Psalms

O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.

1God, you have pushed us away. You have scattered us. You have been angry with us. Please turn back to us again.

2Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.

2You made the land shake, and you tore it open. Now heal its cracks, because it is still shaking.

3Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

3You have made your people go through hard times. You gave us wine that left us stumbling.

4Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.

4You have raised a flag for those who honor you, to be lifted high because of what is true. Selah.

NoteA banner was a flag on a pole that soldiers gathered around in battle, so they could see where to go. "Selah" is a musical mark in the Hebrew; nobody today knows exactly what it told the singers to do.

5That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.

5Save us with your strong right hand, and answer me, so that the people you love are rescued.

6God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

6God has spoken from his holy place: "I will win. I will divide up Shechem and measure out the valley of Succoth.

7Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;

7Gilead belongs to me, and Manasseh belongs to me. Ephraim is the helmet on my head. Judah is the staff I rule with.

Note"The strength of mine head" means a helmet, the hard cap that protects a soldier's head. A "lawgiver" here is the ruler's staff, the rod a king held to show he was in charge.

8Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.

8Moab is my washbasin. I throw my sandal down on Edom. I shout in victory over Philistia."

NoteA washbasin was the bowl you washed dirty feet in, and throwing your sandal at a piece of land was a way of saying "this is mine now." Both are ways of saying these nations are under God's control.

9Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?

9Who will bring me into the city with strong walls? Who will lead me into Edom?

10Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?

10Will you not do it, God, even though you pushed us away? You stopped marching out with our armies.

11Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

11Help us when we are in trouble, because help from people is worth nothing.

12Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

12With God we will fight bravely. He is the one who will trample down our enemies.