Psalms 68–71

1Let God arise! Let his enemies be scattered! Let them who hate him also flee before him.

2As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

3But let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.

4Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to Yah, his name! Rejoice before him!

5A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.

6God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land.

7God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness... Selah.

8The 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.

9You, God, sent a plentiful rain. You confirmed your inheritance when it was weary.

10Your congregation lived therein. You, God, prepared your goodness for the poor.

11The 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,

13while you sleep among the camp fires, the wings of a dove sheathed with silver, her feathers with shining gold.

14When the Almighty scattered kings in her, it snowed on Zalmon.

15The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains. The mountains of Bashan are rugged.

16Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign? Yes, Yahweh will dwell there forever.

17The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.

18You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among people, yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah God might dwell there.

19Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation. Selah.

20God is to us a God of deliverance. To Yahweh, the Lord, belongs escape from death.

21But God will strike through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as still continues in his guiltiness.

22The Lord said, “I will bring you again from Bashan, I will bring you again from the depths of the sea,

23that you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from your enemies.”

24They have seen your processions, God, even the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.

25The 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!”

27There is little Benjamin, their ruler, the princes of Judah, their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

28Your God has commanded your strength. Strengthen, God, that which you have done for us.

29Because of your temple at Jerusalem, kings shall bring presents to you.

30Rebuke 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.

31Princes shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.

32Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord—Selah—

33to him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.

34Ascribe strength to God! His excellency is over Israel, his strength is in the skies.

35You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. Praise be to God!

1Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck!

2I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold. I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

3I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail looking for my God.

4Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. Those who want to cut me off, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. I have to restore what I didn’t take away.

5God, you know my foolishness. My sins aren’t hidden from you.

6Don’t let those who wait for you be shamed through me, Lord Yahweh of Armies. Don’t let those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, God of Israel.

7Because for your sake, I have borne reproach. Shame has covered my face.

8I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother’s children.

9For the zeal of your house consumes me. The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

10When I wept and I fasted, that was to my reproach.

11When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.

12Those who sit in the gate talk about me. I am the song of the drunkards.

13But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time. God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.

14Deliver me out of the mire, and don’t let me sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.

15Don’t let the flood waters overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up. Don’t let the pit shut its mouth on me.

16Answer me, Yahweh, for your loving kindness is good. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, turn to me.

17Don’t hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress. Answer me speedily!

18Draw near to my soul and redeem it. Ransom me because of my enemies.

19You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor. My adversaries are all before you.

20Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; for comforters, but I found none.

21They also gave me poison for my food. In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.

22Let their table before them become a snare. May it become a retribution and a trap.

23Let their eyes be darkened, so that they can’t see. Let their backs be continually bent.

24Pour out your indignation on them. Let the fierceness of your anger overtake them.

25Let their habitation be desolate. Let no one dwell in their tents.

26For they persecute him whom you have wounded. They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt.

27Charge them with crime upon crime. Don’t let them come into your righteousness.

28Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous.

29But I am in pain and distress. Let your salvation, God, protect me.

30I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

31It will please Yahweh better than an ox, or a bull that has horns and hoofs.

32The humble have seen it, and are glad. You who seek after God, let your heart live.

33For Yahweh hears the needy, and doesn’t despise his captive people.

34Let heaven and earth praise him; the seas, and everything that moves therein!

35For God will save Zion, and build the cities of Judah. They shall settle there, and own it.

36The children also of his servants shall inherit it. Those who love his name shall dwell therein.

1Hurry, God, to deliver me. Come quickly to help me, Yahweh.

2Let them be disappointed and confounded who seek my soul. Let those who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.

3Let them be turned because of their shame who say, “Aha! Aha!”

4Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation continually say, “Let God be exalted!”

5But I am poor and needy. Come to me quickly, God. You are my help and my deliverer. Yahweh, don’t delay.

1In you, Yahweh, I take refuge. Never let me be disappointed.

2Deliver me in your righteousness, and rescue me. Turn your ear to me, and save me.

3Be to me a rock of refuge to which I may always go. Give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

4Rescue me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

5For you are my hope, Lord Yahweh, my confidence from my youth.

6I have relied on you from the womb. You are he who took me out of my mother’s womb. I will always praise you.

7I am a marvel to many, but you are my strong refuge.

8My mouth shall be filled with your praise, with your honor all day long.

9Don’t reject me in my old age. Don’t forsake me when my strength fails.

10For my enemies talk about me. Those who watch for my soul conspire together,

11saying, “God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him.”

12God, don’t be far from me. My God, hurry to help me.

13Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me.

14But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise.

15My mouth will tell about your righteousness, and of your salvation all day, though I don’t know its full measure.

16I will come with the mighty acts of the Lord Yahweh. I will make mention of your righteousness, even of yours alone.

17God, you have taught me from my youth. Until now, I have declared your wondrous works.

18Yes, even when I am old and gray-haired, God, don’t forsake me, until I have declared your strength to the next generation, your might to everyone who is to come.

19God, your righteousness also reaches to the heavens. You have done great things. God, who is like you?

20You, who have shown us many and bitter troubles, you will let me live. You will bring us up again from the depths of the earth.

21Increase my honor and comfort me again.

22I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God. I sing praises to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.

23My lips shall shout for joy! My soul, which you have redeemed, sings praises to you!

24My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long, for they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me.