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Psalm 58-65
Contemporary English Version
Psalm 58-65
Contemporary English Version
(A special psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune “Don't Destroy.”[a])
A Prayer When All Goes Wrong
1 Do you mighty people[b] talk
only to oppose justice?[c]
Don't you ever judge fairly?
2 You are always planning evil,
and you are brutal.
3 You have done wrong and lied
from the day you were born.
4 Your words spread poison
like the bite of a cobra
5 that refuses to listen
to the snake charmer.
6 My enemies are fierce
as lions, Lord God!
Shatter their teeth.
Snatch out their fangs.
7 Make them disappear
like leaking water,
and make their arrows miss.
8 Let them dry up like snails
or be like a child that dies
before seeing the sun.
9 Wipe them out quicker
than a pot can be heated
by setting thorns on fire.[d]
10 Good people will be glad
when they see the wicked
getting what they deserve,
and they will wash their feet
in their enemies' blood.
11 Everyone will say, “It's true!
Good people are rewarded.
God does indeed rule the earth
with justice.”
(For the music leader. To the tune “Don't Destroy.”[e] A special psalm by David when Saul had David's house watched so that he could kill him.)
A Prayer for Protection
1 (A) Save me, God! Protect me
from enemy attacks!
2 Keep me safe from brutal people
who want to kill me.
3 Merciless enemies, Lord,
are hiding and plotting,
hoping to kill me.
I have not hurt them
in any way at all.
4 But they are ready to attack.
Do something! Help me!
Look at what's happening.
5 Lord God All-Powerful,
you are the God of Israel.
Punish the other nations
and don't pity those terrible
and rebellious people.
6 My enemies return at evening,
growling like dogs
roaming the city.
7 They curse, and their words
cut like swords,
as they say to themselves,
“No one can hear us!”
8 You, Lord, laugh at them
and sneer at the nations.
9 You are my mighty fortress,
and I depend on you.
10 You love me and will let me
see my enemies defeated.
11 Don't kill them,
or everyone may forget!
Just use your mighty power
to make them tremble
and fall.
You are a shield
for your people.
12 My enemies are liars!
So let them be trapped
by their boastful lies.
13 Get angry and destroy them.
Leave them in ruin.
Then all the nations will know
that you rule in Israel.
14 Those liars return at evening,
growling like dogs
roaming the city.
15 They search for scraps of food,
and they snarl
until they are stuffed.
16 But I will sing about
your strength, my God,
and I will celebrate
because of your love.
You are my fortress,
my place of protection
in times of trouble.
17 I will sing your praises!
You are my mighty fortress,
and you love me.
(For the music leader. To the tune “Lily of the Promise.” A special psalm by David for teaching. He wrote it during his wars with the Arameans of northern Syria,[f] when Joab came back and killed twelve thousand Edomites[g] in Salt Valley.)
You Can Depend on God
1 (B) You, God, are angry with us!
We are rejected and crushed.
Make us strong again!
2 You made the earth shake
and split wide open;
now heal its wounds
and stop its trembling.
3 You brought hard times
on your people,
and you gave us wine
that made us stagger.
4 You gave a signal to those
who worship you,
so they could escape
from enemy arrows.[h]
5 Answer our prayers, God!
Use your powerful arm
and give us victory.
Then the people you love
will be safe.
6 Our God, you solemnly promised,
“I would gladly divide up
the city of Shechem
and give away Succoth Valley
piece by piece.
7 The lands of Gilead
and Manasseh are mine.
Ephraim is my war helmet,
and Judah is the symbol
of my royal power.
8 Moab is merely my washbasin.
Edom belongs to me,
and I shout in triumph
over the Philistines.”
9 Our God, who will bring me
to the fortress,
or lead me to Edom?
10 Have you rejected us
and deserted our armies?
11 Help us defeat our enemies!
No one else can rescue us.
12 You will give us victory
and crush our enemies.
(A psalm by David for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.)
