18You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives;
         You have received gifts among men,
         Even among the rebellious also, that the LORD God may dwell there.

19Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,
         The God who is our salvation.

20God is to us a God of deliverances;
         And to GOD the Lord belong escapes from death.

21Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies,
         The hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds.

22The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan.
         I will bring them back from the depths of the sea;

23That your foot may shatter them in blood,
         The tongue of your dogs may have its portion from your enemies.”

24They have seen Your procession, O God,
         The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary.

25The singers went on, the musicians after them,
         In the midst of the maidens beating tambourines.

26Bless God in the congregations,
         Even the LORD, you who are of the fountain of Israel.

27There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them,
         The princes of Judah in their throng,
         The princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

28Your God has commanded your strength;
         Show Yourself strong, O God, who have acted on our behalf.

29Because of Your temple at Jerusalem
         Kings will bring gifts to You.

30Rebuke the beasts in the reeds,
         The herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples,
         Trampling under foot the pieces of silver;
         He has scattered the peoples who delight in war.

31Envoys will come out of Egypt;
         Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God.

32Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
         Sing praises to the Lord,

33To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times;
         Behold, He speaks forth with His voice, a mighty voice.

34Ascribe strength to God;
         His majesty is over Israel
         And His strength is in the skies.

35O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary.
         The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people.
         Blessed be God!

NASB ©1995

American Standard Version
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led away captives; Thou hast received gifts among men, Yea, among the rebellious also, that Jehovah God might dwell with them .

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive; thou hast received gifts in men. Yea for those also that do not believe, the dwelling of the Lord God.

Darby Bible Translation
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts in Man, and even for the rebellious, for the dwelling there of Jah Elohim.

English Revised Version
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led thy captivity captive; thou hast received gifts among men, yea, among the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell with them.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yes, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

World English Bible
You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among men, yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah God might dwell there.

Young's Literal Translation
Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast taken captive captivity, Thou hast taken gifts for men, That even the refractory may rest, O Jah God.The Burden-Bearing God
'Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits.'--(A.V.). 'Blessed be the Lord, who daily beareth our burden.' --PSALM lxviii. 19 (R.V.). The difference between these two renderings seems to be remarkable, and a person ignorant of any language but our own might find it hard to understand how any one sentence was susceptible of both. But the explanation is extremely simple. The important words in the Authorised Version, 'with benefits,' are a supplement, having nothing to represent them …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Publication of the Gospel
The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it [or of the preachers] P erhaps no one Psalm has given greater exercise to the skill and patience of commentators and critics, than the sixty-eighth. I suppose the difficulties do not properly belong to the Psalm, but arise from our ignorance of various circumstances to which the Psalmist alludes; which probably were, at that time, generally known and understood. The first verse is the same with the stated form of benediction …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Gifts Received for the Rebellious
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them. W hen Joseph exchanged a prison for the chief honour and government of Egypt, the advantage of his exaltation was felt by those who little deserved it (Genesis 45:4, 5) . His brethren hated him, and had conspired to kill him. And though he was preserved from death, they were permitted to sell him for a bond-servant. He owed his servitude, …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Rejoicing Before God.
(Preached on the Anniversary of the Battle of Leipsic, October 18th, 1818.) TEXT: PSALM lxviii. 3, 4. ANY one who had heard our last hymn without knowing the occasion of to-day's festival might suppose that we seemed more like entering on a day of supplication in regard to the future, than on what it really is, a day of thankful remembrance of the great and divine deliverance wrought for us in the immediate past. But can we, or ought we, to separate these? God's kindness and grace always anticipate …
Friedrich Schleiermacher—Selected Sermons of Schleiermacher

Daily Blessings for God's People
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. He that is our God is the God of salvation, and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death."--Psalm 68:19-20. WE observe that this Psalm is a very difficult one. One of the ablest commentators calls it a titanic Psalm. It is truly a giant Psalm, and to master it means much labour. Yet it is by no means difficult to understand when it comet to practical duties, and to those doctrines which are vital. For instance, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 62: 1916

That it is Profitable to Communicate Often
The Voice of the Disciple Behold I come unto Thee, O Lord, that I may be blessed through Thy gift, and be made joyful in Thy holy feast which Thou, O God, of Thy goodness hast prepared for the poor.(1) Behold in Thee is all that I can and ought to desire, Thou art my salvation and redemption, my hope and strength, my honour and glory. Therefore rejoice the soul of Thy servant this day, for unto Thee, O Lord Jesus, do I lift up my soul.(2) I long now to receive Thee devoutly and reverently, I desire …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

The First Part
Of the Apocalyptical Commentaries, according to the Rule of the Apocalyptical Key, on the First Prophecy which is contained in the Seals and Trumpets; with an Introduction concerning the Scene of the Apocalypse. As it is my design to investigate the meaning of the Apocalyptical visions, it is requisite for me to treat, in the first place, of that celestial theatre to which John was called, in order to behold them, exhibited as on a stage, and afterwards of the prophecies in succession, examined by …
Joseph Mede—A Key to the Apocalypse

And That, Being Raised from the Dead, He was to Ascend into Heaven...
And that, being raised from the dead, He was to ascend into heaven, (Ps. lxviii 17) David says thus: The chariot of God (is) ten-thousandfold, thousands are the drivers: [263] the Lord (is) among then in Sinai in (his) sanctuary. He ascended up on high, he led captivity captive: he received, he gave gifts to men. And by captivity he means the destruction of the rule of the apostate angels. [264] He declares also the place where He was to ascend into heaven from the earth. For the Lord, he says, from …
Irenæus—The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching

The Ascension of Christ
It seemed expedient for him to stay, to accomplish the conversion of the world. Would not his presence have had an influence to win by eloquence of gracious word and argument of loving miracle? If he put forth his power the battle would soon be over, and his rule over all hearts would be for ever established. "Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee." Go not from the conflict, thou mighty bowman, but still cast thine all-subduing darts abroad. …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

Twentieth Day for God's Spirit on the Heathen
WHAT TO PRAY.--For God's Spirit on the Heathen "Behold, these shall come from far; and these from the land of Sinim."--ISA. xlix. 12. "Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall haste to stretch out her hands to God."--PS. lxviii. 31. "I the Lord will hasten it in His time."--ISA. lx. 22. Pray for the heathen, who are yet without the word. Think of China, with her three hundred millions--a million a month dying without Christ. Think of Dark Africa, with its two hundred millions. Think …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession

That to Him who Loveth God is Sweet Above all Things and in all Things
Behold, God is mine, and all things are mine! What will I more, and what more happy thing can I desire? O delightsome and sweet world! that is, to him that loveth the Word, not the world, neither the things that are in the world.(1) My God, my all! To him that understandeth, that word sufficeth, and to repeat it often is pleasing to him that loveth it. When Thou art present all things are pleasant; when Thou art absent, all things are wearisome. Thou makest the heart to be at rest, givest it …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

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