Psalm 57-59

Contemporary English Version

(For the music leader. To the tune “Don't Destroy.”^[a] A special psalm by David when he was in the cave while running from Saul.)

Praise and Trust in Times of Trouble

¹^(A) God Most High, have pity on me!
Have mercy. I run to you
    for safety.
In the shadow of your wings,
I seek protection
    till danger dies down.
²I pray to you, my protector.
³You will send help from heaven
    and save me,
but you will bring trouble
    on my attackers.
You are faithful,
    and you can be trusted.

⁴My enemies are fierce,
    much worse than lions!
They have spears and arrows
    instead of teeth,
and they have sharp swords
    instead of tongues.

⁵May you, my God, be honored
above the heavens;
may your glory be seen
everywhere on earth.

⁶^(B) Enemies set traps for my feet
    and struck me down.
They dug a pit in my path,
    but fell in it themselves.
⁷I am faithful to you,
    and you can trust me.
I will sing and play music
    for you, my God.
⁸I feel wide awake!
I will wake up my harp
    and wake up the sun.
⁹I will praise you, Lord,
    for everyone to hear,
and I will sing hymns to you
    in every nation.
¹⁰Your love reaches higher
    than the heavens;
your loyalty extends
    beyond the clouds.

¹¹May you, my God, be honored
above the heavens;
may your glory be seen
everywhere on earth.

(A special psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune “Don't Destroy.”^[b])

A Prayer When All Goes Wrong

¹Do you mighty people^[c] talk
only to oppose justice?^[d]
    Don't you ever judge fairly?
²You are always planning evil,
    and you are brutal.
³You have done wrong and lied
    from the day you were born.
⁴Your words spread poison
    like the bite of a cobra
⁵that refuses to listen
    to the snake charmer.

⁶My enemies are fierce
    as lions, Lord God!
Shatter their teeth.
    Snatch out their fangs.
⁷Make them disappear
like leaking water,
    and make their arrows miss.
⁸Let them dry up like snails
or be like a child that dies
    before seeing the sun.
⁹Wipe them out quicker
than a pot can be heated
    by setting thorns on fire.^[e]

¹⁰Good people will be glad
when they see the wicked
    getting what they deserve,
and they will wash their feet
    in their enemies' blood.
¹¹Everyone will say, “It's true!
    Good people are rewarded.
God does indeed rule the earth
    with justice.”

(For the music leader. To the tune “Don't Destroy.”^[f] A special psalm by David when Saul had David's house watched so that he could kill him.)

A Prayer for Protection

¹^(C) Save me, God! Protect me
from enemy attacks!
²Keep me safe from brutal people
who want to kill me.

³Merciless enemies, Lord,
are hiding and plotting,
    hoping to kill me.
I have not hurt them
    in any way at all.
⁴But they are ready to attack.
Do something! Help me!
    Look at what's happening.
⁵Lord God All-Powerful,
    you are the God of Israel.
Punish the other nations
and don't pity those terrible
    and rebellious people.

⁶My enemies return at evening,
growling like dogs
    roaming the city.
⁷They curse, and their words
    cut like swords,
as they say to themselves,
    “No one can hear us!”

⁸You, Lord, laugh at them
    and sneer at the nations.
⁹You are my mighty fortress,
    and I depend on you.
¹⁰You love me and will let me
    see my enemies defeated.
¹¹Don't kill them,
    or everyone may forget!
Just use your mighty power
to make them tremble
    and fall.

You are a shield
    for your people.
¹²My enemies are liars!
So let them be trapped
    by their boastful lies.
¹³Get angry and destroy them.
    Leave them in ruin.
Then all the nations will know
    that you rule in Israel.

¹⁴Those liars return at evening,
growling like dogs
roaming the city.
¹⁵They search for scraps of food,
and they snarl
until they are stuffed.

¹⁶But I will sing about
    your strength, my God,
and I will celebrate
    because of your love.
You are my fortress,
my place of protection
    in times of trouble.
¹⁷I will sing your praises!
You are my mighty fortress,
    and you love me.