Under the Protection of God
1 Please listen, God,
and answer my prayer!
2 I feel hopeless,
and I cry out to you
from a faraway land.
Lead me to the mighty rock[i]
high above me.
3 You are a strong tower,
where I am safe
from my enemies.
4 Let me live with you forever
and find protection
under your wings, my God.
5 You heard my promises,
and you have blessed me,
just as you bless everyone
who worships you.
6 Let the king have a long
and healthy life.
7 May he always rule
with you, God, at his side;
may your love and loyalty
watch over him.
8 I will sing your praises
forever, God, and will always
keep my promises.
(A psalm by David for Jeduthun, the music leader.)
God Is Powerful and Kind
1 Only God can save me,
and I calmly wait for[j] him.
2 God alone is the mighty rock[k]
that keeps me safe
and the fortress
where I am secure.
3 I feel like a shaky fence
or a sagging wall.
How long will all of you
attack and assault me?
4 You want to bring me down
from my place of honor.
You love to tell lies,
and when your words are kind,
hatred hides in your heart.
5 Only God gives inward peace,
and I depend on him.
6 God alone is the mighty rock
that keeps me safe,
and he is the fortress
where I feel secure.
7 God saves me and honors me.
He is that mighty rock
where I find safety.
8 Trust God, my friends,
and always tell him
each of your concerns.
God is our place of safety.
9 We humans are only a breath;
none of us are truly great.
All of us together weigh less
than a puff of air.
10 Don't trust in violence
or depend on dishonesty
or rely on great wealth.
11 I heard God say two things:
“I am powerful,
12 (C) and I am very kind.”
The Lord rewards each of us
according to what we do.
(A psalm by David when he was in the desert of Judah.)
God's Love Means More than Life
1 (D) You are my God. I worship you.
In my heart, I long for you,
as I would long for a stream
in a scorching desert.
2 I have seen your power
and your glory
in the place of worship.
3 Your love means more
than life to me,
and I praise you.
4 As long as I live,
I will pray to you.
5 I will sing joyful praises
and be filled with excitement
like a guest at a banquet.
6 I think about you, God,
before I go to sleep,
and my thoughts turn to you
during the night.
7 You have helped me,
and I sing happy songs
in the shadow of your wings.
8 I stay close to you,
and your powerful arm
supports me.
9 All who want to kill me
will end up in the ground.
10 Swords will run them through,
and wild dogs will eat them.
11 Because of you, our God,
the king will celebrate
with your faithful followers,
but liars will be silent.
(A psalm by David for the music leader.)
Celebrate because of the Lord
1 Listen to my concerns, God,
and protect me
from my enemies' threats.
2 Keep me safe from secret plots
of corrupt and evil gangs.
3 Their words cut like swords,
and their cruel remarks
sting like sharp arrows.
4 They fearlessly ambush
and shoot innocent people.
5 They are determined to do evil,
and they tell themselves,
“Let's set traps!
No one can see us.”[l]
6 They make evil plans and say,
“We'll commit a perfect crime.
No one knows our thoughts.”[m]
7 But God will shoot his arrows
and quickly wound them.
8 They will be destroyed
by their own words,
and everyone who sees them
will tremble with fear.[n]
9 They will be afraid and say,
“Look at what God has done
and keep it all in mind.”
10 May the Lord bless his people
with peace and happiness
and let them celebrate.
(A psalm by David and a song for the music leader.)
God Answers Prayer
1 Our God, you deserve[o] praise
in Zion, where we keep
our promises to you.
2 Everyone will come to you
because you answer prayer.
3 When our sins get us down,
you forgive us.
4 You bless your chosen ones,
and you invite them
to live near you
in your temple.
We will enjoy your house,
the sacred temple.
5 Our God, you save us,
and your fearsome deeds answer
our prayers for justice!
You give hope to people
everywhere on earth,
even those across the sea.
6 You are strong,
and your mighty power
put the mountains in place.
