When it was told to the Gazites, saying, “Samson has come here,” they (A)surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the gate of the city. And they kept silent all night, saying, “Let us wait until the morning light, then we will kill him.”

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Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies.

For the choir director; set to [a]Al-tashheth. A [b]Mikhtam of David, [c]when Saul sent men and they watched the house in order to kill him.

59 (A)Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
[d](B)Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.
Deliver me from (C)those who do iniquity
And save me from (D)men of bloodshed.
For behold, they (E)have [e]set an ambush for my [f]life;
[g]Fierce men [h](F)launch an attack against me,
(G)Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord,
[i](H)For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me.
(I)Arouse Yourself to [j]help me, and see!
You, (J)O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to [k](K)punish all the nations;
(L)Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. [l]Selah.
They (M)return at evening, they howl like a (N)dog,
And go around the city.
Behold, they (O)belch forth with their mouth;
(P)Swords are in their lips,
For, they say, “(Q)Who hears?”
But You, O Lord, (R)laugh at them;
You (S)scoff at all the nations.

Because of [m]his (T)strength I will watch for You,
For God is my (U)stronghold.
10 [n]My God (V)in His lovingkindness will meet me;
God will let me (W)look triumphantly upon [o]my foes.
11 Do not slay them, (X)or my people will forget;
[p](Y)Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down,
O Lord, (Z)our shield.
12 [q]On account of the (AA)sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
Let them even be (AB)caught in their pride,
And on account of (AC)curses and [r]lies which they utter.
13 [s](AD)Destroy them in wrath, [t]destroy them that they may be no more;
That men may (AE)know that God [u]rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 They (AF)return at evening, they howl like a dog,
And go around the city.
15 They (AG)wander about [v]for food
And [w]growl if they are not satisfied.

16 But as for me, I shall (AH)sing of Your strength;
Yes, I shall (AI)joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the (AJ)morning,
For You have been my (AK)stronghold
And a (AL)refuge in the day of my distress.
17 (AM)O my strength, I will sing praises to You;
For God is my (AN)stronghold, the [x]God who shows me lovingkindness.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 59:1 Lit Do Not Destroy
  2. Psalm 59:1 Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm
  3. Psalm 59:1 1 Sam 19:11
  4. Psalm 59:1 Or May You put me in an inaccessibly high place
  5. Psalm 59:3 Or lain in wait
  6. Psalm 59:3 Lit soul
  7. Psalm 59:3 Or Strong
  8. Psalm 59:3 Or stir up strife
  9. Psalm 59:4 Lit Without guilt
  10. Psalm 59:4 Lit meet
  11. Psalm 59:5 Lit visit
  12. Psalm 59:5 Selah may mean: Pause, Crescendo or Musical interlude
  13. Psalm 59:9 Many mss and some ancient versions read My strength
  14. Psalm 59:10 Many mss and some ancient versions read The God of my lovingkindness
  15. Psalm 59:10 Lit those who lie in wait for me
  16. Psalm 59:11 Or Make them wander
  17. Psalm 59:12 Or The sin of their mouth is the word of their lips,
  18. Psalm 59:12 Lit lying
  19. Psalm 59:13 Lit Bring to an end
  20. Psalm 59:13 Lit Bring to an end
  21. Psalm 59:13 Or is Ruler
  22. Psalm 59:15 Or to devour
  23. Psalm 59:15 Another reading is tarry all night
  24. Psalm 59:17 Lit God of my lovingkindness