Psalm 83

(An Asaph psalm for singing.)

Don’t stay silent, God.
And don’t silence me, God,
By standing off,
Aloof,
Not caring.

Don’t you hear the beastial growls
Of your haters?
Their heads thrown back in howls.
A pack of wolves,
They circle around your people,
Working together to take down those you love.
“Let’s run them down and devour them
Till they’re all gone
And the name Israel is forgotten.”

It’s an alliance of your ancient enemies,
All plotting together with one mind:
Edomites and Ishmaelites,
Moabites and Hagrites,
Byblos, Ammon, and Amalaek,
Philistia and Tyre.
Even Assyrians have joined Lot’s kin.

Wipe them out like you did to Midian.
End them like Sisera and Jabin at the Kishon.
They died at Endor
And were left like excrement on the ground.
Destroy their leaders like you did
With Oreb and Zeeb,
With Zebah and Zalmunna,
Who tried to take your fields.
Toss them like tumbleweed, my God.
Blow them away,
Insubstantial nothings in the wind.
Burn them down to the ground
With your wildfire.
Toss them on the waves
With your tempest.
Terrify them so badly that they turn around
And turn to you.
Convert them or kill them.
Either crush them under the weight
Of their own shame
Or turn this alliance against you
Into an alliance with you, Yahweh.
In either case,
Your fame will grow,
Your kingship extending over the whole earth.