Psalms 57-59

Psalm 57

¹To the chief Musician. 'Destroy not.' Of David. Michtam; when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me; for my soul taketh refuge in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings do I take refuge, until the calamities be overpast.

²I will call unto God, the Most High; unto God that performeth all for me.

³He will send from the heavens and save me; he hath covered with reproach him that would swallow me up. Selah. God hath sent forth his loving-kindness and his truth.

⁴My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down among them that breathe out flames, the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

⁵Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let thy glory be above all the earth!

⁶They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down: they have digged a pit before me; they are fallen into the midst thereof. Selah.

⁷My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing, yea, I will sing psalms.

⁸Awake, my glory; awake, lute and harp: I will wake the dawn.

⁹I will give thee thanks among the peoples, O Lord; of thee will I sing psalms among the nations:

¹⁰For thy loving-kindness is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.

¹¹Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let thy glory be above all the earth!

Psalm 58

¹To the chief Musician. 'Destroy not.' Of David. Michtam. Is righteousness indeed silent? Do ye speak it? Do ye judge with equity, ye sons of men?

²Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

³The wicked go astray from the womb; they err as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

⁴Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder which stoppeth her ear;

⁵Which doth not hearken to the voice of enchanters, of one charming ever so wisely.

⁶O God, break their teeth in their mouth; break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Jehovah.

⁷Let them melt away as waters that flow off; when he aimeth his arrows, let them be as blunted:

⁸Let them be as a snail that melteth as it passeth away; like the untimely birth of a woman, let them not see the sun.

⁹Before your pots feel the thorns, green or burning, -- they shall be whirled away.

¹⁰The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; he shall wash his footsteps in the blood of the wicked:

¹¹And men shall say, Verily there is fruit for the righteous; verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.

Psalm 59

¹To the chief Musician. 'Destroy not.' Of David. Michtam; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God; secure me on high from them that rise up against me.

²Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from men of blood.

³For behold, they lie in wait for my soul; strong ones are gathered against me: not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Jehovah.

⁴They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to meet me, and behold.

⁵Yea, do thou, Jehovah, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, arise to visit all the nations: be not gracious to any plotters of iniquity. Selah.

⁶They return in the evening; they howl like a dog, and go round about the city:

⁷Behold, they belch out with their mouth; swords are in their lips: for who say they doth hear?

⁸But thou, Jehovah, wilt laugh at them; thou wilt have all the nations in derision.

⁹Their strength! ... I will take heed to thee; for God is my high fortress.

¹⁰God, whose loving-kindness will come to meet me, -- God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.

¹¹Slay them not, lest my people forget; by thy power make them wander, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield.

¹²Because of the sin of their mouth, the word of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride; and because of cursing and lying which they speak.

¹³Make an end in wrath, make an end, that they may be no more; that they may know that God ruleth in Jacob, unto the ends of the earth. Selah.

¹⁴And in the evening they shall return, they shall howl like a dog, and go round about the city.

¹⁵They shall wander about for meat, and stay all night if they be not satisfied.

¹⁶But as for me, I will sing of thy strength; yea, I will sing aloud of thy loving-kindness in the morning; for thou hast been to me a high fortress, and a refuge in the day of my trouble.

¹⁷Unto thee, my strength, will I sing psalms; for God is my high fortress, the God of my mercy.