Praise be to You, Lord God, my Savior. You daily bear our burdens, for You are a God who saves. Because of Your great love, O God, we are not consumed; Your tender mercies and loving-kindness fail not as Your compassions are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness, O God! Show Your great strength, Sovereign Lord, as You display Your power in perfecting the things which concern us, according to Your Word. Refresh the weary with abundant showers of blessings as You provide for Your people, O God. Banish our loneliness with companionship as You defend and protect us, Heavenly Father. You, O God, are awesome in Your sanctuary; You are our God who gives power and strength to Your people. May we experience glad hope, happy and joyful with You as our portion, knowing that You are good to those whose hope is in You, to those who seek You. Let our lives proclaim Your power, as we extol You and sing in praise of Your Name. All glory, and honor, and praise to You, Lord God, in Jesus' Name. Thank You for Your love. Amen.
Psalm 68 (Amplified Bible)
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A song.
1GOD IS [already] beginning to arise, and His enemies to scatter; let them also who hate Him flee before Him!
2As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before the presence of God.
3But let the [uncompromisingly] righteous be glad; let them be in high spirits and glory before God, yes, let them [jubilantly] rejoice!
4Sing to God, sing praises to His name, cast up a highway for Him Who rides through the deserts--His name is the Lord--be in high spirits and glory before Him!
5A father of the fatherless and a judge and protector of the widows is God in His holy habitation.
6God places the solitary in families and gives the desolate a home in which to dwell; He leads the prisoners out to prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7O God, when You went forth before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness--Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!--
8The earth trembled, the heavens also poured down [rain] at the presence of God; yonder Sinai quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9You, O God, did send a plentiful rain; You did restore and confirm Your heritage when it languished and was weary.
10Your flock found a dwelling place in it; You, O God, in Your goodness did provide for the poor and needy.
11The Lord gives the word [of power]; the women who bear and publish [the news] are a great host.
12The kings of the enemies' armies, they flee, they flee! She who tarries at home divides the spoil [left behind].
13Though you [the slackers] may lie among the sheepfolds [in slothful ease, yet for Israel] the wings of a dove are covered with silver, its pinions excessively green with gold [are trophies taken from the enemy].
14When the Almighty scattered kings in [the land], it was as when it snows on Zalmon [a wooded hill near Shechem].
15Is Mount Bashan the high mountain of summits, Mount Bashan [east of the Jordan] the mount of God?
16Why do you look with grudging and envy, you many-peaked mountains, at the mountain [of the city called Zion] which God has desired for His dwelling place? Yes, the Lord will dwell in it forever.
17The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands upon thousands. The Lord is among them as He was in Sinai, [so also] in the Holy Place (the sanctuary in Jerusalem).
18[a]You have ascended on high. You have led away captive a train of vanquished foes; You have received gifts of men, yes, of the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell there with them.(A)
19Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
20God is to us a God of deliverances and salvation; and to God the Lord belongs escape from death [setting us free].
21But God will shatter the heads of His enemies, the hairy scalp of such a one as goes on still in his trespasses and guilty ways.
22The Lord said, I will bring back [your enemies] from Bashan; I will bring them back from the depths of the [Red] Sea,
23That you may crush them, dipping your foot in blood, that the tongues of your dogs may have their share from the foe.
24They see Your goings, O God, even the [solemn processions] of my God, my King, into the sanctuary [in holiness].
25The singers go in front, the players on instruments last; between them the maidens are playing on tambourines.
26Bless, give thanks, and gratefully praise God in full congregations, even the Lord, O you who are from [Jacob] the fountain of Israel.
27There is little Benjamin in the lead [in the procession], the princes of Judah and their company, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.
28Your God has commanded your strength [your might in His service and impenetrable hardness to temptation]; O God, display Your might and strengthen what You have wrought for us!
29[Out of respect] for Your temple at Jerusalem kings shall bring gifts to You.
30Rebuke the wild beasts dwelling among the reeds [in Egypt], the herd of bulls (the leaders) with the calves of the peoples; trample underfoot those who lust for tribute money; scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall hasten to stretch out her hands [with the offerings of submission] to God.
32Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord! Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!
33[Sing praises] to Him Who rides upon the heavens, the ancient heavens; behold, He sends forth His voice, His mighty voice.
34Ascribe power and strength to God; His majesty is over Israel, and His strength and might are in the skies.
35O God, awe-inspiring, profoundly impressive, and terrible are You out of Your holy places; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and fullness of might to His people. Blessed be God!
