Psalm 59–60

A Prayer for Protection

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A miktam of David when Saul sent men to watch David’s house to kill him.

59God, save me from my enemies.

Protect me from those who come against me.

²Save me from those who do evil

and from murderers.

³Look, they are waiting to ambush me.

Cruel people attack me,

but I have not sinned or done wrong, Lord.

⁴I have done nothing wrong, but they are ready to attack me.

Wake up to help me, and look.

⁵You are the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel.

Arise and punish those people.

Do not give those traitors any mercy.

Selah

⁶They come back at night.

Like dogs they growl and roam around the city.

⁷Notice what comes from their mouths.

Insults come from their lips,

because they say, “Who’s listening?”

⁸But, Lord, you laugh at them;

you make fun of all of them.

⁹God, my strength, I am looking to you,

because God is my defender.

¹⁰My God loves me, and he goes in front of me.

He will help me defeat my enemies.

¹¹Lord, our protector, do not kill them, or my people will forget.

With your power scatter them and defeat them.

¹²They sin by what they say;

they sin with their words.

They curse and tell lies,

so let their pride trap them.

¹³Destroy them in your anger;

destroy them completely!

Then they will know

that God rules over Israel

and to the ends of the earth.

Selah

¹⁴They come back at night.

Like dogs they growl

and roam around the city.

¹⁵They wander about looking for food,

and they howl if they do not find enough.

¹⁶But I will sing about your strength.

In the morning I will sing about your love.

You are my defender,

my place of safety in times of trouble.

¹⁷God, my strength, I will sing praises to you.

God, my defender, you are the God who loves me.

A Prayer After a Defeat

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lily of the Agreement.” A miktam of David. For teaching. When David fought the Arameans of Northwest Mesopotamia and Zobah, and when Joab returned and defeated twelve thousand Edomites at the Valley of Salt.

60God, you have rejected us and scattered us.

You have been angry, but please come back to us.

²You made the earth shake and crack.

Heal its breaks because it is shaking.

³You have given your people trouble.

You made us unable to walk straight, like people drunk with wine.

⁴You have raised a banner to gather those who fear you.

Now they can stand up against the enemy.

Selah

⁵Answer us and save us by your power

so the people you love will be rescued.

⁶God has said from his Temple,

“When I win, I will divide Shechem

and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

⁷Gilead and Manasseh are mine.

Ephraim is like my helmet.

Judah holds my royal scepter.

⁸Moab is like my washbowl.

I throw my sandals at Edom.

I shout at Philistia.”

⁹Who will bring me to the strong, walled city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

¹⁰God, surely you have rejected us;

you do not go out with our armies.

¹¹Help us fight the enemy.

Human help is useless,

¹²but we can win with God’s help.

He will defeat our enemies.