Al director musical. Salmo de David.

64 Escucha, oh Dios, la voz de mi queja;
    protégeme del temor al enemigo.

Escóndeme de esa pandilla de malhechores,
    de esa caterva de malvados.
Afilan su lengua como espada
    y lanzan como flechas palabras ponzoñosas.
Emboscados, disparan contra el íntegro;
    le tiran sin temor y sin aviso.

Unos a otros se animan en sus planes malvados,
    calculan cómo tender sus trampas;
    y hasta dicen: «¿Quién las verá?».
Maquinan injusticias y dicen:
    «¡Hemos tramado un plan perfecto!».
¡Cuán incomprensibles son
    la mente y el corazón humano!

Pero Dios les disparará sus flechas
    y sin aviso caerán heridos.
Su propia lengua será su ruina
    y quien los vea se burlará de ellos.
La humanidad entera sentirá temor:
    proclamará las proezas de Dios
    y meditará en sus obras.

10 Que se regocijen en el Señor los justos;
    que busquen refugio en él;
    ¡que lo alaben todos los de corazón sincero!

David wrote this song for the music leader.

God will keep us safe[a]

64 God, please listen to me
    as I tell you about my troubles.
Keep me safe from my enemies
    when they attack me.
When evil men think of ways to hurt me,
    hide me in a safe place.
Those people work together as a group
    to do wicked things.
Their tongues are like
    sharp swords that hurt people.
Their cruel words are like
    arrows that they shoot at people.
They hide in secret places,
    and they quickly shoot lies at good people.
They are not afraid that anyone will punish them.
They help each other to do evil things.
They decide where they will hide their traps,
    and they say, ‘Nobody will see them!’
They think of wicked ideas to hurt people.
    They say, ‘That is a great idea!’[b]
Nobody really understands what people think
    deep inside themselves.
But God will punish them!
He will suddenly shoot an arrow at them
    and it will hurt them a lot.[c]
Their own evil words will turn against them
    and make them fall.
Everyone who sees them will shake their heads.
People will be afraid.
They will say, ‘Look at what God has done!’
    They will think carefully about it all.
10 But people who serve the Lord should be happy
    because of what he has done.
They should trust him to keep them safe.
Good, honest people should praise God,
    because he is great!

Footnotes

  1. 64:1 David wants God to keep him safe from bad people who wanted to hurt him. At the end of the psalm he says what God will do. People who trust him do not need to be afraid.
  2. 64:6 David gives us a picture of the bad men. They hide so nobody can see them. They are like people who shoot arrows at other people to hurt them. They think that nobody will ever find out what they have done.
  3. 64:7 Arrows are a picture of how God will punish them. The things that bad people do to hurt other people are like arrows. So God's punishment will also be like arrows.

64 Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them?

They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.

And all men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of his doing.

10 The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

Oppressed by the Wicked but Rejoicing in the Lord

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

64 Hear my voice, O God, in my [a]meditation;
Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
(A)And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,
That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;
Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

They encourage themselves in an evil matter;
They talk of laying snares secretly;
(B)They say, “Who will see them?”
They devise iniquities:
“We have perfected a shrewd scheme.”
Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.

But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;
Suddenly they shall be wounded.
So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;
(C)All who see them shall flee away.
All men shall fear,
And shall (D)declare the work of God;
For they shall wisely consider His doing.

10 (E)The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him.
And all the upright in heart shall glory.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 64:1 complaint