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For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David, when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.

59 Deliver me from my enemies, my God.
    Set me on high from those who rise up against me.
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity.
    Save me from the bloodthirsty men.
For, behold, they lie in wait for my soul.
    The mighty gather themselves together against me,
    not for my disobedience, nor for my sin, Yahweh.
I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.
    Rise up, behold, and help me!
You, Yahweh God of Armies, the God of Israel,
    rouse yourself to punish the nations.
    Show no mercy to the wicked traitors. Selah.
They return at evening, howling like dogs,
    and prowl around the city.
Behold, they spew with their mouth.
    Swords are in their lips,
    “For”, they say, “who hears us?”
But you, Yahweh, laugh at them.
    You scoff at all the nations.
Oh, my Strength, I watch for you,
    for God is my high tower.
10 My God will go before me with his loving kindness.
    God will let me look at my enemies in triumph.
11 Don’t kill them, or my people may forget.
    Scatter them by your power, and bring them down, Lord our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips,
    let them be caught in their pride,
    for the curses and lies which they utter.
13 Consume them in wrath.
    Consume them, and they will be no more.
Let them know that God rules in Jacob,
    to the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 At evening let them return.
    Let them howl like a dog, and go around the city.
15 They shall wander up and down for food,
    and wait all night if they aren’t satisfied.

16 But I will sing of your strength.
    Yes, I will sing aloud of your loving kindness in the morning.
For you have been my high tower,
    a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 To you, my strength, I will sing praises.
    For God is my high tower, the God of my mercy.

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.
Rescue me from (C)those who practice injustice,
And save me from (D)men of bloodshed.
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,
[h](H)For no guilt of mine, they run and take their stand against me.
(I)Stir Yourself to [i]help me, and see!
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
They (M)return at evening, they howl like a (N)dog,
And prowl around the city.
Behold, they (O)gush forth with their mouths;
(P)Swords are in their lips,
For, they say, “(Q)Who hears?”
But You, Lord, (R)laugh at them;
You (S)scoff at all the nations.

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

  1. Psalm 59 Title Lit Do Not Destroy
  2. Psalm 59 Title Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or 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 lain in wait
  6. Psalm 59:3 Lit soul
  7. Psalm 59:3 Or Strong
  8. Psalm 59:4 Lit Without guilt
  9. Psalm 59:4 Lit meet
  10. Psalm 59:5 Lit visit
  11. Psalm 59:9 LXX, some mss and some ancient versions my strength (cf. v 17)
  12. Psalm 59:10 Many mss and some ancient versions The God of my faithfulness
  13. Psalm 59:11 Or Make them wander
  14. Psalm 59:12 Or The sin of their mouth is the word of their lips,
  15. Psalm 59:13 Lit Bring to an end
  16. Psalm 59:13 Lit Bring to an end
  17. Psalm 59:13 Or is Ruler
  18. Psalm 59:15 Lit to eat
  19. Psalm 59:15 Another reading is linger all night
  20. Psalm 59:17 Lit God of my favor

11 Saul sent messengers to David’s house, to watch him, and to kill him in the morning. Michal, David’s wife, told him, saying, “If you don’t save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down through the window. He went away, fled, and escaped. 13 Michal took the teraphim,[a] and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head, and covered it with clothes. 14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.”

15 Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” 16 When the messengers came in, behold, the teraphim was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head.

17 Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me like this and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?”

Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go! Why should I kill you?’”

18 Now David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. He and Samuel went and lived in Naioth.

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Footnotes

  1. 19:13 teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the household property.

11 Then (A)Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, informed him, saying, “If you do not save your life tonight, tomorrow you will be put to death!” 12 (B)So Michal let David down through a window, and he went and fled, and escaped. 13 And 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 clothing. 14 When Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “(D)He is sick.” 15 Then Saul sent messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me on [b]his bed, so that I may put him to death.” 16 When the messengers entered, 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 betrayed 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 So David fled and escaped, and came (F)to Samuel at Ramah; and he informed him of everything 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