Psalm 58[a]

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

Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(A)
    Do you judge people with equity?
No, in your heart you devise injustice,(B)
    and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(C)

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

Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(G)
    Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(H)
Let them vanish like water that flows away;(I)
    when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(J)
May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(K)
    like a stillborn child(L) that never sees the sun.

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.

Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(U)
    be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(V)
Deliver me from evildoers(W)
    and save me from those who are after my blood.(X)

See how they lie in wait for me!
    Fierce men conspire(Y) against me
    for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
I have done no wrong,(Z) yet they are ready to attack me.(AA)
    Arise to help me; look on my plight!(AB)
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)

They return at evening,
    snarling like dogs,(AG)
    and prowl about the city.
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)
But you laugh at them, Lord;(AK)
    you scoff at all those nations.(AL)

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)

You have rejected us,(BG) God, and burst upon us;
    you have been angry(BH)—now restore us!(BI)
You have shaken the land(BJ) and torn it open;
    mend its fractures,(BK) for it is quaking.
You have shown your people desperate times;(BL)
    you have given us wine that makes us stagger.(BM)
But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner(BN)
    to be unfurled against the bow.[l]

Save us and help us with your right hand,(BO)
    that those you love(BP) may be delivered.
God has spoken from his sanctuary:
    “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem(BQ)
    and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.(BR)
Gilead(BS) is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim(BT) is my helmet,
    Judah(BU) is my scepter.(BV)
Moab is my washbasin,
    on Edom I toss my sandal;
    over Philistia I shout in triumph.(BW)

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)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
  2. Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  4. Psalm 59:1 In Hebrew texts 59:1-17 is numbered 59:2-18.
  5. Psalm 59:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  6. Psalm 59:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 13.
  7. Psalm 59:11 Or sovereign
  8. Psalm 60:1 In Hebrew texts 60:1-12 is numbered 60:3-14.
  9. Psalm 60:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  10. Psalm 60:1 Title: That is, Arameans of Northwest Mesopotamia
  11. Psalm 60:1 Title: That is, Arameans of central Syria
  12. Psalm 60:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

58 Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.

The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;

Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.

Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord.

Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

11 So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

59 Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.

Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.

For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O Lord.

They run and prepare themselves without my fault: awake to help me, and behold.

Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.

They return at evening: they make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.

10 The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.

11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.

13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah.

14 And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city.

15 Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied.

16 But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

17 Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

60 O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again.

Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.

Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah.

That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.

God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;

Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.

Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?

10 Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies?

11 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

12 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.