Psalms

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

1God, do not stay quiet. Do not say nothing. Do not sit still, God.

2For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

2Look at how your enemies are shouting and raging. The people who hate you are acting proud.

3They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

3They are making sly plans against your people. They are plotting against the ones you keep close.

4They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

4They say, "Come on, let us wipe them out as a nation. Then nobody will remember the name Israel."

5For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

5They have all agreed on the same plan. They have made an alliance against you.

6The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;

6The camps of Edom and the Ishmaelites are in it, and Moab and the Hagarenes,

7Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;

7and Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, and the Philistines along with the people of Tyre.

8Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.

8Assyria has joined them too. They have given help to the descendants of Lot. Selah.

Note"Holpen" is an old form of "helped." The "children of Lot" means the nations of Moab and Ammon, who came from Lot, Abraham's nephew.

9Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:

9Do to them what you did to the Midianites. Do what you did to Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon River.

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

10Those armies were destroyed at Endor. They were left on the ground like manure in a field.

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

11Make their leaders end up like Oreb and Zeeb. Make all their princes end up like Zebah and Zalmunna.

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

12Those were the men who said, "Let us take God's own land and keep it for ourselves."

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

13My God, blow them along like a rolling weed, like dry stalks scattered by the wind.

Note"Make them like a wheel" pictures a plant that dries up, breaks off, and rolls away in the wind. "Stubble" is the dry leftover stalks after a harvest.

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

14Fire burns up a forest, and flames set whole mountains blazing.

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

15Chase them like that with your storm wind. Fill them with fear by your thunderstorm.

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

16Cover their faces with shame, so that they will look for your name, LORD.

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

17Let them be ashamed and terrified always. Let them be disgraced, and let them die.

Note"Confounded" here means put to shame and thrown into confusion, not puzzled.

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

18Then people will know that you alone, whose name is the LORD, rule high above all the earth.