Psalms 68 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
Rooted in early Israel and shaped for temple use during the monarchy, roughly 1000 to 600 BC
Location
Jerusalem and Mount Zion, with the song tracing a route from Mount Sinai in the southern desert through the wilderness to the sanctuary in the capital
Audience
Israelites at a festival procession, and the later worshipping community
Situation
A victory hymn that pictures God marching out at the head of his people, scattering enemies, and then climbing up to his mountain sanctuary in triumph. Singers, musicians and tribal groups are described moving in procession.
Key Background
The opening line quotes the words Moses spoke whenever the ark of the covenant, the gold-covered chest that represented God's presence, set out ahead of the marching Israelites, so the psalm frames the whole nation's history as one long military march. Ancient victorious kings paraded captives and tribute up to their capital, and the psalm borrows that scene to describe God ascending Zion with the spoils of war. The named tribes, Benjamin, Judah, Zebulun and Naphtali, come from both the south and the far north, presenting the procession as a reunion of the whole country.
Let God up — let his enemies scatter, let those who hate him flee from his face.
Like smoke blown away by the wind — blow them away. Like wax melting near a fire — let the disappear before God.
But let the celebrate — let them be overjoyed in God's presence, let them be with
Sing to God, make music to his name — clear the for the one who the wilderness. His name is — celebrate wildly in his presence!
to the defender of widows, that is who God is in the that to
God gives the lonely a to to. He leads out into prosperity. But the are left in a sun-scorched wasteland.
God, when you out ahead of your people, when you strode through the wilderness — Selah
the earth shook, the skies poured down rain before God — the God of — before God — the God of Israel.
You poured out God. When your was exhausted, you restored it.
Your settled in it. Out of your goodness, God, you provided for those in need.
The Lord gives the word — the the are a
"Kings with their armies — they run, they run!" And the women at home divide up the
While you rested among the — dove wings covered in silver, her feathers shimmering with green-gold.
When the scattered kings there, it was like snow falling on
The mountain of is God's mountain — a towering peak, the mountain of
Why do you stare with envy, you towering peaks, at the where to live? Yes, will dwell there forever.
God's are tens of thousands, thousands upon thousands. The Lord is among them as at Sinai, now in the that to
You to the heights, you took captives with you, you received from — even from the rebellious — so that Yah, God, could dwell there.
Praise the Lord! Day after day he us — God is our Selah
Our God is a God who rescues. Yahweh, the Lord — he holds the from
But God will the of his enemies — the hairy scalp of anyone who in
The Lord said, "I will bring them back from Bashan. I will bring them back from the of the
so that you may the of your enemies, so that the tongues of your dogs may have their share."
They have seen your God, the of my God, my King, into the that to
The singers go first, the musicians follow, between them the young women playing
Praise God in the — praise Yahweh, all who come from the of
There is leading them, the princes of Judah in their crowd, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
God — show God, as you have done for us before.
Because of your in Jerusalem, kings will bring you
Rebuke the in the reeds, the herd of the of the nations — until they bow down with bars of silver. Scatter the peoples who love war.
Envoys will come from Egypt; Ethiopia will stretch out her hands to God.
of the sing to God! Make music to the Lord — Selah
to the one who the the highest heavens. Listen — he with a mighty voice!
Declare God's strength! His towers over Israel, his power fills the skies.
You are from the for you. The of Israel, he gives strength and power to his people. Praise