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One of Asaph’s songs of praise.

83 God, don’t keep quiet!
    Don’t close your ears!
    Please say something, God.
Your enemies are getting ready to do something.
    Those who hate you will soon attack.
They are making secret plans against your people.
    Your enemies are discussing plans against the people you love.
They say, “Come, let us destroy them completely.
    Then no one will ever again remember the name Israel.”
God, they have all joined together.
    They have united against you.
6-7 Their army includes the Edomites, Ishmaelites, Moabites, and Hagar’s descendants,
    the people of Byblos, Ammon, and Amalek,
    the Philistines, and the people of Tyre.
Even the Assyrians have joined them.
    They have made Lot’s descendants very powerful. Selah

God, defeat them just as you defeated Midian.
    Do what you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.
10 You destroyed the enemy at Endor,
    and their bodies rotted on the ground.
11 Punish their leaders as you did Oreb and Zeeb.
    Do what you did to Zebah and Zalmunna.
12 They said, “Let’s make this land our own—
    these fields of grass that belong to God!”
13 Make them like weeds blown by the wind.
    Scatter them the way wind scatters straw.
14 Be like a fire that destroys a forest
    or like a flame that sets the hills on fire.
15 Chase them away with your blasts of wind;
    frighten them with your storms.
16 Lord, cover them with shame
    until they come to you for help.
17 May they be forever ashamed and afraid.
    Disgrace and defeat them.
18 Then they will know that your name is Yahweh
    that you alone are the Lord.
They will know that you are God Most High,
    ruler over all the earth!

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)

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.