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Psalm 58-65
New Living Translation
Psalm 58-65
New Living Translation
Psalm 58
For the choir director: A psalm[a] of David, to be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”
1 Justice—do you rulers[b] know the meaning of the word?
Do you judge the people fairly?
2 No! You plot injustice in your hearts.
You spread violence throughout the land.
3 These wicked people are born sinners;
even from birth they have lied and gone their own way.
4 They spit venom like deadly snakes;
they are like cobras that refuse to listen,
5 ignoring the tunes of the snake charmers,
no matter how skillfully they play.
6 Break off their fangs, O God!
Smash the jaws of these lions, O Lord!
7 May they disappear like water into thirsty ground.
Make their weapons useless in their hands.[c]
8 May they be like snails that dissolve into slime,
like a stillborn child who will never see the sun.
9 God will sweep them away, both young and old,
faster than a pot heats over burning thorns.
10 The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged.
They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Then at last everyone will say,
“There truly is a reward for those who live for God;
surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.”
Psalm 59
For the choir director: A psalm[d] of David, regarding the time Saul sent soldiers to watch David’s house in order to kill him. To be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”
1 Rescue me from my enemies, O God.
Protect me from those who have come to destroy me.
2 Rescue me from these criminals;
save me from these murderers.
3 They have set an ambush for me.
Fierce enemies are out there waiting, Lord,
though I have not sinned or offended them.
4 I have done nothing wrong,
yet they prepare to attack me.
Wake up! See what is happening and help me!
5 O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel,
wake up and punish those hostile nations.
Show no mercy to wicked traitors. Interlude
6 They come out at night,
snarling like vicious dogs
as they prowl the streets.
7 Listen to the filth that comes from their mouths;
their words cut like swords.
“After all, who can hear us?” they sneer.
8 But Lord, you laugh at them.
You scoff at all the hostile nations.
9 You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me,
for you, O God, are my fortress.
10 In his unfailing love, my God will stand with me.
He will let me look down in triumph on all my enemies.
11 Don’t kill them, for my people soon forget such lessons;
stagger them with your power, and bring them to their knees,
O Lord our shield.
12 Because of the sinful things they say,
because of the evil that is on their lips,
let them be captured by their pride,
their curses, and their lies.
13 Destroy them in your anger!
Wipe them out completely!
Then the whole world will know
that God reigns in Israel.[e] Interlude
14 My enemies come out at night,
snarling like vicious dogs
as they prowl the streets.
15 They scavenge for food
but go to sleep unsatisfied.[f]
16 But as for me, I will sing about your power.
Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love.
For you have been my refuge,
a place of safety when I am in distress.
17 O my Strength, to you I sing praises,
for you, O God, are my refuge,
the God who shows me unfailing love.
Psalm 60
For the choir director: A psalm[g] of David useful for teaching, regarding the time David fought Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and killed 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. To be sung to the tune “Lily of the Testimony.”
1 You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses.
You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor.
2 You have shaken our land and split it open.
Seal the cracks, for the land trembles.
3 You have been very hard on us,
making us drink wine that sent us reeling.
4 But you have raised a banner for those who fear you—
a rallying point in the face of attack. Interlude
5 Now rescue your beloved people.
Answer and save us by your power.
6 God has promised this by his holiness[h]:
“I will divide up Shechem with joy.
I will measure out the valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine,
and Manasseh, too.
Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors,
and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.
8 But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant,
and I will wipe my feet on Edom
and shout in triumph over Philistia.”
9 Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me victory over Edom?
10 Have you rejected us, O God?
Will you no longer march with our armies?
11 Oh, please help us against our enemies,
for all human help is useless.
12 With God’s help we will do mighty things,
for he will trample down our foes.
Psalm 61
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.
1 O God, listen to my cry!
Hear my prayer!
2 From the ends of the earth,
I cry to you for help
when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
3 for you are my safe refuge,
a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
4 Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude
5 For you have heard my vows, O God.
You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.
