Psalm 68-72

Complete Jewish Bible

68 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. A psalm of David. A song:

²⁽¹⁾Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered;
let those who hate him flee from his presence.
³⁽²⁾Drive them away as smoke is driven away;
like wax melting in the presence of a fire,
let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
⁴⁽³⁾But let the righteous rejoice and be glad in God’s presence;
yes, let them exult and rejoice.

⁵⁽⁴⁾Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
extol him who rides on the clouds
by his name, Yah;
and be glad in his presence.

⁶⁽⁵⁾God in his holy dwelling,
is a father to orphans and defender of widows.
⁷⁽⁶⁾God gives homes to those who are alone
and leads prisoners out into prosperity.
But rebels must live in a parched wasteland.

⁸⁽⁷⁾God, when you went out at the head of your people,
when you marched out through the wilderness, (Selah)
⁹⁽⁸⁾the earth quaked, and rain poured from the sky,
at the presence of God.
Even Sinai [shook] at the presence of God,
the God of Isra’el.
¹⁰⁽⁹⁾You rained down showers in plenty, God;
when your heritage was weary, you restored it.
¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾Your flock settled in it;
in your goodness, God, you provided for the poor.

¹²⁽¹¹⁾Adonai gives the command;
the women with the good news are a mighty army.
¹³⁽¹²⁾Kings and their armies are fleeing, fleeing,
while the women at home divide the spoil.
¹⁴⁽¹³⁾Even if you lie among the animal stalls,
there are wings of a dove covered with silver
and its plumes with green gold.
¹⁵⁽¹⁴⁾When Shaddai scatters kings there,
snow falls on Tzalmon.

¹⁶⁽¹⁵⁾You mighty mountain, Mount Bashan!
You rugged mountain, Mount Bashan!
¹⁷⁽¹⁶⁾You rugged mountain, why look with envy
at the mountain God wants for his place to live?
Truly, Adonai will live there forever.
¹⁸⁽¹⁷⁾God’s chariots are myriads, repeated thousands;
Adonai is among them as in Sinai, in holiness.
¹⁹⁽¹⁸⁾After you went up into the heights,
you led captivity captive,
you took gifts among mankind,
yes, even among the rebels,
so that Yah, God, might live there.

²⁰⁽¹⁹⁾Blessed be Adonai!
Every day he bears our burden,
does God, our salvation. (Selah)
²¹⁽²⁰⁾Our God is a God who saves;
from Adonai Adonai comes escape from death.
²²⁽²¹⁾God will surely crush the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crowns of those who continue in their guilt.
²³⁽²²⁾Adonai said, “I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will fetch [those rebels] even from the depths of the sea;
²⁴⁽²³⁾so that you can wash your feet in their blood,
and your dogs’ tongues too can get their share from your foes.

²⁵⁽²⁴⁾They see your processions, God,
the processions of my God, my king, in holiness.
²⁶⁽²⁵⁾The singers are in front, the musicians last,
in the middle are girls playing tambourines.
²⁷⁽²⁶⁾“In choruses, bless God, Adonai,
you whose source is Isra’el.”
²⁸⁽²⁷⁾There is Binyamin, the youngest, at the head;
the princes of Y’hudah, crowding along;
the princes of Z’vulun; the princes of Naftali.

²⁹⁽²⁸⁾God, summon your strength!
Use your strength, God, as you did for us before,
³⁰⁽²⁹⁾from your temple in Yerushalayim,
where kings will bring tribute to you.
³¹⁽³⁰⁾Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds,
that herd of bulls with their calves, the peoples,
who ingratiate themselves with bars of silver;
let him scatter the peoples who take pleasure in fighting.
³²⁽³¹⁾Let envoys come from Egypt,
Let Ethiopia stretch out its hands to God.

³³⁽³²⁾Sing to God, kingdoms of the earth!
Sing praises to Adonai, (Selah)
³⁴⁽³³⁾to him who rides on the most ancient heavens.
Listen, as he utters his voice, a mighty voice!
³⁵⁽³⁴⁾Acknowledge that strength belongs to God,
with his majesty over Isra’el and his strength in the skies.
³⁶⁽³⁵⁾How awe-inspiring you are, God,
from your holy places,
the God of Isra’el, who gives strength
and power to the people.
Blessed be God!

69 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” By David:

²⁽¹⁾Save me, God!
For the water threatens my life.
³⁽²⁾I am sinking down in the mud,
and there is no foothold;
I have come into deep water;
the flood is sweeping over me.
⁴⁽³⁾I am exhausted from crying,
my throat is dry and sore,
my eyes are worn out
with looking for my God.

⁵⁽⁴⁾Those who hate me for no reason
outnumber the hairs on my head.
My persecutors are powerful,
my enemies accuse me falsely.
Am I expected to return
things I didn’t steal?

⁶⁽⁵⁾God, you know how foolish I am;
my guilt is not hidden from you.
⁷⁽⁶⁾Let those who put their hope in you,
Adonai Elohim-Tzva’ot,
not be put to shame through me;
let those who are seeking you,
God of Isra’el,
not be disgraced through me.

⁸⁽⁷⁾For your sake I suffer insults,
shame covers my face.
⁹⁽⁸⁾I am estranged from my brothers,
an alien to my mother’s children,
¹⁰⁽⁹⁾because zeal for your house is eating me up,
and on me are falling the insults
of those insulting you.
¹¹⁽¹⁰⁾I weep bitterly, and I fast,
but that too occasions insults.
¹²⁽¹¹⁾I clothe myself with sackcloth
and become an object of scorn,
¹³⁽¹²⁾the gossip of those sitting by the town gate,
the theme of drunkards’ songs.

¹⁴⁽¹³⁾As for me, Adonai, let my prayer to you
come at an acceptable time;
In your great grace, God, answer me
with the truth of your salvation.
¹⁵⁽¹⁴⁾Rescue me from the mud!
Don’t let me sink!
Let me be rescued from those who hate me
and from the deep water.
¹⁶⁽¹⁵⁾Don’t let the floodwaters overwhelm me,
don’t let the deep swallow me up,
don’t let the pit close its mouth over me.

¹⁷⁽¹⁶⁾Answer me, Adonai, for your grace is good;
in your great mercy, turn to me.
¹⁸⁽¹⁷⁾Don’t hide your face from your servant,
for I am in trouble; answer me quickly.
¹⁹⁽¹⁸⁾Come near to me, and redeem me;
ransom me because of my enemies.

²⁰⁽¹⁹⁾You know how I am insulted,
shamed and disgraced;
before you stand all my foes.
²¹⁽²⁰⁾Insults have broken my heart
to the point that I could die.
I hoped that someone would show compassion,
but nobody did;
and that there would be comforters,
but I found none.
²²⁽²¹⁾They put poison in my food;
in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.
²³⁽²²⁾Let their dining table
before them become a snare;
when they are at peace,
let it become a trap;
²⁴⁽²³⁾let their eyes be darkened,
so that they can’t see,
and let their bodies
always be stumbling.
²⁵⁽²⁴⁾Pour out your fury on them,
let your fierce anger overtake them.
²⁶⁽²⁵⁾Let the place where they live be desolate,
with no one to live in their tents,
²⁷⁽²⁶⁾for persecuting someone you had already stricken,
for adding to the pain of those you wounded.
²⁸⁽²⁷⁾Add guilt to their guilt,
don’t let them enter your righteousness.
²⁹⁽²⁸⁾Erase them from the book of life,
let them not be written with the righteous.

³⁰⁽²⁹⁾Meanwhile, I am afflicted and hurting;
God, let your saving power raise me up.
³¹⁽³⁰⁾I will praise God’s name with a song
and extol him with thanksgiving.

³²⁽³¹⁾This will please Adonai more than a bull,
with its horns and hoofs.
³³⁽³²⁾The afflicted will see it and rejoice;
you seeking after God, let your heart revive.
³⁴⁽³³⁾For Adonai pays attention to the needy
and doesn’t scorn his captive people.

³⁵⁽³⁴⁾Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them.
³⁶⁽³⁵⁾For God will save Tziyon,
he will build the cities of Y’hudah.
[His people] will settle there and possess it.
³⁷⁽³⁶⁾The descendants of his servants will inherit it,
and those who love his name will live there.

70 ⁽⁰⁾For the leader. By David. As a reminder:

²⁽¹⁾God, rescue me!
Adonai, hurry and help me!

³⁽²⁾May those who seek my life
be disgraced and humiliated.
May those who take pleasure in doing me harm
be turned back and put to confusion.
⁴⁽³⁾May those who jeer, “Aha! Aha!”
withdraw because of their shame.

⁵⁽⁴⁾But may all those who seek you
be glad and take joy in you.
May those who love your salvation say always,
“God is great and glorious!”

⁶⁽⁵⁾But I am poor and needy;
God, hurry for me.
You are my helper and rescuer;
Adonai, don’t delay!
71 In you, Adonai, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
²In your righteousness, rescue me;
and help me to escape.
Turn your ear toward me,
and deliver me.

³Be for me a sheltering rock,
where I can always come.
You have determined to save me,
because you are my bedrock and stronghold.

⁴My God, help me escape from the power of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and ruthless.
⁵For you are my hope, Adonai Elohim,
in whom I have trusted since I was young.
⁶From birth I have relied on you;
it was you who took me from my mother’s womb.

⁷To many, I am an amazing example;
but you are strong protection for me.
⁸My mouth is full of praise for you,
filled with your glory all day long.

⁹Don’t reject me when I grow old;
when my strength fails, don’t abandon me.
¹⁰For my enemies are talking about me,
those seeking my life are plotting together.
¹¹They say, “God has abandoned him;
go after him, and seize him,
because no one will save him.”
¹²God, don’t distance yourself from me!
My God, hurry to help me!
¹³May those who are opposed to me
be put to shame and ruin;
may those who seek to harm me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.

¹⁴But I, I will always hope
and keep adding to your praise.
¹⁵All day long my mouth will tell
of your righteous deeds and acts of salvation,
though their number is past my knowing.
¹⁶I will come in the power of Adonai Elohim
and recall your righteousness, yours alone.
¹⁷God, you have taught me since I was young,
and I still proclaim your wonderful works.
¹⁸So now that I’m old, and my hair is gray,
don’t abandon me, God, till I have proclaimed
your strength to the next generation,
your power to all who will come,
¹⁹your righteousness too, God,
which reaches to the heights.
God, you have done great things;
who is there like you?
²⁰You have made me see much trouble and hardship,
but you will revive me again
and bring me up from the depths of the earth.
²¹You will increase my honor;
turn and comfort me.

²²As for me, I will praise you with a lyre
for your faithfulness, my God.
I will sing praises to you with a lute,
Holy One of Isra’el.
²³My lips will shout for joy;
I will sing your praise, because you have redeemed me.
²⁴All day long my tongue
will speak of your righteousness.
For those who are seeking to harm me
will be put to shame and disgraced.

72 ⁽⁰⁾By Shlomo:

⁽¹⁾God, give the king your fairness in judgment,
endow this son of kings with your righteousness,
²so that he can govern your people rightly
and your poor with justice.
³May mountains and hills provide your people
with peace through righteousness.
⁴May he defend the oppressed among the people,
save the needy and crush the oppressor.

⁵May they fear you as long as the sun endures
and as long as the moon, through all generations.
⁶May he be like rain falling on mown grass,
like showers watering the land.
⁷In his days, let the righteous flourish
and peace abound, till the moon is no more.
⁸May his empire stretch from sea to sea,
from the [Euphrates] River to the ends of the earth.
⁹May desert-dwellers bow before him;
may his enemies lick the dust.
¹⁰The kings of Tarshish and the coasts will pay him tribute;
the kings of Sh’va and S’va will offer gifts.
¹¹Yes, all kings will prostrate themselves before him;
all nations will serve him.

¹²For he will rescue the needy when they cry,
the poor too and those with none to help them.
¹³He will have pity on the poor and needy;
and the lives of the needy he will save.
¹⁴He will redeem them from oppression and violence;
their blood will be precious in his view.

¹⁵May [the king] live long!
May they give him gold from the land of Sh’va!
May they pray for him continually;
yes, bless him all day long.
¹⁶May there be an abundance of grain in the land,
all the way to the tops of the mountains.
May its crops rustle like the L’vanon.
May people blossom in the city like the grasses in the fields.
¹⁷May his name endure forever,
his name, Yinnon, as long as the sun.^[a]
May people bless themselves in him,
may all nations call him happy.

¹⁸Blessed be Adonai, God,
the God of Isra’el,
who alone works wonders.
¹⁹Blessed be his glorious name forever,
and may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen. Amen.

²⁰This completes the prayers of David the son of Yishai.