Psalm 59–60

PSALM 59

To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.

¹Deliver me from my enemies, O my God,

protect me from those who rise up against me,

²deliver me from those who work evil,

and save me from bloodthirsty men.

³For, lo, they lie in wait for my life;

fierce men band themselves against me.

For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,

⁴for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.

Rouse thyself, come to my help, and see!

⁵Thou, Lord God of hosts, art God of Israel.

Awake to punish all the nations;

spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah

⁶Each evening they come back,

howling like dogs

and prowling about the city.

⁷There they are, bellowing with their mouths,

and snarling with^u their lips—

for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”

⁸But thou, O Lord, dost laugh at them;

thou dost hold all the nations in derision.

⁹O my Strength, I will sing praises to thee;^v

for thou, O God, art my fortress.

¹⁰My God in his steadfast love will meet me;

my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.

¹¹Slay them not, lest my people forget;

make them totter by thy power, and bring them down,

O Lord, our shield!

¹²For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,

let them be trapped in their pride.

For the cursing and lies which they utter,

¹³consume them in wrath,

consume them till they are no more,

that men may know that God rules over Jacob

to the ends of the earth. Selah

¹⁴Each evening they come back,

howling like dogs

and prowling about the city.

¹⁵They roam about for food,

and growl if they do not get their fill.

¹⁶But I will sing of thy might;

I will sing aloud of thy steadfast love in the morning.

For thou hast been to me a fortress

and a refuge in the day of my distress.

¹⁷O my Strength, I will sing praises to thee,

for thou, O God, art my fortress,

the God who shows me steadfast love.

PSALM 60

To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return killed twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.

¹O God, thou hast rejected us, broken our defenses;

thou hast been angry; oh, restore us.

²Thou hast made the land to quake, thou hast rent it open;

repair its breaches, for it totters.

³Thou hast made thy people suffer hard things;

thou hast given us wine to drink that made us reel.

⁴Thou hast set up a banner for those who fear thee,

to rally to it from the bow.^w [Selah

⁵That thy beloved may be delivered,

give victory by thy right hand and answer us!

⁶God has spoken in his sanctuary:

“With exultation I will divide up Shechem

and portion out the Vale of Succoth.

⁷Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;

Ephraim is my helmet;

Judah is my scepter.

⁸Moab is my washbasin;

upon Edom I cast my shoe;

over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

⁹Who will bring me to the fortified city?

Who will lead me to Edom?

¹⁰Hast thou not rejected us, O God?

Thou dost not go forth, O God, with our armies.

¹¹O grant us help against the foe,

for vain is the help of man!

¹²With God we shall do valiantly;

it is he who will tread down our foes.