6 Add many years to the life of the king!
May his years span the generations!
7 May he reign under God’s protection forever.
May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.
8 Then I will sing praises to your name forever
as I fulfill my vows each day.
Psalm 62
For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 I wait quietly before God,
for my victory comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will never be shaken.
3 So many enemies against one man—
all of them trying to kill me.
To them I’m just a broken-down wall
or a tottering fence.
4 They plan to topple me from my high position.
They delight in telling lies about me.
They praise me to my face
but curse me in their hearts. Interlude
5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.
7 My victory and honor come from God alone.
He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
8 O my people, trust in him at all times.
Pour out your heart to him,
for God is our refuge. Interlude
9 Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind,
and the powerful are not what they appear to be.
If you weigh them on the scales,
together they are lighter than a breath of air.
10 Don’t make your living by extortion
or put your hope in stealing.
And if your wealth increases,
don’t make it the center of your life.
11 God has spoken plainly,
and I have heard it many times:
Power, O God, belongs to you;
12 unfailing love, O Lord, is yours.
Surely you repay all people
according to what they have done.
Psalm 63
A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.
2 I have seen you in your sanctuary
and gazed upon your power and glory.
3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
how I praise you!
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
5 You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy.
6 I lie awake thinking of you,
meditating on you through the night.
7 Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
8 I cling to you;
your strong right hand holds me securely.
9 But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin.
They will go down into the depths of the earth.
10 They will die by the sword
and become the food of jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God.
All who swear to tell the truth will praise him,
while liars will be silenced.
Psalm 64
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 O God, listen to my complaint.
Protect my life from my enemies’ threats.
2 Hide me from the plots of this evil mob,
from this gang of wrongdoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords
and aim their bitter words like arrows.
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent,
attacking suddenly and fearlessly.
5 They encourage each other to do evil
and plan how to set their traps in secret.
“Who will ever notice?” they ask.
6 As they plot their crimes, they say,
“We have devised the perfect plan!”
Yes, the human heart and mind are cunning.
7 But God himself will shoot them with his arrows,
suddenly striking them down.
8 Their own tongues will ruin them,
and all who see them will shake their heads in scorn.
9 Then everyone will be afraid;
they will proclaim the mighty acts of God
and realize all the amazing things he does.
10 The godly will rejoice in the Lord
and find shelter in him.
And those who do what is right
will praise him.
Psalm 65
For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David.
1 What mighty praise, O God,
belongs to you in Zion.
We will fulfill our vows to you,
2 for you answer our prayers.
All of us must come to you.
3 Though we are overwhelmed by our sins,
you forgive them all.
4 What joy for those you choose to bring near,
those who live in your holy courts.
What festivities await us
inside your holy Temple.
5 You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds,
O God our savior.
You are the hope of everyone on earth,
even those who sail on distant seas.
6 You formed the mountains by your power
and armed yourself with mighty strength.
7 You quieted the raging oceans
with their pounding waves
and silenced the shouting of the nations.
8 Those who live at the ends of the earth
stand in awe of your wonders.
From where the sun rises to where it sets,
you inspire shouts of joy.
9 You take care of the earth and water it,
making it rich and fertile.
The river of God has plenty of water;
it provides a bountiful harvest of grain,
for you have ordered it so.
10 You drench the plowed ground with rain,
melting the clods and leveling the ridges.
You soften the earth with showers
and bless its abundant crops.
11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;
even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture,
and the hillsides blossom with joy.
13 The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep,
and the valleys are carpeted with grain.
They all shout and sing for joy!
Footnotes
- 58:Title Hebrew miktam. This may be a literary or musical term.
- 58:1 Or you gods.
- 58:7 Or Let them be trodden down and wither like grass. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
- 59:Title Hebrew miktam. This may be a literary or musical term.
- 59:13 Hebrew in Jacob. See note on 44:4.
