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83 O God, don’t sit idly by, silent and inactive when we pray. Answer us! Deliver us!

Don’t you hear the tumult and commotion of your enemies? Don’t you see what they are doing, these proud men who hate the Lord? They are full of craftiness and plot against your people, laying plans to slay your precious ones. “Come,” they say, “and let us wipe out Israel as a nation—we will destroy the very memory of her existence.” This was their unanimous decision at their summit conference—they signed a treaty to ally themselves against Almighty God— these Ishmaelites and Edomites and Moabites and Hagrites; people from the lands of Gebal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia and Tyre; Assyria has joined them too, and is allied with the descendants of Lot.[a]

Do to them as once you did to Midian, or as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, 10 and as you did to your enemies at Endor, whose decaying corpses fertilized the soil. 11 Make their mighty nobles die as Oreb did, and Zeeb;[b] let all their princes die like Zebah and Zalmunna, 12 who said, “Let us seize for our own use these pasturelands of God!”

13 O my God, blow them away like dust; like chaff before the wind— 14 as a forest fire that roars across a mountain. 15 Chase them with your fiery storms, tempests, and tornados. 16 Utterly disgrace them until they recognize your power and name, O Lord. 17 Make them failures in everything they do; let them be ashamed and terrified 18 until they learn that you alone, Jehovah, are the God above all gods in supreme charge of all the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:8 the descendants of Lot. The Moabites and Ammonites were among Lot’s descendants.
  2. Psalm 83:11 as Oreb did, and Zeeb, see Judges 7:25. like Zebah and Zalmunna, see Judges 8:21.

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.

83 Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;

Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;

Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.

Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:

10 Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.

11 Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:

12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.

13 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.

14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;

15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.

16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord.

17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:

18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth.