Psalms 60
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O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.
2 Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.
3 Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.
4 Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.
5 That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.
6 God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
8 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.
9 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
10 Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?
11 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
12 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 60:1-12
He Will Tread Down Our Foes
To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.
1O God, you have rejected us, broken our defenses;
you have been angry; oh, restore us.
2You have made the land to quake; you have torn it open;
repair its breaches, for it totters.
3You have made your people see hard things;
you have given us wine to drink that made us stagger.
4You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
that they may flee to it from the bow. Selah
5That your beloved ones may be delivered,
give salvation by your right hand and answer us!
6God has spoken in his holiness:
“With exultation I will divide up Shechem
and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
7Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet;
Judah is my scepter.
8Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
9Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go forth, O God, with our armies.
11Oh, grant us help against the foe,
for vain is the salvation of man!
12With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 60:1-12
Psalm 60
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim and Aram Zobah, and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
1You have rejected us, God, and burst upon us;
you have been angry—now restore us!
2You have shaken the land and torn it open;
mend its fractures, for it is quaking.
3You have shown your people desperate times;
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.
4But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner
to be unfurled against the bow.
5Save us and help us with your right hand,
that those you love may be delivered.
6God has spoken from his sanctuary:
“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.
7Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah is my scepter.
8Moab is my washbasin,
on Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
9Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?
11Give us aid against the enemy,
for human help is worthless.
12With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
David has God’s own word, spoken in the integrity of His holiness, that the land of Israel is His possession. In fact, He owns the neighbouring countries too, the very ones who make frequent military incursions into Israel. Yet there are massive challenges before David and his troops if they are to overcome their enemies. He knows that the impossible can only be attained if God goes with them once again. Yet David is confident of success: “With God we shall gain the victory, and He will trample down our enemies.”
Things may be looking bad for you right now; you may even wonder if God is still with you and still working out His purposes for you. But where else can you turn for help? Let your feelings of rejection and abandonment be supplanted by the assurance that, in the heat of your personal battle, God is calling you to His banner; He is waving His powerful right arm over your surrounding circumstances. He will indeed put a song of victory in your mouth. You can start singing His song already, for the victory is certain.
Garth Bainbridge
Australia