- 59:15 Or and growl if they don’t get enough.
- 60:Title Hebrew miktam. This may be a literary or musical term.
- 60:6 Or in his sanctuary.
Psalm 58-65
New International Version
Psalm 58-65
New International Version
Psalm 58[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b]
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(A)
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,(B)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(C)
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(D)
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed(E) the tune of the charmer,(F)
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(G)
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(H)
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;(I)
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(J)
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(K)
like a stillborn child(L) that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(M)—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[c](N)
10 The righteous will be glad(O) when they are avenged,(P)
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(Q)
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(R)
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(S)
Psalm 59[d]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[e] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house(T) in order to kill him.
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(U)
be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(V)
2 Deliver me from evildoers(W)
and save me from those who are after my blood.(X)
3 See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire(Y) against me
for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
4 I have done no wrong,(Z) yet they are ready to attack me.(AA)
Arise to help me; look on my plight!(AB)
5 You, Lord God Almighty,
you who are the God of Israel,(AC)
rouse yourself(AD) to punish all the nations;(AE)
show no mercy to wicked traitors.[f](AF)
6 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,(AG)
and prowl about the city.
7 See what they spew from their mouths(AH)—
the words from their lips are sharp as swords,(AI)
and they think, “Who can hear us?”(AJ)
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;(AK)
you scoff at all those nations.(AL)
9 You are my strength,(AM) I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress,(AN)
10 my God on whom I can rely.
God will go before me
and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield,[g](AO)
or my people will forget.(AP)
In your might uproot them
and bring them down.(AQ)
12 For the sins of their mouths,(AR)
for the words of their lips,(AS)
let them be caught in their pride.(AT)
For the curses and lies they utter,
13 consume them in your wrath,
consume them till they are no more.(AU)
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(AV)
14 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food(AW)
and howl if not satisfied.
16 But I will sing(AX) of your strength,(AY)
in the morning(AZ) I will sing of your love;(BA)
for you are my fortress,(BB)
my refuge in times of trouble.(BC)
17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely.(BD)
Psalm 60[h](BE)
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam[i] of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim[j] and Aram Zobah,[k] and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.(BF)
1 You have rejected us,(BG) God, and burst upon us;
you have been angry(BH)—now restore us!(BI)
2 You have shaken the land(BJ) and torn it open;
mend its fractures,(BK) for it is quaking.
3 You have shown your people desperate times;(BL)
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.(BM)
4 But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner(BN)
to be unfurled against the bow.[l]
5 Save us and help us with your right hand,(BO)
that those you love(BP) may be delivered.
6 God has spoken from his sanctuary:
“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem(BQ)
and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.(BR)
7 Gilead(BS) is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim(BT) is my helmet,
Judah(BU) is my scepter.(BV)
8 Moab is my washbasin,
on Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.(BW)”
9 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?(BX)
11 Give us aid against the enemy,
for human help is worthless.(BY)
12 With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.(BZ)
Psalm 61[m]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;(CC)
lead me to the rock(CD) that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,(CE)
a strong tower against the foe.(CF)
4 I long to dwell(CG) in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.[n](CH)
5 For you, God, have heard my vows;(CI)
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.(CJ)
6 Increase the days of the king’s life,(CK)
his years for many generations.(CL)
7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;(CM)
appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.(CN)
Psalm 62[o]
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1 Truly my soul finds rest(CQ) in God;(CR)
my salvation comes from him.
2 Truly he is my rock(CS) and my salvation;(CT)
he is my fortress,(CU) I will never be shaken.(CV)
3 How long will you assault me?
Would all of you throw me down—
this leaning wall,(CW) this tottering fence?
4 Surely they intend to topple me
from my lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.[p](CX)
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God;(CY)
my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God[q];
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.(CZ)
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;(DA)
pour out your hearts to him,(DB)
for God is our refuge.
9 Surely the lowborn(DC) are but a breath,(DD)
the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance,(DE) they are nothing;
together they are only a breath.
10 Do not trust in extortion(DF)
or put vain hope in stolen goods;(DG)
though your riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.(DH)
11 One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,(DI)
12 and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;(DJ)
and, “You reward everyone
according to what they have done.”(DK)
Psalm 63[r]
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,(DL)
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.(DM)
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary(DN)
and beheld your power and your glory.(DO)
3 Because your love is better than life,(DP)
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,(DQ)
and in your name I will lift up my hands.(DR)
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;(DS)
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.(DT)
7 Because you are my help,(DU)
I sing in the shadow of your wings.(DV)
8 I cling to you;(DW)
your right hand upholds me.(DX)
9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;(DY)
they will go down to the depths of the earth.(DZ)
10 They will be given over to the sword(EA)
and become food for jackals.(EB)
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God will glory in him,(EC)
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.(ED)
Psalm 64[s]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
2 Hide me from the conspiracy(EG) of the wicked,(EH)
from the plots of evildoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords(EI)
and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.(EJ)
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent;(EK)
they shoot suddenly, without fear.(EL)
5 They encourage each other in evil plans,
they talk about hiding their snares;(EM)
they say, “Who will see it[t]?”(EN)
6 They plot injustice and say,
“We have devised a perfect plan!”
Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.
7 But God will shoot them with his arrows;
they will suddenly be struck down.
8 He will turn their own tongues against them(EO)
and bring them to ruin;
all who see them will shake their heads(EP) in scorn.(EQ)
9 All people will fear;(ER)
they will proclaim the works of God
and ponder what he has done.(ES)
10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord(ET)
and take refuge in him;(EU)
all the upright in heart will glory in him!(EV)
Psalm 65[u]
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
1 Praise awaits[v] you, our God, in Zion;(EW)
to you our vows will be fulfilled.(EX)
2 You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.(EY)
3 When we were overwhelmed by sins,(EZ)
you forgave[w] our transgressions.(FA)
4 Blessed are those you choose(FB)
and bring near(FC) to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,(FD)
of your holy temple.
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,(FE)
God our Savior,(FF)
the hope of all the ends of the earth(FG)
and of the farthest seas,(FH)
6 who formed the mountains(FI) by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,(FJ)
7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,(FK)
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.(FL)
8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.(FM)
9 You care for the land and water it;(FN)
you enrich it abundantly.(FO)
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,(FP)
for so you have ordained it.[x]
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers(FQ) and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,(FR)
and your carts overflow with abundance.(FS)
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;(FT)
the hills are clothed with gladness.(FU)
13 The meadows are covered with flocks(FV)
and the valleys are mantled with grain;(FW)
they shout for joy and sing.(FX)
Footnotes
- Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
- Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
- Psalm 59:1 In Hebrew texts 59:1-17 is numbered 59:2-18.
- Psalm 59:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 59:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 13.
- Psalm 59:11 Or sovereign
- Psalm 60:1 In Hebrew texts 60:1-12 is numbered 60:3-14.
- Psalm 60:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 60:1 Title: That is, Arameans of Northwest Mesopotamia
- Psalm 60:1 Title: That is, Arameans of central Syria
- Psalm 60:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 61:1 In Hebrew texts 61:1-8 is numbered 61:2-9.
- Psalm 61:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 62:1 In Hebrew texts 62:1-12 is numbered 62:2-13.
- Psalm 62:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 8.
- Psalm 62:7 Or / God Most High is my salvation and my honor
- Psalm 63:1 In Hebrew texts 63:1-11 is numbered 63:2-12.
- Psalm 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1-10 is numbered 64:2-11.
- Psalm 64:5 Or us
- Psalm 65:1 In Hebrew texts 65:1-13 is numbered 65:2-14.
- Psalm 65:1 Or befits; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Psalm 65:3 Or made atonement for
- Psalm 65:9 Or for that is how you prepare the land
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.