Psalm 57-58

English Standard Version

Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to ^(A)Do Not Destroy. A ^(B)Miktam^[a] of David, when he fled from Saul, in ^(C)the cave.

57 ^(D)Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
    for in you my soul ^(E)takes refuge;
in ^(F)the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
    ^(G)till the storms of destruction pass by.
²I cry out to God Most High,
    to God who ^(H)fulfills his purpose for me.
³^(I)He will send from heaven and save me;
    he will put to shame ^(J)him who tramples on me. Selah
^(K)God will send out ^(L)his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

⁴My soul is in the midst of ^(M)lions;
I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose ^(N)teeth are spears and arrows,
whose ^(O)tongues are sharp swords.

⁵^(P)Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

⁶They set ^(Q)a net for my steps;
    my soul was ^(R)bowed down.
They ^(S)dug a pit in my way,
    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
⁷^(T)My heart is ^(U)steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
⁸    ^(V)Awake, ^(W)my glory!^[b]
Awake, ^(X)O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
⁹I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
¹⁰For your ^(Y)steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.

¹¹^(Z)Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

God Who Judges the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to ^(AA)Do Not Destroy. A ^(AB)Miktam^[c] of David.

58 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?^[d]
Do you judge the children of man uprightly?
²No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;
your hands ^(AC)deal out violence on earth.

³The wicked are ^(AD)estranged from the womb;
    they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
⁴^(AE)They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
    like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
⁵so that it ^(AF)does not hear the voice of charmers
    or of the cunning enchanter.

⁶O God, ^(AG)break the teeth in their mouths;
    tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
⁷Let them ^(AH)vanish like water that runs away;
    when he ^(AI)aims his arrows, let them be blunted.
⁸Let them be like the snail ^(AJ)that dissolves into slime,
    like ^(AK)the stillborn child who never sees the sun.
⁹Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of ^(AL)thorns,
    whether green or ablaze, may he ^(AM)sweep them away!^[e]

¹⁰^(AN)The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
he will ^(AO)bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
¹¹Mankind will say, “Surely there is ^(AP)a reward for the righteous;
surely there is a God who ^(AQ)judges on earth.”

Footnotes

Psalm 57:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 57:8 Or my whole being
Psalm 58:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
Psalm 58:1 Or you mighty lords (by revocalization; Hebrew in silence)
Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain

Psalm 57-58

New International Version

Psalm 57^[a]^(A)

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[b] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.^(B)

¹Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.^(C)
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings^(D)
until the disaster has passed.^(E)

²I cry out to God Most High,
    to God, who vindicates me.^(F)
³He sends from heaven and saves me,^(G)
    rebuking those who hotly pursue me—^[c]^(H)
    God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.^(I)

⁴I am in the midst of lions;^(J)
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.^(K)

⁵Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.^(L)

⁶They spread a net for my feet^(M)—
I was bowed down^(N) in distress.
They dug a pit^(O) in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.^(P)

⁷My heart, O God, is steadfast,
    my heart is steadfast;^(Q)
    I will sing and make music.
⁸Awake, my soul!
    Awake, harp and lyre!^(R)
    I will awaken the dawn.

⁹I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
¹⁰For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.^(S)

¹¹Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;^(T)
let your glory be over all the earth.^(U)

Psalm 58^[d]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[e]

¹Do you rulers indeed speak justly?^(V)
Do you judge people with equity?
²No, in your heart you devise injustice,^(W)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.^(X)

³Even from birth the wicked go astray;
    from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
⁴Their venom is like the venom of a snake,^(Y)
    like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
⁵that will not heed^(Z) the tune of the charmer,^(AA)
    however skillful the enchanter may be.

⁶Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;^(AB)
    Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!^(AC)
⁷Let them vanish like water that flows away;^(AD)
    when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.^(AE)
⁸May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,^(AF)
    like a stillborn child^(AG) that never sees the sun.

⁹Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns^(AH)—
    whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.^[f]^(AI)
¹⁰The righteous will be glad^(AJ) when they are avenged,^(AK)
    when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.^(AL)
¹¹Then people will say,
    “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;^(AM)
    surely there is a God who judges the earth.”^(AN)

Footnotes

Psalm 57:1 In Hebrew texts 57:1-11 is numbered 57:2-12.
Psalm 57:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 57:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
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.

English Standard Version (ESV)

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 57-58

English Standard Version

Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to ^(A)Do Not Destroy. A ^(B)Miktam^[a] of David, when he fled from Saul, in ^(C)the cave.

God Who Judges the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to ^(AA)Do Not Destroy. A ^(AB)Miktam^[c] of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 57-58

New International Version

Psalm 57^[a]^(A)

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[b] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.^(B)

Psalm 58^[d]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[e]

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 57-58 English Standard Version

Let Your Glory Be over All the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to (A)Do Not Destroy. A (B)Miktam[a] of David, when he fled from Saul, in (C)the cave.

God Who Judges the Earth

To the choirmaster: according to (AA)Do Not Destroy. A (AB)Miktam[c] of David.

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 57-58 New International Version

Psalm 57[a](A)

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.(B)

Psalm 58[d]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[e]

Footnotes

Cross references

More on the NIV

Psalm 57-58

English Standard Version

To the choirmaster: according to ^(A)Do Not Destroy. A ^(B)Miktam^[a] of David, when he fled from Saul, in ^(C)the cave.

To the choirmaster: according to ^(AA)Do Not Destroy. A ^(AB)Miktam^[c] of David.

Psalm 57-58

New International Version

Psalm 57^[a]^(A)

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[b] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.^(B)

Psalm 58^[d]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.^[e]