For the music director; by David, a psalm, a song.
68:1 God springs into action!
His enemies scatter;
his adversaries
68:2 As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away.
As wax melts before fire,
so the wicked are destroyed before God.
68:3 But the godly
they rejoice before God
and are overcome with joy.
68:4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name!
Exalt the one who rides on the clouds!
For the Lord is his name!
Rejoice before him!
68:5 He is a father to the fatherless
and an advocate for widows.
God rules from his holy palace.
68:6 God settles those who have been deserted in their own homes;
he frees prisoners and grants them prosperity.
But sinful rebels live in the desert.
68:7 O God, when you lead your people into battle,
when you march through the desert,
68:8 the earth shakes,
yes, the heavens pour down rain
before God, the God of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
68:9 O God, you cause abundant showers to fall
When they
68:10 for you live among them.
You sustain the oppressed with your good blessings, O God.
68:11 The Lord speaks;
many, many women spread the good news.
68:12 Kings leading armies run away – they run away!
The lovely lady
68:13 When
the wings of the dove are covered with silver
and with glittering gold.
68:14 When the sovereign judge
let it snow
68:15 The mountain of Bashan
the mountain of Bashan is a mountain with many peaks.
68:16 Why do you look with envy,
at the mountain where God has decided to live?
Indeed
68:17 God has countless chariots;
they number in the thousands.
The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor.
68:18 You ascend on high,
you have taken many captives.
You receive tribute
including even sinful rebels.
Indeed the Lord God lives there!
68:19 The Lord deserves praise!
Day after day
the God who delivers us. (Selah)
68:20 Our God is a God who delivers;
the Lord, the sovereign Lord, can rescue from death.
68:21 Indeed God strikes the heads of his enemies,
the hairy foreheads of those who persist in rebellion.
68:22 The Lord says,
“I will retrieve them
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
68:23 so that your feet may stomp
and your dogs may eat their portion of the enemies’ corpses.”
68:24 They
the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor.
68:25 Singers walk in front;
musicians follow playing their stringed instruments,
in the midst of young women playing tambourines.
68:26 In your large assemblies praise God,
the Lord, in the assemblies of Israel!