Psalm 68 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Greek and Latin Bibles number most Psalms one lower than Hebrew and English Bibles.
1 For the music director. A psalm of David. A song. Stand up, God, and scatter your enemies. Let those who hate him run away from him!
1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song. Let God arise! Let his enemies be scattered! Let them who hate him also flee before him.
2 Blow them away as if they were smoke; melt them like beeswax in a fire. Let the wicked die in God's presence.
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 those who are right with God are happy, and they celebrate in God's presence, full of joy.
3 But let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.
4 Sing praises to God! Sing praises to his wonderful reputation! Praise the rider of the clouds—his name is the Lord! Be happy in his presence!
4 Sing to God! Sing praises to his name! Extol him who rides on the clouds: to Yah, his name! Rejoice before him!
5 He is a father to the orphans, a protector of widows. This is who God is, who lives in his holy place.
5 A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
6 God gives those who are abandoned a family to live with. He sets prisoners free with celebration. But those who rebel live in a desert wasteland.
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 led your people out, when you marched through the desert, Selah,
7 God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness... Selah.
8 the earth quaked, and the heavens shook before God, the one of Sinai; before God, the God of Israel.
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 sent plenty of rain to water the promised land; refreshing it when it was dry.
9 You, God, sent a plentiful rain. You confirmed your inheritance when it was weary.
10 Your people settled there, and because of your kindness, God, you looked after the poor. Selah.
10 Your congregation lived therein. You, God, prepared your goodness for the poor.
11 The Lord gives the command, and a great army of women spread the good news.
11 The Lord announced the word. The ones who proclaim it are a great company.
12 The kings of the foreign armies are quick to run away, and the women who stayed at home divide the plunder!
12 “Kings of armies flee! They flee!” She who waits at home divides the plunder,
13 Why are you staying at home? There are ornaments in the shape of a dove with wings of silver and feathers of fine gold to be taken.
13 while you sleep among the camp fires, the wings of a dove sheathed with silver, her feathers with shining gold.
14 The Almighty scattered the foreign kings like a snowstorm on Mount Zalmon.
14 When the Almighty scattered kings in her, it snowed on Zalmon.
15 “Mountain of God,” Mount Bashan, with your many high peaks, Mount Bashan,
15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains. The mountains of Bashan are rugged.
16 why do you look enviously, mountain with many peaks, at the mountain God chose as his home, where the Lord will live forever?
16 Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign? Yes, Yahweh will dwell there forever.
17 God's chariots can't be counted; there are thousands and thousands of them. He comes among them from Sinai into his Temple.
17 The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands. The Lord is among them, from Sinai, into the sanctuary.
18 As you ascended to your high throne you led a procession of prisoners. You received gifts from the people, even from those who had rebelled against the home of the Lord God.
18 You 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.
19 May the Lord be blessed, for every day he carries our burdens. God is our salvation. Selah.
19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation. Selah.
20 For us, God is a God who saves. The Lord God provides our escape from death.
20 God is to us a God of deliverance. To Yahweh, the Lord, belongs escape from death.
21 But God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy heads of those who continue to sin.
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 says, “I will drag them down from Bashan; I will drag them up from the depths of the sea,
22 The Lord said, “I will bring you again from Bashan, I will bring you again from the depths of the sea,
23 so that you may walk in their blood. Even your dogs will have their share of your enemies.”
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 People watch your processions, God—the processions of my God and King as they go into the Temple.
24 They have seen your processions, God, even the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.
25 The singers are at the front, the musicians at the back, and in the middle girls playing tambourines.
25 The singers went before, the minstrels followed after, among the ladies playing with tambourines,
26 Praise God, everyone who has come to worship; praise the Lord, everyone who belongs to Israel.
26 “Bless God in the congregations, even the Lord in the assembly of Israel!”
27 There is the little tribe of Benjamin, followed by the many leaders from Judah; then come the leaders of Zebulun and Naphtali.
27 There is little Benjamin, their ruler, the princes of Judah, their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
28 Display your power, God! Reveal your strength, Lord, as you have done for us in the past.
28 Your God has commanded your strength. Strengthen, God, that which you have done for us.
29 Because of your Temple in Jerusalem, kings bring tribute to you.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem, kings shall bring presents to you.
30 Condemn the beasts of the reeds, the bulls and calves! May they be humbled and bring bars of silver in tribute! Scatter the war-loving nations!
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 Let Egypt come with bronze gifts; let Ethiopia come quickly and hand over their tributes to God!
31 Princes shall come out of Egypt. Ethiopia shall hurry to stretch out her hands to God.
32 Sing to God, kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord. Selah.
32 Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth! Sing praises to the Lord— Selah—
33 Sing to the rider of the ancient heavens, his strong voice sounding like thunder!
33 to him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.
34 Let everyone know of God's power: how his majesty extends over Israel, how his strength is revealed in the heavens.
34 Ascribe strength to God! His excellency is over Israel, his strength is in the skies.
35 How awesome is God in his Temple! The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people! Praise God!
35 You are awesome, God, in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives strength and power to his people. Praise be to God!
