Psalms 57-59

Psalm 57

¹For the Chief Musician; set to Al-tashheth. A Psalm of David: Michtam: when he fled from Saul, in the cave. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me; for my soul taketh refuge in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I take refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

²I will cry unto God Most High; unto God that performeth all things for me.

³He shall send from heaven, and save me, when he that would swallow me up reproacheth; Selah God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.

⁴My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

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

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

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

⁸Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early.

⁹I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the peoples: I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.

¹⁰For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the skies.

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

Psalm 58

¹For the Chief Musician; set to Al-tashheth. A Psalm of David: Michtam. Do ye indeed in silence speak righteousness? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

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

³The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

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

⁵Which hearkeneth not to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

⁶Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

⁷Let them melt away as water that runneth apace: when he aimeth his arrows, let them be as though they were cut off.

⁸Let them be as a snail which melteth and passeth away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that hath not seen the sun.

⁹Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away with a whirlwind, the green and the burning alike.

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

¹¹So that men shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.

Psalm 59

¹For the Chief Musician; set to Al-tashheth. A Psalm of David: Michtam: when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: set me on high from them that rise up against me.

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

³For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul; the mighty gather themselves together against me: not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.

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

⁵Even thou, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, arise to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah

⁶They return at evening, they make a noise 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, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

⁹O my strength, I will wait upon thee: for God is my high tower.

¹⁰The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.

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

¹²For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride, and for cursing and lying which they speak.

¹³Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they be no more: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob, unto the ends of the earth. Selah

¹⁴And at evening let them return, let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

¹⁵They shall wander up and down for meat and tarry all night if they be not satisfied.

¹⁶But I will sing of thy strength; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my high tower, and a refuge in the day of my distress.

¹⁷Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing praises: for God is my high tower, the God of my mercy.