Psalm 56–58

Psalm 56

For the director of music. A miktam of David after the Philistines had captured him in Gath. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oak Trees.”

¹God, show me your favor. Men are chasing me.

All day long they keep attacking me.

²Those who tell lies about me chase me all day long.

Many proud people are attacking me.

³When I’m afraid,

I will trust in you.

⁴I trust in God. I praise his word.

I trust in God. I will not be afraid.

What can people do to me?

⁵All day long they twist my words.

They are always making plans to harm me.

⁶They get together and hide.

They watch my steps.

They hope to kill me.

⁷Make sure you don’t let them escape.

God, bring down the nations in your anger.

⁸Write down my poem of sadness.

List my tears on your scroll.

Aren’t you making a record of them?

⁹My enemies will turn back

when I call out to you for help.

Then I will know that God is on my side.

¹⁰I trust in God. I praise his word.

I trust in the Lord. I praise his word.

¹¹I trust in God. I will not be afraid.

What can mere men do to me?

¹²God, I have made promises to you.

I will bring my thank offerings to you.

¹³You have saved me from death.

You have kept me from tripping and falling.

Now I can live with you

in the light that leads to life.

Psalm 57

For the director of music. A miktam of David when he had run away from Saul into the cave. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.”

¹Show me your favor, God. Show me your favor.

I go to you for safety.

I will find safety in the shadow of your wings.

There I will stay until the danger is gone.

²I cry out to God Most High.

I cry out to God, and he carries out his plan for me.

³He answers from heaven and saves me.

He puts to shame those who chase me. Selah

He shows me his love and his truth.

⁴Men who are like lions are all around me.

I am lying down among hungry animals.

Their teeth are like spears and arrows.

Their tongues are like sharp swords.

⁵God, may you be honored above the heavens.

Let your glory be over the whole earth.

⁶My enemies spread a net to catch me by the feet.

I felt helpless.

They dug a pit in my path.

But they fell into it themselves. Selah

⁷God, my heart feels secure.

My heart feels secure.

I will sing and make music to you.

⁸My spirit, wake up!

Harp and lyre, wake up!

I want to sing and make music before the sun rises.

⁹Lord, I will praise you among the nations.

I will sing about you among the people of the earth.

¹⁰Great is your love. It reaches to the heavens.

Your truth reaches to the skies.

¹¹God, may you be honored above the heavens.

Let your glory be over the whole earth.

Psalm 58

For the director of music. A miktam of David to the tune of “Do Not Destroy.”

¹Are you rulers really fair when you speak?

Do you judge people honestly?

²No, in your hearts you plan to be unfair.

With your hands you do terrible things on the earth.

³Even from birth those who are evil go down the wrong path.

From the day they are born they go the wrong way and speak lies.

⁴Their words are like the poison of a snake.

They are like the poison of a cobra that has covered up its ears.

⁵It won’t listen to any tune of a snake charmer,

even if the charmer really plays well.

⁶God, break the teeth in the mouths of those sinners!

Lord, tear out the sharp teeth of those lions!

⁷Let those people disappear like water that flows away.

When they draw their bows, let their arrows be dull.

⁸Let them be like a slug that melts away as it moves along.

Let them be like a baby that is born dead and never sees the sun.

⁹Evil people will be swept away quicker than a pot can feel the heat of thorns burning under it.

And it doesn’t matter if the thorns are green or dry.

¹⁰Godly people will be glad when those who have hurt them are paid back.

They will wash their feet in the blood of those who do evil.

¹¹Then people will say,

“The godly will get their reward.

There really is a God who judges the earth.”