singing, “You Israelite people, praise God when you gather together; praise Yahweh, all you who are descendants of Jacob!”
27
First come the people of the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe, and following them come the leaders of the tribe of Judah and their group, and following them come the leaders of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali.
28
You people of Israel, God made our tribes very strong. God, help us with your power as you helped us in the past.
29
Show us that you are strong, there where you are in your temple in Jerusalem; kings bring gifts to you there.
30
Shout as you defeat your enemies, such as those in Egypt, who are like wild animals living in the reeds. Shout as you defeat the powerful nations, who are like herds of bulls. Shame them; make them bow down and give you gifts. Drive away and scatter the people groups who love to attack other nations.
31
Then the leaders of Egypt will bring gifts to you. Then the people in Ethiopia will rush to lift up their hands to praise you.
32
You people who are citizens of kingdoms all over the world, sing to God! Sing praises to Yahweh!
33
Sing to God, the one who rides in the sky, the sky that he created long ago. Listen as he shouts with a very powerful voice.
34
Proclaim that God is very powerful; he is the king that rules over Israel, and in the skies he also shows that he is powerful.
35
God is awesome as he comes out of his sacred temple; he is the God whom we Israelite people worship. He gives power and strength to his people. Praise God!

God's enemies are scattered

1
Let God arise! Let his enemies be scattered! Let them who hate him also flee before him.
2
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3
But let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.
4
Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to the LORD, his name! Rejoice before him!
5
A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
6
God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.
7
God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness... Selah.
8
The earth trembled. The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai— at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9
You, God, sent a plentiful rain. You confirmed your inheritance when it was weary.
10
Your congregation lived therein. You, God, prepared your goodness for the poor.
11
The Lord announced the word. The ones who proclaim it are a great company.
12
“Kings of armies flee! They flee!” She who waits at home divides the plunder,
13
while you sleep among the camp fires, the wings of a dove sheathed with silver, her feathers with shining gold.
14
When the Almighty scattered kings in her, it snowed on Zalmon.
15
The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains. The mountains of Bashan are rugged.
16
Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign? Yes, the LORD will dwell there forever.
17
The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.
18
You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among people, yes, among the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell there.
19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation. Selah.
20
God is to us a God of deliverance. To the LORD, the Lord, belongs escape from death.
21
But God will strike through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.
22
The Lord said, “I will bring you again from Bashan, I will bring you again from the depths of the sea,
23
that you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”
24
They have seen your processions, God, even the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25
The singers went before, the minstrels followed after, among the ladies playing with tambourines,
26
“Bless God in the congregations, even the Lord in the assembly of Israel!”
27
There is little Benjamin, their ruler, the princes of Judah, their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
28
Your God has commanded your strength. Strengthen, God, that which you have done for us.
29
Because of your temple at Jerusalem, kings shall bring presents to you.
30
Rebuke the wild animal of the reeds, the multitude of the bulls with the calves of the peoples. Trample under foot the bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.
31
Princes shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.
32
Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord— Selah—
33
to him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.
34
Ascribe strength to God! His excellency is over Israel, his strength is in the skies.
35
You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. Praise be to God!