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Psalm 68

Praise and Thanksgiving

To the leader. Of David. A Psalm. A Song.
¹ Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered;
   let those who hate him flee before him.
² As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
   as wax melts before the fire,
   let the wicked perish before God.
³ But let the righteous be joyful;
   let them exult before God;
   let them be jubilant with joy.

⁴ Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
   lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds^*—
his name is the Lord—
   be exultant before him.

⁵ Father of orphans and protector of widows
   is God in his holy habitation.
⁶ God gives the desolate a home to live in;
   he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
   but the rebellious live in a parched land.

⁷ O God, when you went out before your people,
   when you marched through the wilderness,
          Selah
⁸ the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain
   at the presence of God, the God of Sinai,
   at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
⁹ Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad;
   you restored your heritage when it languished;
¹⁰ your flock found a dwelling in it;
   in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

¹¹ The Lord gives the command;
   great is the company of those^* who bore the tidings:
¹²   ‘The kings of the armies, they flee, they flee!’
The women at home divide the spoil,
¹³   though they stay among the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
   its pinions with green gold.
¹⁴ When the Almighty^* scattered kings there,
   snow fell on Zalmon.

¹⁵ O mighty mountain, mountain of Bashan;
   O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
¹⁶ Why do you look with envy, O many-peaked mountain,
   at the mount that God desired for his abode,
   where the Lord will reside for ever?

¹⁷ With mighty chariotry, twice ten thousand,
   thousands upon thousands,
   the Lord came from Sinai into the holy place.^*
18 You ascended the high mount,
   leading captives in your train
   and receiving gifts from people,
even from those who rebel against the Lord God’s abiding there.
¹⁹ Blessed be the Lord,
   who daily bears us up;
   God is our salvation.
          Selah
²⁰ Our God is a God of salvation,
   and to God, the Lord, belongs escape from death.

²¹ But God will shatter the heads of his enemies,
   the hairy crown of those who walk in their guilty ways.
²² The Lord said,
   ‘I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
²³ so that you may bathe^* your feet in blood,
   so that the tongues of your dogs may have their share from the foe.’

²⁴ Your solemn processions are seen,^* O God,
   the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
²⁵ the singers in front, the musicians last,
   between them girls playing tambourines:
²⁶ ‘Bless God in the great congregation,
   the Lord, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!’
²⁷ There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
   the princes of Judah in a body,
   the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

²⁸ Summon your might, O God;
   show your strength, O God, as you have done for us before.
²⁹ Because of your temple at Jerusalem
   kings bear gifts to you.
³⁰ Rebuke the wild animals that live among the reeds,
   the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trample^* under foot those who lust after tribute;
   scatter the peoples who delight in war.^*
31 Let bronze be brought from Egypt;
   let Ethiopia^* hasten to stretch out its hands to God.

³² Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;
   sing praises to the Lord,
          Selah
³³ O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
   listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
³⁴ Ascribe power to God,
   whose majesty is over Israel;
   and whose power is in the skies.
³⁵ Awesome is God in his^* sanctuary,
   the God of Israel;
   he gives power and strength to his people.

Blessed be God!

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

17After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, ²since you have given him authority over all people,^* to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. ³And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ⁴I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. ⁵So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

6 ‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. ⁷Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; ⁸for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. ⁹I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. ¹⁰All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. ¹¹And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

Suffering as a Christian

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³But rejoice in so far as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory,^* which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.^*

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. ⁸Discipline yourselves; keep alert.^* Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. ⁹Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters^* throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. ¹⁰And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. ¹¹To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.