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Deliver Me from My Enemies

For the choir director. [a]Al-tashheth. Of David. A [b]Mikhtam. [c]When Saul sent men and they watched the house in order to put him to death.

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)workers of iniquity
And save me from (D)men of bloodshed.
For behold, they (E)have lain in wait for my soul;
[e]Fierce men [f](F)launch an attack against me,
(G)Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Yahweh,
[g](H)For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me.
(I)Arouse Yourself to meet me, and see!
You, (J)O Yahweh God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to [h](K)punish all the nations;
(L)Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in [i]iniquity. [j]Selah.
They (M)return at evening, they howl like a (N)dog,
And go around the city.
Behold, they (O)pour forth speech with their mouth;
(P)Swords are in their lips,
For, they say, “(Q)Who hears?”
But You, O Yahweh, (R)laugh at them;
You (S)mock all the nations.

Because of [k]his (T)strength I will watch for You,
For God is my (U)stronghold.
10 [l]My God (V)in His lovingkindness will approach me;
God will let me (W)look triumphantly upon [m]my foes.
11 Do not slay them, (X)or my people will forget;
(Y)Make them wander about by Your power, and bring them down,
O Lord, (Z)our shield.
12 [n]On account of the (AA)sin of their mouth and the word of their lips,
Let them even be (AB)caught in their pride,
And on account of (AC)curses and [o]lies which they utter.
13 [p](AD)Destroy them in wrath, [q]destroy them that they may be no more;
That men may (AE)know that God [r]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 [s]for food
And [t]growl if they are not satisfied.

16 But as for me, I shall (AH)sing of Your strength;
And 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 [u]God who shows me lovingkindness.

Footnotes

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

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.

Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(B)
    be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(C)
Deliver me from evildoers(D)
    and save me from those who are after my blood.(E)

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

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

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

  1. Psalm 59:1 In Hebrew texts 59:1-17 is numbered 59:2-18.
  2. Psalm 59:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 59:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 13.
  4. Psalm 59:11 Or sovereign

11 Then (A)Saul sent messengers to David’s house to keep watch over him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you do not make an escape for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death.” 12 (B)So Michal let David down through a window, and he went out and fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took (C)the [a]household idol and laid it on the bed and put a quilt of goats’ hair at its head and covered it with clothes. 14 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but she said, “(D)He is sick.” 15 So Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on [b]his bed, that I may put him to death.” 16 The messengers came, and behold, the [c]household idol was on the bed with the quilt of goats’ hair at its head. 17 So Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal said to Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! (E)Why should I put you to death?’”

18 Now David fled and escaped and came (F)to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in (G)Naioth.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 19:13 Heb teraphim
  2. 1 Samuel 19:15 Lit the
  3. 1 Samuel 19:16 Heb teraphim

11 Saul sent men to David’s house to watch(A) it and to kill him in the morning.(B) But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through a window,(C) and he fled and escaped. 13 Then Michal took an idol(D) and laid it on the bed, covering it with a garment and putting some goats’ hair at the head.

14 When Saul sent the men to capture David, Michal said,(E) “He is ill.”

15 Then Saul sent the men back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so that I may kill him.” 16 But when the men entered, there was the idol in the bed, and at the head was some goats’ hair.

17 Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this and send my enemy away so that he escaped?”

Michal told him, “He said to me, ‘Let me get away. Why should I kill you?’”

18 When David had fled and made his escape, he went to Samuel at Ramah(F) and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.

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