Cross references (35)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Numbers 10:35; Isaiah 51:9–10; Isaiah 42:13–14; Psalm 44:26; Psalm 89:10
- 2 Micah 1:4; Hosea 13:3; Psalm 37:20; Revelation 6:16–17; Isaiah 9:18
- 3 Psalm 64:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:16; Psalm 100:1–2; Revelation 18:20; Psalm 95:1–2
- 4 Deuteronomy 33:26; Isaiah 12:4–6; Psalm 66:4; Psalm 104:3; Psalm 68:33
- 5 Psalm 10:14; Jeremiah 49:11; Deuteronomy 10:18; Psalm 82:3–4; Psalm 146:9
- 6 Psalm 113:9; Psalm 69:33; Psalm 107:10; Isaiah 61:1; Psalm 107:14
- 7 Exodus 13:21; Judges 5:4; Judges 4:14; Habakkuk 3:12–13; Micah 2:13
- 8 Exodus 19:18; Exodus 19:16; Judges 5:4–5; Deuteronomy 5:23–25; Hebrews 12:26
- 9 Deuteronomy 11:14; Ezekiel 34:26; Psalm 65:9–13; Psalm 78:24–27; Deuteronomy 11:10–12
- 10 Deuteronomy 26:9–10; Psalm 74:19; Matthew 11:5; 1 Samuel 2:8; Luke 1:53
- 11 Exodus 15:20; Psalm 40:3; Psalm 68:25; Exodus 17:9–16; Judges 4:6–5:31
- 12 Joshua 10:16; Judges 5:19; Revelation 19:17–20; Joshua 12:7–24; 1 Samuel 30:24
- 13 Genesis 49:14; Psalm 105:37; Judges 5:16; Titus 3:3; Revelation 1:5–6
- 14 Isaiah 1:18; Revelation 19:14–21; Judges 2:7; Judges 9:48; Joshua 10:10–43
- 15 Psalm 87:1–2; Psalm 2:6; Psalm 78:68–69; Micah 7:14; Deuteronomy 3:10
- 16 Deuteronomy 12:5; Psalm 132:13–14; Revelation 21:2–3; Hebrews 12:22–23; 1 Kings 9:3
- 17 Deuteronomy 33:2; Daniel 7:10; Revelation 5:11; Revelation 9:16; Habakkuk 3:8
- 18 Ephesians 4:8–10; Revelation 21:3; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Peter 3:22; Psalm 110:1
- 19 Isaiah 46:4; Lamentations 3:23; Ephesians 1:3; Psalm 55:22; Psalm 103:1–22
- 20 Deuteronomy 32:39; Revelation 1:18; Isaiah 12:2; John 5:21; 1 Samuel 2:6
- 21 Habakkuk 3:13; Psalm 7:12; Luke 13:5; Psalm 110:6; Revelation 2:14–16
- 22 Numbers 21:33; Ezekiel 36:24; Exodus 14:22; Isaiah 51:10–11; Amos 9:2–3
- 23 1 Kings 21:19; Psalm 58:10; 1 Kings 22:38; Revelation 19:17–21; 2 Kings 9:33–37
- 24 Psalm 47:5–7; 1 Chronicles 15:16–24; 2 Samuel 6:12–17; 1 Chronicles 13:8; Psalm 24:7–10
- 25 1 Chronicles 13:8; Judges 11:34; Exodus 15:20; Revelation 14:2–3; Revelation 15:2–3
- 26 Isaiah 48:1; Deuteronomy 33:28; Psalm 111:1; Proverbs 5:16; Psalm 26:12
- 27 1 Samuel 9:21; 1 Chronicles 12:16; Psalm 60:7; Isaiah 11:13; Judges 21:6–25
- 28 Psalm 138:8; Psalm 71:3; Philippians 1:6; Isaiah 40:31; 2 Corinthians 12:9–10
- 29 1 Kings 10:10; Psalm 76:11; 1 Chronicles 29:3; Isaiah 60:6–11; Isaiah 18:7
- 30 Psalm 22:12–13; Romans 7:22; Psalm 89:10; Psalm 18:44; Isaiah 37:1–38
- 31 Isaiah 45:14; Zephaniah 3:10; Acts 8:27–40; Isaiah 19:18–25; Psalm 44:20
- 32 Deuteronomy 32:43; Romans 15:10–11; Psalm 67:2–5; Psalm 117:1–2; Revelation 15:4
- 33 Psalm 18:10; Psalm 104:3; Psalm 68:4; 1 Kings 8:27; Revelation 11:19
- 34 Revelation 19:6; 1 Chronicles 16:28–29; 2 Peter 1:17; Psalm 150:1; Psalm 96:6–8
- 35 Psalm 29:11; Colossians 1:11; Philippians 4:13; Isaiah 40:29; Psalm 65:5
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Your Love remembereth, that in two Psalms, which have been already treated of, we have stirred up our soul to bless the Lord, and with godly chant have said, "Bless thou, O my soul, the Lord." If therefore we have stirred up our soul in those Psalms to bless the Lord, in this Psalm is well said, "May God have …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
For the Lord, through means of suffering, "ascending into the lofty place, led captivity captive, gave gifts to men," and conferred on those that believe in Him the power "to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and on all the power of the enemy," that is, of the leader of apostasy.
Lo, this also I confess unto Thy mercy, "Father of the fatherless," that I bathed, and felt the same as before I had done so.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
For one saith, "Thou hast gone up on high, Thou hast led captivity captive, and hast received gifts amongst men." And, "The Lord strong and mighty in battle." And another saith, "He shall divide the spoils of the strong." For indeed to this purpose He came, that He might "preach deliverance to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind." …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
And if the Psalmist says, Let them be troubled from His countenance, the Father of the fatherless, and Judge of the widows, is it not manifest to all, that when God is called the Father of orphans who have lately lost their own fathers, He is so named not as begetting them of Himself, but as caring for them …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)