Psalm 58–59

PSALM 58

Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked.

For the choir director; set to ^†Al-tashheth. A ^•Mikhtam of David.

¹Do you indeed ¹speak righteousness, O ²gods?

Do you ^ajudge ³uprightly, O sons of men?

²No, in heart you ^awork unrighteousness;

On earth you ^bweigh out the violence of your hands.

³The wicked are estranged ^afrom the womb;

These who speak lies ^bgo astray from ¹birth.

⁴They have venom like the ^avenom of a serpent;

Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,

⁵So that it ^adoes not hear the voice of ^1bcharmers,

Or a skillful caster of spells.

⁶O God, ^ashatter their teeth in their mouth;

Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.

⁷Let them ^aflow away like water that runs off;

When he ^1baims his arrows, let them be as ²headless shafts.

⁸Let them be as a snail which ¹melts away as it goes along,

Like the ^amiscarriages of a woman which never see the sun.

⁹Before your ^apots can feel the fire of thorns

He will ^bsweep them away with a whirlwind, the ¹green and the burning alike.

¹⁰The ^arighteous will rejoice when he ^bsees the vengeance;

He will ^cwash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

¹¹And men will say, “Surely there is a ^1areward for the righteous;

Surely there is a God who ^bjudges ²on earth!”

PSALM 59

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies.

For the choir director; set to ^†Al-tashheth. A ^•Mikhtam of David, ^{^}when Saul sent men and they watched the house in order to kill him.

^1aDeliver me from my enemies, O my God;

^1bSet me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.

²Deliver me from ^athose who do iniquity

And save me from ^bmen of bloodshed.

³For behold, they ^ahave ¹set an ambush for my ²life;

³Fierce men ⁴launch an attack against me,

^bNot for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord,

^41aFor no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me.

^bArouse Yourself to ²help me, and see!

⁵You, ^aO Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,

Awake to ^1bpunish all the nations;

^cDo not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity.

²Selah.

⁶They ^areturn at evening, they howl like a ^bdog,

And go around the city.

⁷Behold, they ^abelch forth with their mouth;

^bSwords are in their lips,

For, they say, “^cWho hears?”

⁸But You, O Lord, ^alaugh at them;

You ^bscoff at all the nations.

⁹Because of ¹his ^astrength I will watch for You,

For God is my ^bstronghold.

¹⁰¹My God ^ain His lovingkindness will meet me;

God will let me ^blook triumphantly upon ²my foes.

¹¹Do not slay them, ^aor my people will forget;

^1bScatter them by Your power, and bring them down,

O Lord, ^cour shield.

¹²¹On account of the ^asin of their mouth and the words of their lips,

Let them even be ^bcaught in their pride,

And on account of ^ccurses and ²lies which they utter.

^131aDestroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more;

That men may ^bknow that God ²rules in Jacob

To the ends of the earth.

Selah.

¹⁴They ^areturn at evening, they howl like a dog,

And go around the city.

¹⁵They ^awander about ¹for food

And ²growl if they are not satisfied.

¹⁶But as for me, I shall ^asing of Your strength;

Yes, I shall ^bjoyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the ^cmorning,

For You have been my ^dstronghold

And a ^erefuge in the day of my distress.

^17aO my strength, I will sing praises to You;

For God is my ^bstronghold, the ¹God who shows me lovingkindness.