Psalms 57-59

Psalm 57

¹To the chief music-maker; put to Al-tashheth. Michtam. Of David. When he went in flight from Saul, in the hole of the rock. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me; for the hope of my soul is in you: I will keep myself safely under the shade of your wings, till these troubles are past.

²I will send up my cry to the Most High God; to God who does all things for me.

³He will send from heaven, and take me from the power of him whose desire is for my destruction. God will send out his mercy and his good faith.

⁴My soul is among lions; I am stretched out among those who are on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and whose tongue is a sharp sword.

⁵O God, be lifted up higher than the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶They have made ready a net for my steps; my soul is bent down; they have made a great hole before me, and have gone down into it themselves. (Selah.)

⁷My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will make songs, and give praise.

⁸You are my glory; let the instruments of music be awake; I myself will be awake with the dawn.

⁹I will give you praise, O Lord, among the peoples; I will make songs to you among the nations.

¹⁰For your mercy is great, stretching up to the heavens, and your righteousness goes up to the clouds.

¹¹Be lifted up, O God, higher than the heavens, let your glory be over all the earth.

Psalm 58

¹To the chief music-maker; put to Al-tashheth. Michtam. Of David. Is there righteousness in your mouths, O you gods? are you upright judges, O you sons of men?

²The purposes of your hearts are evil; your hands are full of cruel doings on the earth.

³The evil-doers are strange from the first; from the hour of their birth they go out of the true way, saying false words.

⁴Their poison is like the poison of a snake; they are like the adder, whose ears are shut;

⁵Who will not be moved by the voice of the wonder-worker, however great are his powers.

⁶O God, let their teeth be broken in their mouths; let the great teeth of the young lions be pulled out, O Lord.

⁷Let them be turned to liquid like the ever-flowing waters; let them be cut off like the grass by the way.

⁸Let them be like an after-birth which is turned to water and comes to an end; like the fruit of a woman who gives birth before her time, let them not see the sun.

⁹Before they are conscious of it, let them be cut down like thorns; let a strong wind take them away like waste growth.

¹⁰The upright man will be glad when he sees their punishment; his feet will be washed in the blood of the evil-doer.

¹¹So that men will say, Truly there is a reward for righteousness; truly there is a God who is judge on the earth.

Psalm 59

¹To the chief music-maker; put to At-tashheth. Michtam. Of David. When Saul sent, and they were watching the house, to put him to death. Take me out of the hands of the cruel ones, O my God; keep me safe from those who come up against me.

²Take me out of the power of the workers of evil, and keep me safe from the men of blood.

³For see, they are watching in secret for my soul; the strong have come together against me? but not because of my sin, or my evil-doing, O Lord.

⁴For no sin of mine they go quickly and get themselves ready; be awake and come to my help, and see.

⁵You, O Lord God of armies, are the God of Israel; come now and give punishment to the nations; have no mercy on any workers of deceit. (Selah.)

⁶They come back in the evening; they make a noise like a dog, and go round the town.

⁷See, hate is dropping from their lips; curses are on their tongues: they say, Who gives attention to it?

⁸But you are laughing at them, O Lord; you will make sport of all the nations.

⁹O my strength, I will put my hope in you; because God is my strong tower.

¹⁰The God of my mercy will go before me: God will let me see my desire effected on my haters.

¹¹Put them not to death, for so my people will keep the memory of them: let them be sent in all directions by your power; make them low, O Lord our saviour.

¹²Because of the sin of their mouths and the word of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride; and for their curses and their deceit,

¹³Put an end to them in your wrath, put an end to them, so that they may not be seen again; let them see that God is ruling in Jacob and to the ends of the earth. (Selah.)

¹⁴And in the evening let them come back, and make a noise like a dog, and go round the town.

¹⁵Let them go wandering up and down in search of food, and be there all night if they have not enough.

¹⁶But I will make songs of your power; yes, I will give cries of joy for your mercy in the morning; because you have been my strength and my high tower in the day of my trouble.

¹⁷To you, O my strength, will I make my song: because God is my high tower, even the God of my mercy.