7 You silence the roaring waves
and the noisy shouts
of the nations.
8 People far away marvel
at your fearsome deeds,
and all who live under the sun
celebrate and sing
because of you.
9 You take care of the earth
and send rain to help the soil
grow all kinds of crops.
Your rivers never run dry,
and you prepare the earth
to produce abundant grain.
10 You water all its fields
and level the lumpy ground.
You send showers of rain
to soften the soil
and help the plants sprout.
11 Wherever your footsteps
touch the earth,
a rich harvest is gathered.
12 Desert pastures blossom,
and mountains celebrate.
13 Meadows are filled
with sheep and goats;
valleys overflow with grain
and echo with joyful songs.
Footnotes
- Psalm 58 Don't Destroy: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 58.1 mighty people: Or “mighty rulers” or “mighty gods.”
- 58.1 Do … justice: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 58.9 Wipe … fire: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Psalm 59 Don't Destroy: See the note at Psalm 57.
- Psalm 60 wars … Syria: See 2 Samuel 8.3-8; 10.16-18; 1 Chronicles 18.3-11; 19.6-19.
- Psalm 60 killed … Edomites: See 2 Samuel 8.13; 1 Chronicles 18.12.
- 60.4 so … arrows: Some ancient translations and one possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- 61.2 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
- 62.1 calmly wait for: Or “am at peace with.”
- 62.2 mighty rock: See the note at 18.2.
- 64.5 us: One ancient translation; Hebrew “them.”
- 64.6 thoughts: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 6.
- 64.8 tremble with fear: Or “turn and run.”
- 65.1 deserve: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Psalm 58-65
New International Version
Psalm 58-65
New International Version
Psalm 58[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b]
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(A)
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,(B)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(C)
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(D)
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed(E) the tune of the charmer,(F)
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(G)
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(H)
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;(I)
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(J)
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(K)
like a stillborn child(L) that never sees the sun.
9 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.
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(U)
be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(V)
2 Deliver me from evildoers(W)
and save me from those who are after my blood.(X)
3 See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire(Y) against me
for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
4 I have done no wrong,(Z) yet they are ready to attack me.(AA)
Arise to help me; look on my plight!(AB)
5 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)
6 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,(AG)
and prowl about the city.
7 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)
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;(AK)
you scoff at all those nations.(AL)
9 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)
1 You have rejected us,(BG) God, and burst upon us;
you have been angry(BH)—now restore us!(BI)
2 You have shaken the land(BJ) and torn it open;
mend its fractures,(BK) for it is quaking.
3 You have shown your people desperate times;(BL)
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.(BM)
4 But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner(BN)
to be unfurled against the bow.[l]
5 Save us and help us with your right hand,(BO)
that those you love(BP) may be delivered.
6 God has spoken from his sanctuary:
“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem(BQ)
and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.(BR)
7 Gilead(BS) is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim(BT) is my helmet,
Judah(BU) is my scepter.(BV)
8 Moab is my washbasin,
on Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.(BW)”
9 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)
Psalm 61[m]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;(CC)
lead me to the rock(CD) that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,(CE)
a strong tower against the foe.(CF)
4 I long to dwell(CG) in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.[n](CH)
5 For you, God, have heard my vows;(CI)
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.(CJ)
6 Increase the days of the king’s life,(CK)
his years for many generations.(CL)
7 May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever;(CM)
appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.(CN)
Psalm 62[o]
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
1 Truly my soul finds rest(CQ) in God;(CR)
my salvation comes from him.
2 Truly he is my rock(CS) and my salvation;(CT)
he is my fortress,(CU) I will never be shaken.(CV)
3 How long will you assault me?
Would all of you throw me down—
this leaning wall,(CW) this tottering fence?
4 Surely they intend to topple me
from my lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.[p](CX)
5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God;(CY)
my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God[q];
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.(CZ)
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;(DA)
pour out your hearts to him,(DB)
for God is our refuge.
9 Surely the lowborn(DC) are but a breath,(DD)
the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance,(DE) they are nothing;
together they are only a breath.
10 Do not trust in extortion(DF)
or put vain hope in stolen goods;(DG)
though your riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.(DH)
11 One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,(DI)
12 and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;(DJ)
and, “You reward everyone
according to what they have done.”(DK)
Psalm 63[r]
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
1 You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,(DL)
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.(DM)
2 I have seen you in the sanctuary(DN)
and beheld your power and your glory.(DO)
3 Because your love is better than life,(DP)
my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,(DQ)
and in your name I will lift up my hands.(DR)
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;(DS)
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.(DT)
7 Because you are my help,(DU)
I sing in the shadow of your wings.(DV)
8 I cling to you;(DW)
your right hand upholds me.(DX)
9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;(DY)
they will go down to the depths of the earth.(DZ)
10 They will be given over to the sword(EA)
and become food for jackals.(EB)
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God will glory in him,(EC)
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.(ED)
Psalm 64[s]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
2 Hide me from the conspiracy(EG) of the wicked,(EH)
from the plots of evildoers.
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords(EI)
and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.(EJ)
4 They shoot from ambush at the innocent;(EK)
they shoot suddenly, without fear.(EL)
5 They encourage each other in evil plans,
they talk about hiding their snares;(EM)
they say, “Who will see it[t]?”(EN)
6 They plot injustice and say,
“We have devised a perfect plan!”
Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.
7 But God will shoot them with his arrows;
they will suddenly be struck down.
8 He will turn their own tongues against them(EO)
and bring them to ruin;
all who see them will shake their heads(EP) in scorn.(EQ)
9 All people will fear;(ER)
they will proclaim the works of God
and ponder what he has done.(ES)
10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord(ET)
and take refuge in him;(EU)
all the upright in heart will glory in him!(EV)
Psalm 65[u]
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
1 Praise awaits[v] you, our God, in Zion;(EW)
to you our vows will be fulfilled.(EX)
2 You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.(EY)
3 When we were overwhelmed by sins,(EZ)
you forgave[w] our transgressions.(FA)
4 Blessed are those you choose(FB)
and bring near(FC) to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,(FD)
of your holy temple.
5 You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,(FE)
God our Savior,(FF)
the hope of all the ends of the earth(FG)
and of the farthest seas,(FH)
6 who formed the mountains(FI) by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,(FJ)
7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,(FK)
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.(FL)
8 The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.(FM)
9 You care for the land and water it;(FN)
you enrich it abundantly.(FO)
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,(FP)
for so you have ordained it.[x]
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers(FQ) and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,(FR)
and your carts overflow with abundance.(FS)
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;(FT)
the hills are clothed with gladness.(FU)
13 The meadows are covered with flocks(FV)
and the valleys are mantled with grain;(FW)
they shout for joy and sing.(FX)
Footnotes
- Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
- Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
- 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 60:1 In Hebrew texts 60:1-12 is numbered 60:3-14.
- Psalm 60:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 60:1 Title: That is, Arameans of Northwest Mesopotamia
- Psalm 60:1 Title: That is, Arameans of central Syria
- Psalm 60:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 61:1 In Hebrew texts 61:1-8 is numbered 61:2-9.
- Psalm 61:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 62:1 In Hebrew texts 62:1-12 is numbered 62:2-13.
- Psalm 62:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 8.
- Psalm 62:7 Or / God Most High is my salvation and my honor
- Psalm 63:1 In Hebrew texts 63:1-11 is numbered 63:2-12.
- Psalm 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1-10 is numbered 64:2-11.
- Psalm 64:5 Or us
- Psalm 65:1 In Hebrew texts 65:1-13 is numbered 65:2-14.
- Psalm 65:1 Or befits; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
- Psalm 65:3 Or made atonement for
- Psalm 65:9 Or for that is how you prepare the land
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.