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A Request to Act against Israel’s Neighbors

A song. A psalm of Asaph.[a]

83 O God, do not rest silently.
Do not keep silent or be still, O God.
For look, your enemies roar,
and those who hate you have lifted their head.
They devise cunning schemes[b] against your people,
and consult together against your protected ones.[c]
They say, “Come, let us annihilate them from being a nation,
so that the name of Israel will be remembered no more.”
For they have consulted together with a unified purpose.[d]
They have made a covenant against you:
the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,
Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia, with the inhabitants of Tyre.
Assyria also has joined with them.
They provide help[e] to the children of Lot. Selah
Do to them as you did with Midian,
as with Sisera, as with Jabin at the wadi of Kishon.
10 They were destroyed at En-dor;
they became dung for the ground.
11 Make their leaders like Oreb and Zeeb,
and all their chiefs like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take as our possession
the pastures of God.”
13 O my God, make them like the tumbleweed,
like the chaff before wind.
14 As fire burns a forest,
and as a flame sets afire mountains,
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
16 Fill their faces with shame,
that they may seek your name, O Yahweh.
17 Let them be ashamed and terrified forever,
and let them be humiliated and perish
18 that they may know that you,
whose name is Yahweh, you alone,
are the Most High over the whole earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 83:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 83:3 Hebrew “scheme”
  3. Psalm 83:3 Or “your treasured ones”
  4. Psalm 83:5 Literally “with a heart together”
  5. Psalm 83:8 Literally “they have become an arm for”

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.