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Psalm 59
New Century Version
Psalm 59
New Century Version
A Prayer for Protection
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A miktam of David when Saul sent men to watch David’s house to kill him.
59 God, save me from my enemies.
Protect me from those who come against me.
2 Save me from those who do evil
and from murderers.
3 Look, they are waiting to ambush me.
Cruel people attack me,
but I have not sinned or done wrong, Lord.
4 I have done nothing wrong, but they are ready to attack me.
Wake up to help me, and look.
5 You are the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel.
Arise and punish those people.
Do not give those traitors any mercy. Selah
6 They come back at night.
Like dogs they growl and roam around the city.
7 Notice what comes from their mouths.
Insults come from their lips,
because they say, “Who’s listening?”
8 But, Lord, you laugh at them;
you make fun of all of them.
9 God, my strength, I am looking to you,
because God is my defender.
10 My God loves me, and he goes in front of me.
He will help me defeat my enemies.
11 Lord, our protector, do not kill them, or my people will forget.
With your power scatter them and defeat them.
12 They sin by what they say;
they sin with their words.
They curse and tell lies,
so let their pride trap them.
13 Destroy them in your anger;
destroy them completely!
Then they will know
that God rules over Israel
and to the ends of the earth. Selah
14 They come back at night.
Like dogs they growl
and roam around the city.
15 They wander about looking for food,
and they howl if they do not find enough.
16 But I will sing about your strength.
In the morning I will sing about your love.
You are my defender,
my place of safety in times of trouble.
17 God, my strength, I will sing praises to you.
God, my defender, you are the God who loves me.
Psalm 59
New American Standard Bible
Psalm 59
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.
For the music 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)Rescue me from my enemies, my God;
[d](B)Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.
2 Rescue me from (C)those who practice injustice,
And save me from (D)men of bloodshed.
3 For behold, they (E)have [e]set an ambush for my [f]life;
[g]Fierce men (F)attack me,
(G)Not for my wrongdoing nor for my sin, Lord,
4 [h](H)For no guilt of mine, they run and take their stand against me.
(I)Stir Yourself to [i]help me, and see!
5 You, (J)Lord God of armies, the God of Israel,
Awake to [j](K)punish all the nations;
(L)Do not be gracious to any who deal treacherously in wrongdoing. Selah
6 They (M)return at evening, they howl like a (N)dog,
And prowl around the city.
7 Behold, they (O)gush forth with their mouths;
(P)Swords are in their lips,
For, they say, “(Q)Who hears?”
8 But You, Lord, (R)laugh at them;
You (S)scoff at all the nations.
9 Because of [k]his (T)strength I will watch for You,
For God is my (U)refuge.
10 [l]My God (V)in His faithfulness will meet me;
God will let me (W)look triumphantly upon my enemies.
11 Do not kill them, (X)or my people will forget;
[m](Y)Scatter them by Your power and bring them down,
Lord, (Z)our shield.
12 [n]On account of the (AA)sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
May they even be (AB)caught in their pride,
And on account of (AC)curses and lies which they tell.
13 [o](AD)Destroy them in wrath, [p]destroy them so that they will no longer exist;
So that people may (AE)know that God [q]rules in Jacob,
To the ends of the earth. Selah
14 They (AF)return at evening, they howl like a dog,
And prowl around the city.
15 They (AG)wander about [r]for food
And [s]murmur if they are not satisfied.
16 But as for me, I will (AH)sing of Your strength;
Yes, I will (AI)joyfully sing of Your faithfulness in the (AJ)morning,
For You have been my (AK)refuge
And a (AL)place of refuge on the day of my distress.
17 (AM)My strength, I will sing praises to You;
For God is my (AN)refuge, the [t]God who shows me favor.
Footnotes
- Psalm 59 Title Lit Do Not Destroy
- Psalm 59 Title Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm
- Psalm 59 Title 1 Sam 19:11
- Psalm 59:1 Or May You put me in an inaccessibly high place
- Psalm 59:3 Or lain in wait
- Psalm 59:3 Lit soul
- Psalm 59:3 Or Strong
- Psalm 59:4 Lit Without guilt
- Psalm 59:4 Lit meet
- Psalm 59:5 Lit visit
- Psalm 59:9 LXX, some mss and some ancient versions my strength (cf. v 17)
- Psalm 59:10 Many mss and some ancient versions The God of my faithfulness
- Psalm 59:11 Or Make them wander
- Psalm 59:12 Or The sin of their mouth is the word of their lips,
- Psalm 59:13 Lit Bring to an end
- Psalm 59:13 Lit Bring to an end
- Psalm 59:13 Or is Ruler
- Psalm 59:15 Lit to eat
- Psalm 59:15 Another reading is linger all night
- Psalm 59:17 Lit God of my favor
Psalm 59
New International Version
Psalm 59
New International Version
Psalm 59[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house(A) in order to kill him.
