Be gracious unto me, O God; for man would swallow me up: all the day long fighting he oppresseth me. Mine enemies would swallow me up all the day long; for they are many that fight against me haughtily. In the day that I am afraid, I will confide in thee. In God will I praise his word, in God I put my confidence: I will not fear; what can flesh do unto me? All the day long they wrest my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves; they mark my steps, because they wait for my soul. Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God.

⁸Thou countest my wanderings; put my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? ⁹Then shall mine enemies return backward in the day when I call: this I know, for God is for me. ¹⁰In God will I praise his word; in Jehovah will I praise his word. ¹¹In God have I put my confidence: I will not fear; what can man do unto me? ¹²Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render thanks unto thee. ¹³For thou hast delivered my soul from death; wilt thou not keep my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

Psalm 57

To 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. I will call unto God, the Most High; unto •God that performeth all for me. He 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. My 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. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let thy glory be above all the earth! They 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

To 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? Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth. The wicked go astray from the womb; they err as soon as they are born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder which stoppeth her ear; Which 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.

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