¹For the music director, by David, a psalm, a song. God springs into action. His enemies scatter; his adversaries run from him. ²As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away. As wax melts before fire, so the wicked are destroyed before God. ³But the godly are happy; they rejoice before God and are overcome with joy. ⁴Sing to God! Sing praises to his name. Exalt the one who rides on the clouds. For the Lord is his name. Rejoice before him.⁵He is a father to the fatherless and an advocate for widows. God rules from his holy dwelling place.⁶God settles in their own homes those who have been deserted; he frees prisoners and grants them prosperity. But sinful rebels live in the desert. ⁷O God, when you lead your people into battle, when you march through the wastelands, (Selah)⁸the earth shakes. Yes, the heavens pour down rain before God, the God of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. ⁹O God, you cause abundant showers to fall on your chosen people. When they are tired, you sustain them,¹⁰for you live among them. You sustain the oppressed with your good blessings, O God. ¹¹The Lord speaks; many, many women spread the good news. ¹²Kings leading armies run away—they run away! The lovely lady of the house divides up the loot. ¹³When you lie down among the sheepfolds, the wings of the dove are covered with silver and with glittering gold. ¹⁴When the Sovereign One scatters kings, let it snow on Zalmon. ¹⁵The mountain of Bashan is a towering mountain; the mountain of Bashan is a mountain with many peaks. ¹⁶Why do you look with envy, O mountains with many peaks, at the mountain where God has decided to live? Indeed the Lord will live there permanently. ¹⁷God has countless chariots; they number in the thousands. The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor.¹⁸You ascend on high; you have taken many captives. You receive tribute from men, including even sinful rebels. Indeed, the Lord God lives there.¹⁹The Lord deserves praise. Day after day he carries our burden, the God who delivers us. (Selah)²⁰Our God is a God who delivers; the Lord, the Sovereign Lord, can rescue from death. ²¹Indeed, God strikes the heads of his enemies, the hairy foreheads of those who persist in rebellion.²²The Lord says, “I will retrieve them from Bashan. I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, ²³so that your feet may stomp in their blood, and your dogs may eat their portion of the enemies’ corpses.” ²⁴They see your processions, O God— the processions of my God, my king, who marches along in holy splendor.²⁵Singers walk in front; musicians follow playing their stringed instruments, in the midst of young women playing tambourines. ²⁶In your large assemblies praise God, the Lord, in the assemblies of Israel. ²⁷There is little Benjamin, their ruler, and the princes of Judah in their robes, along with the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali. ²⁸God has decreed that you will be powerful. O God, you who have acted on our behalf, demonstrate your power.²⁹Because of your temple in Jerusalem, kings bring tribute to you.³⁰Sound your battle cry against the wild beast of the reeds, and the nations that assemble like a herd of calves led by bulls. They humble themselves and offer gold and silver as tribute. God scatters the nations that like to do battle. ³¹They come with red cloth from Egypt. Ethiopia voluntarily offers tribute to God. ³²O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God. Sing praises to the Lord, (Selah)³³to the one who rides through the sky from ancient times. Look! He thunders loudly.³⁴Acknowledge God’s power, his sovereignty over Israel, and the power he reveals in the skies. ³⁵You are awe inspiring, O God, as you emerge from your holy temple. It is the God of Israel who gives the people power and strength. God deserves praise!