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(B)
be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(C)
2 Deliver me from evildoers(D)
and save me from those who are after my blood.(E)
3 See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire(F) against me
for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
4 I have done no wrong,(G) yet they are ready to attack me.(H)
Arise to help me; look on my plight!(I)
5 You, Lord God Almighty,
you who are the God of Israel,(J)
rouse yourself(K) to punish all the nations;(L)
show no mercy to wicked traitors.[c](M)
6 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,(N)
and prowl about the city.
7 See what they spew from their mouths(O)—
the words from their lips are sharp as swords,(P)
and they think, “Who can hear us?”(Q)
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;(R)
you scoff at all those nations.(S)
9 You are my strength,(T) I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress,(U)
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,[d](V)
or my people will forget.(W)
In your might uproot them
and bring them down.(X)
12 For the sins of their mouths,(Y)
for the words of their lips,(Z)
let them be caught in their pride.(AA)
For the curses and lies they utter,
13 consume them in your wrath,
consume them till they are no more.(AB)
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(AC)
14 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food(AD)
and howl if not satisfied.
16 But I will sing(AE) of your strength,(AF)
in the morning(AG) I will sing of your love;(AH)
for you are my fortress,(AI)
my refuge in times of trouble.(AJ)
17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely.(AK)
Footnotes
- 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 59
English Standard Version
Psalm 59
English Standard Version
Deliver Me from My Enemies
To the choirmaster: according to (A)Do Not Destroy. A (B)Miktam[a] of David, (C)when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.
59 (D)Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
(E)protect me from those who (F)rise up against me;
2 deliver me from (G)those who work evil,
and save me from (H)bloodthirsty men.
3 For behold, they (I)lie in wait for my life;
fierce men (J)stir up strife against me.
(K)For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,
4 for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
(L)Awake, come to meet me, and see!
5 You, (M)Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah
6 Each evening they (N)come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
7 There they are, (O)bellowing with their mouths
with (P)swords in their lips—
for (Q)“Who,” they think,[b] “will hear us?”
8 But you, O Lord, (R)laugh at them;
you hold all the nations in derision.
9 O my Strength, I will watch for you,
for you, O God, are (S)my fortress.
10 (T)My God in his steadfast love[c] (U)will meet me;
God will let me (V)look in triumph on my enemies.
11 Kill them not, lest my people forget;
make them totter[d] by your power and (W)bring them down,
O Lord, our (X)shield!
12 For (Y)the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies that they utter,
13 (Z)consume them in wrath;
consume them till they are no more,
that they may (AA)know that God rules over Jacob
to (AB)the ends of the earth. Selah
14 (AC)Each evening they come back,
howling like dogs
and prowling about the city.
15 They (AD)wander about for food
and growl if they do not get their fill.
16 But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me (AE)a fortress
and (AF)a refuge in (AG)the day of my distress.
17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, (AH)are my fortress,
(AI)the God who shows me steadfast love.
Footnotes
- Psalm 59:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
- Psalm 59:7 Hebrew lacks they think
- Psalm 59:10 Or The God who shows me steadfast love
- Psalm 59:11 Or wander
Psalm 59
Amplified Bible
Psalm 59
Amplified Bible
Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] “Do Not Destroy.” A Mikhtam of David, [a record of memorable thoughts] when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him.
59 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
Set me securely on an inaccessibly high place away from those who rise up against me.
2
Deliver me from those who practice wrongdoing,
And save me from bloodthirsty men.
3
Look! They lie in wait for my life;
Fierce and powerful men [are uniting together to] launch an attack against me,
Not for my wrongdoing nor for any sin of mine, O Lord.
4
They run and set themselves against me though there is no guilt in me;
Stir Yourself to meet and help me, and see [what they are doing]!
5
You, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Arise to punish all the nations;
Spare no one and do not be merciful to any who treacherously plot evil. Selah.
6
They return at evening, they howl and snarl like dogs,
And go [prowling] around the city.
7
Look how they belch out [insults] with their mouths;
Swords [of sarcasm, ridicule, slander, and lies] are in their lips,
For they say, “Who hears us?”
8
But You, O Lord, will laugh at them [in scorn];
You scoff at and deride all the nations.
9
O [God] my strength, I will watch for You;
For God is my stronghold [my refuge, my protector, my high tower].
10
My God in His [steadfast] lovingkindness will meet me;
God will let me look triumphantly on my enemies [who lie in wait for me].
11
Do not kill them, or my people will forget;
Scatter them and make them wander [endlessly] back and forth by Your power, and bring them down,
O Lord our shield!
12
For the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
Let them even be trapped in their pride,
And on account of the curses and lies which they tell.
13
Destroy them in wrath, destroy them so that they may be no more;
Let them know that God rules over Jacob (Israel)
To the ends of the earth. Selah.
14
They return at evening, they howl and snarl like dogs,
And go [prowling] around the city.
15
They wander around for food [to devour]
And growl all night if they are not satisfied.
16
But as for me, I will sing of Your mighty strength and power;
Yes, I will sing joyfully of Your lovingkindness in the morning;
For You have been my stronghold
And a refuge in the day of my distress.
17
To You, O [God] my strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my stronghold [my refuge, my protector, my high tower], the God who shows me [steadfast] lovingkindness.
New Century Version (NCV) 
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. 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.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.