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Psalm 68

1  Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered; ♦︎
   let those that hate him flee before him.
2  As the smoke vanishes, so may they vanish away; ♦︎
   as wax melts at the fire,
      so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3  But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; ♦︎
   let them make merry with gladness.
4  Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
      exalt him who rides on the clouds. ♦︎
   The Lord is his name; rejoice before him.
5  Father of the fatherless, defender of widows, ♦︎
   God in his holy habitation!
6  God gives the solitary a home
      and brings forth prisoners to songs of welcome, ♦︎
   but the rebellious inhabit a burning desert.
7  O God, when you went forth before your people, ♦︎
   when you marched through the wilderness,
8  The earth shook and the heavens dropped down rain,
      at the presence of God, the Lord of Sinai, ♦︎
   at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9  You sent down a gracious rain, O God; ♦︎
   you refreshed your inheritance when it was weary.
10  Your people came to dwell there; ♦︎
   in your goodness, O God, you provide for the poor.
11  The Lord gave the word;
      great was the company of women who bore the tidings: ♦︎
   ‘Kings and their armies they flee, they flee!’
      and women at home are dividing the spoil.
12  Though you stayed among the sheepfolds, ♦︎
   see now a dove’s wings covered with silver
      and its feathers with green gold.
13  When the Almighty scattered the kings, ♦︎
   it was like snowflakes falling on Zalmon.
14  You mighty mountain, great mountain of Bashan! ♦︎
   You towering mountain, great mountain of Bashan!
15  Why look with envy, you towering mountains,
      at the mount which God has desired for his dwelling, ♦︎
   the place where the Lord will dwell for ever?
16  The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
      even thousands upon thousands; ♦︎
   the Lord is among them, the Lord of Sinai in holy power.
17  You have gone up on high and led captivity captive; ♦︎
   you have received tribute,
      even from those who rebelled,
      that you may reign as Lord and God.
18  Blessed be the Lord who bears our burdens day by day, ♦︎
   for God is our salvation.
19  God is for us the God of our salvation; ♦︎
   God is the Lord who can deliver from death.
20  God will smite the head of his enemies, ♦︎
   the hairy scalp of those who walk in wickedness.
21  The Lord has said, ‘From the heights of Bashan, ♦︎
   from the depths of the sea will I bring them back,
22  ‘Till you dip your foot in blood ♦︎
   and the tongue of your dogs has a taste of your enemies.’
23  We see your solemn processions, O God, ♦︎
   your processions into the sanctuary, my God and my King.
24  The singers go before, the musicians follow after, ♦︎
   in the midst of maidens playing on timbrels.
25  In your companies, bless your God; ♦︎
   bless the Lord, you that are of the fount of Israel.
26  At the head there is Benjamin, least of the tribes,
      the princes of Judah in joyful company, ♦︎
   the princes of Zebulun and Naphtali.
27  Send forth your strength, O God; ♦︎
   establish, O God, what you have wrought in us.
28  For your temple’s sake in Jerusalem ♦︎
   kings shall bring their gifts to you.
29  Drive back with your word the wild beast of the reeds, ♦︎
   the herd of the bull-like, the brutish hordes.
30  Trample down those who lust after silver; ♦︎
   scatter the peoples that delight in war.
31  Vessels of bronze shall be brought from Egypt; ♦︎
   Ethiopia will stretch out her hands to God.
32  Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; ♦︎
   make music in praise of the Lord;
33  He rides on the ancient heaven of heavens ♦︎
   and sends forth his voice, a mighty voice.
34  Ascribe power to God, whose splendour is over Israel, ♦︎
   whose power is above the clouds.
35  How terrible is God in his holy sanctuary, ♦︎
   the God of Israel, who gives power and strength to his people!
      Blessed be God.

5 The Philistines mustered to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and troops like the sand on the seashore in multitude; they came up and encamped at Michmash, to the east of Beth-aven. ⁶When the Israelites saw that they were in distress (for the troops were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns. ⁷Some Hebrews crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul was still at Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

8 He waited for seven days, the time appointed by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people began to slip away from Saul.^{* 9}So Saul said, ‘Bring the burnt-offering here to me, and the offerings of well-being.’ And he offered the burnt-offering. ¹⁰As soon as he had finished offering the burnt-offering, Samuel arrived; and Saul went out to meet him and salute him. ¹¹Samuel said, ‘What have you done?’ Saul replied, ‘When I saw that the people were slipping away from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were mustering at Michmash, ¹²I said, “Now the Philistines will come down upon me at Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favour of the Lord”; so I forced myself, and offered the burnt-offering.’ ¹³Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded you. The Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel for ever, ¹⁴but now your kingdom will not continue; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart; and the Lord has appointed him to be ruler over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.’ ¹⁵And Samuel left and went on his way from Gilgal.^* The rest of the people followed Saul to join the army; they went up from Gilgal towards Gibeah of Benjamin.^*

Preparations for Battle

Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men. ¹⁶Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped at Michmash. ¹⁷And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies; one company turned towards Ophrah, to the land of Shual, ¹⁸another company turned towards Beth-horon, and another company turned towards the mountain^* that looks down upon the valley of Zeboim towards the wilderness.

Jesus Sentenced to Death

13 Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, ¹⁴and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. ¹⁵Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. ¹⁶I will therefore have him flogged and release him.’^*

18 Then they all shouted out together, ‘Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!’ ¹⁹(This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.) ²⁰Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; ²¹but they kept shouting, ‘Crucify, crucify him!’ ²²A third time he said to them, ‘Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.’ ²³But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. ²⁴So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. ²⁵He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.