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God Implored to Confound His Enemies.

A Song. A Psalm of Asaph.

83 Do not keep silent, O God;
Do not hold Your peace or be still, O God.

For behold, Your enemies are in tumult,
And those who hate You have raised their heads [in hatred of You].(A)

They concoct crafty schemes against Your people,
And conspire together against Your hidden and precious ones.

They have said, “Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation;
Let the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

For they have conspired together with one mind;
Against You they make a covenant—

The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Of Moab and the Hagrites,

Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre.

Assyria also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot [the Ammonites and the Moabites] and have been an arm [of strength] to them. Selah.


Deal with them as [You did] with Midian,
As with Sisera and Jabin at the brook of Kishon,(B)
10 
Who were destroyed at En-dor,
Who became like dung for the earth.
11 
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb
And all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,(C)
12 
Who said, “Let us possess for ourselves
The pastures of God.”

13 
O my God, make them like [a]whirling dust,
Like chaff before the wind [worthless and without substance].
14 
Like fire consumes the forest,
And like the flame sets the mountains on fire,
15 
So pursue them with Your tempest
And terrify them with [the violence of] Your storm.
16 
Fill their faces with shame and disgrace,
That they may [persistently] seek Your name, O Lord.
17 
Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever;
Yes, let them be humiliated and perish,
18 
That they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the Most High over all the earth.

Longing for the Temple Worship.

To the Chief Musician; set to a [b]Philistine lute. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

84 How lovely are Your dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!

My soul (my life, my inner self) longs for and greatly desires the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.

The bird has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.

Blessed and greatly favored are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence;
They will be singing Your praises all the day long. Selah.


Blessed and greatly favored is the man whose strength is in You,
In [c]whose heart are the highways to Zion.

Passing through the Valley of Weeping ([d]Baca), they make it a place of springs;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.

They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power];
Each of them appears before God in Zion.


O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Listen, O God of Jacob! Selah.

See our shield, O God,
And look at the face of Your anointed [the king as Your representative].
10 
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [anywhere else];
I would rather stand [as a doorkeeper] at the threshold of the house of my God
Than to live [at ease] in the tents of wickedness.
11 
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord bestows grace and favor and honor;
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
12 
O Lord of hosts,
How blessed and greatly favored is the man who trusts in You [believing in You, relying on You, and committing himself to You with confident hope and expectation].

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:13 Or tumbleweed.
  2. Psalm 84:1 A technical musical term, meaning uncertain.
  3. Psalm 84:5 Lit their.
  4. Psalm 84:6 Possibly a kind of plant.

Psalm 83[a]

A song. A psalm of Asaph.

O God, do not remain silent;(A)
    do not turn a deaf ear,
    do not stand aloof, O God.
See how your enemies growl,(B)
    how your foes rear their heads.(C)
With cunning they conspire(D) against your people;
    they plot against those you cherish.(E)
“Come,” they say, “let us destroy(F) them as a nation,(G)
    so that Israel’s name is remembered(H) no more.”

With one mind they plot together;(I)
    they form an alliance against you—
the tents of Edom(J) and the Ishmaelites,
    of Moab(K) and the Hagrites,(L)
Byblos,(M) Ammon(N) and Amalek,(O)
    Philistia,(P) with the people of Tyre.(Q)
Even Assyria(R) has joined them
    to reinforce Lot’s descendants.[b](S)

Do to them as you did to Midian,(T)
    as you did to Sisera(U) and Jabin(V) at the river Kishon,(W)
10 who perished at Endor(X)
    and became like dung(Y) on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,(Z)
    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,(AA)
12 who said, “Let us take possession(AB)
    of the pasturelands of God.”

13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
    like chaff(AC) before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
    or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,(AD)
15 so pursue them with your tempest(AE)
    and terrify them with your storm.(AF)
16 Cover their faces with shame,(AG) Lord,
    so that they will seek your name.

17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;(AH)
    may they perish in disgrace.(AI)
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord(AJ)
    that you alone are the Most High(AK) over all the earth.(AL)

Psalm 84[c]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[d] Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

How lovely is your dwelling place,(AM)
    Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns,(AN) even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.(AO)
Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,(AP)
    Lord Almighty,(AQ) my King(AR) and my God.(AS)
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.[e]

Blessed are those whose strength(AT) is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.(AU)
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;(AV)
    the autumn(AW) rains also cover it with pools.[f]
They go from strength to strength,(AX)
    till each appears(AY) before God in Zion.(AZ)

Hear my prayer,(BA) Lord God Almighty;
    listen to me, God of Jacob.
Look on our shield,[g](BB) O God;
    look with favor on your anointed one.(BC)

10 Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper(BD) in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is a sun(BE) and shield;(BF)
    the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold(BG)
    from those whose walk is blameless.

12 Lord Almighty,
    blessed(BH) is the one who trusts in you.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:1 In Hebrew texts 83:1-18 is numbered 83:2-19.
  2. Psalm 83:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  3. Psalm 84:1 In Hebrew texts 84:1-12 is numbered 84:2-13.
  4. Psalm 84:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  5. Psalm 84:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 8.
  6. Psalm 84:6 Or blessings
  7. Psalm 84:9 Or sovereign