Psalms  ◦   Chapter 68

1God springs into action, and his enemies scatter;
those who hate love and truth flee from his presence.

2As smoke is blown away by the wind,
so the selfish are blown away by God’s never-failing love;
as wax melts before the fire,
so lies and liars are consumed by the fire of truth emanating from God.

3But the healed — those whose hearts and minds are right with God — are glad
and rejoice in God’s presence:
they are happy, healthy and joyful.

4Sing to God, sing songs praising his character of love;
exalt him who rides above the deserts of life,
exalt his character of love
and rejoice in his presence!

5As father to the fatherless
and protector of widows,
God lives in his holy dwelling place — in the spirit temple.

6God gathers those isolated by fear and selfishness
and restores them to the family of God;
he frees those imprisoned by guilt and destructive habits,
restoring them to life and health;
but those who persist in violating God’s design
wither — they remain severed from the source of life.

7O God, when you led your people from slavery to freedom,
when you marched through the wilderness,

8the earth shook,
the sky poured down rain
in the presence of the Creator — the self-existent One, the design law-giver of Sinai;
in the presence of the Creator — the God whom Israel trusted.

9You gave abundant showers to the land
and showers of truth and love to the people, O God;
they were tired and worn down
and you revitalized them.

10And life came to inhabit the land;
for you, O Creator God, from your goodness, provided for those who trusted you.

11The Lord promised the healing solution,
and a great host of people spread the good news of God’s remedy.

12The king of war is banished — banished from land —
and the homeland shared the reward.

13Even if we fall among the ashes,
the wings of the sacrificial dove
will purify us like silver and gold.

14When the reign of the Almighty Creator spread throughout the land,
it healed it, covering the brokenness like pure-white snow.

15The mountain of God replaces the mountains of self-exaltation —
the mountains of self-exaltation that have many peaks.

16O mountain of self-exaltation, why be envious
of the mountain where the God of love resides,
where the Creator God makes his home?

17God’s armies of angels are beyond counting —
thousands upon thousands!
The Lord comes to dwell with humanity, just as he came at Sinai.

18When you ascended to heaven,
you took those who were once captive in the grave,
and you procured the remedy for humanity
(even for the rebellious),
that you, O Creator God, might dwell together with them.

19May the Lord be praised!
Every day, the burden of our terminal condition is upon him,
for he is our remedy!

20Our God is the only God who saves;
from the Creator God comes the remedy to escape eternal death.

21God will unveil truth and love which will destroy the fountainhead of his enemies —
the self-righteous crown of those who cling to lies and selfishness.

22The Lord says, "I will bring them from their world of self-exaltation;
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea of sinfulness,

23that you may reject their lies and crush their selfishness under your feet,
while the mouths of those evil ones confirm their terminal state."

24The universe has seen how you conduct your affairs, O God;
the actions of my God and King restore his perfect design of love into his sanctuary:

25singers are in front, musicians in the rear,
with maidens in-between, playing tambourines — all in perfect harmony.

26Praise God in the assembly of those with Godlike hearts;
praise the Lord in the assembly of those, who with God, overcome.

27There, the least — like Benjamin — will be great,
and the leaders of Judah gather
along with the leaders of Zebulun and Naphtali.

28O God, command your power;
O God, command your power to work in our behalf!

29Kings will bring presents to you —
to your temple at Jerusalem.

30Rebuke the beastly, who, watching out for self, are unreliable like broken reeds;
the selfish mobs amass in droves like mindless bulls to stampede:
they stomp and trample, trying to force their way;
they offer bars of silver, trying to buy their way.
But God scatters those who delight in war.

31Some will come to God from Egypt;
others, from Ethiopia, will bow in prayer to God.

32Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
sing praise to the Lord —

33to him who from eternity-past rides over the heavens,
whose voice is like mighty thunder.

34Tell everyone of the life-giving power of God
whose glorious character of love is reproduced in those who with him overcome;
whose power sustains the universe.

35O God, when you dwell in your living sanctuaries, it is truly awesome!
The God whom Israel trusted gives his life-giving power to his people.
All praise be to God!