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New Century Version (NCV)
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Psalm 58-65

Unfair Judges

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

58 Do you rulers really say what is right?
    Do you judge people fairly?
No, in your heart you plan evil;
    you think up violent crimes in the land.
From birth, evil people turn away from God;
    they wander off and tell lies as soon as they are born.
They are like poisonous snakes,
    like deaf cobras that stop up their ears
so they cannot hear the music of the snake charmer
    no matter how well he plays.

God, break the teeth in their mouths!
    Tear out the fangs of those lions, Lord!
Let them disappear like water that flows away.
    Let them be cut short like a broken arrow.
Let them be like snails that melt as they move.
    Let them be like a child born dead who never saw the sun.
His anger will blow them away alive
    faster than burning thorns can heat a pot.
10 Good people will be glad when they see him get even.
    They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Then people will say,
    “There really are rewards for doing what is right.
    There really is a God who judges the world.”

A Prayer for Protection

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A miktam of David when Saul sent men to watch David’s house to kill him.

59 God, save me from my enemies.
    Protect me from those who come against me.
Save me from those who do evil
    and from murderers.

Look, they are waiting to ambush me.
    Cruel people attack me,
    but I have not sinned or done wrong, Lord.
I have done nothing wrong, but they are ready to attack me.
    Wake up to help me, and look.
You are the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel.
    Arise and punish those people.
    Do not give those traitors any mercy. Selah

They come back at night.
    Like dogs they growl and roam around the city.
Notice what comes from their mouths.
    Insults come from their lips,
    because they say, “Who’s listening?”
But, Lord, you laugh at them;
    you make fun of all of them.

God, my strength, I am looking to you,
    because God is my defender.
10 My God loves me, and he goes in front of me.
    He will help me defeat my enemies.
11 Lord, our protector, do not kill them, or my people will forget.
    With your power scatter them and defeat them.
12 They sin by what they say;
    they sin with their words.
They curse and tell lies,
    so let their pride trap them.
13 Destroy them in your anger;
    destroy them completely!
Then they will know
    that God rules over Israel
    and to the ends of the earth. Selah

14 They come back at night.
    Like dogs they growl
    and roam around the city.
15 They wander about looking for food,
    and they howl if they do not find enough.
16 But I will sing about your strength.
    In the morning I will sing about your love.
You are my defender,
    my place of safety in times of trouble.
17 God, my strength, I will sing praises to you.
    God, my defender, you are the God who loves me.

A Prayer After a Defeat

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lily of the Agreement.” A miktam of David. For teaching. When David fought the Arameans of Northwest Mesopotamia and Zobah, and when Joab returned and defeated twelve thousand Edomites at the Valley of Salt.

60 God, you have rejected us and scattered us.
    You have been angry, but please come back to us.
You made the earth shake and crack.
    Heal its breaks because it is shaking.
You have given your people trouble.
    You made us unable to walk straight, like people drunk with wine.
You have raised a banner to gather those who fear you.
    Now they can stand up against the enemy. Selah

Answer us and save us by your power
    so the people you love will be rescued.

God has said from his Temple,
    “When I win, I will divide Shechem
    and measure off the Valley of Succoth.
Gilead and Manasseh are mine.
    Ephraim is like my helmet.
    Judah holds my royal scepter.
Moab is like my washbowl.
    I throw my sandals at Edom.
    I shout at Philistia.”

Who will bring me to the strong, walled city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
10 God, surely you have rejected us;
    you do not go out with our armies.
11 Help us fight the enemy.
    Human help is useless,
12 but we can win with God’s help.
    He will defeat our enemies.

A Prayer for Protection

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

61 God, hear my cry;
listen to my prayer.
I call to you from the ends of the earth
    when I am afraid.
    Carry me away to a high mountain.
You have been my protection,
    like a strong tower against my enemies.

Let me live in your Holy Tent forever.
    Let me find safety in the shelter of your wings. Selah

God, you have heard my promises.
    You have given me what belongs to those who fear you.

Give the king a long life;
    let him live many years.
Let him rule in the presence of God forever.
    Protect him with your love and truth.
Then I will praise your name forever,
    and every day I will keep my promises.

Trust Only in God

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

62 I find rest in God;
    only he can save me.
He is my rock and my salvation.
    He is my defender;
    I will not be defeated.

How long will you attack someone?
    Will all of you kill that person?
    Who is like a leaning wall, like a fence ready to fall?
They are planning to make that person fall.
    They enjoy telling lies.
With their mouths they bless,
    but in their hearts they curse. Selah

I find rest in God;
    only he gives me hope.
He is my rock and my salvation.
    He is my defender;
    I will not be defeated.
My honor and salvation come from God.
    He is my mighty rock and my protection.

People, trust God all the time.
    Tell him all your problems,
    because God is our protection. Selah

The least of people are only a breath,
    and even the greatest are just a lie.
On the scales, they weigh nothing;
    together they are only a breath.
10 Do not trust in force.
    Stealing is of no use.
Even if you gain more riches,
    don’t put your trust in them.

11 God has said this,
    and I have heard it over and over:
    God is strong.
12 The Lord is loving.
    You reward people for what they have done.

Wishing to Be Near God

A psalm of David when he was in the desert of Judah.

63 God, you are my God.
    I search for you.
I thirst for you
    like someone in a dry, empty land
    where there is no water.
I have seen you in the Temple
    and have seen your strength and glory.
Because your love is better than life,
    I will praise you.
I will praise you as long as I live.
    I will lift up my hands in prayer to your name.
I will be content as if I had eaten the best foods.
    My lips will sing, and my mouth will praise you.

I remember you while I’m lying in bed;
    I think about you through the night.
You are my help.
    Because of your protection, I sing.
I stay close to you;
    you support me with your right hand.

Some people are trying to kill me,
    but they will go down to the grave.
10 They will be killed with swords
    and eaten by wild dogs.
11 But the king will rejoice in his God.
    All who make promises in his name will praise him,
    but the mouths of liars will be shut.

A Prayer Against Enemies

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

64 God, listen to my complaint.
I am afraid of my enemies;
    protect my life from them.
Hide me from those who plan wicked things,
    from that gang who does evil.
They sharpen their tongues like swords
    and shoot bitter words like arrows.
From their hiding places they shoot at innocent people;
    they shoot suddenly and are not afraid.
They encourage each other to do wrong.
    They talk about setting traps,
    thinking no one will see them.
They plan wicked things and say,
    “We have a perfect plan.”
    The mind of human beings is hard to understand.

But God will shoot them with arrows;
    they will suddenly be struck down.
Their own words will be used against them.
    All who see them will shake their heads.
Then everyone will fear God.
    They will tell what God has done,
    and they will learn from what he has done.
10 Good people will be happy in the Lord
    and will find protection in him.
    Let everyone who is honest praise the Lord.

A Hymn of Thanksgiving

For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.

65 God, you will be praised in Jerusalem.
    We will keep our promises to you.
You hear our prayers.
    All people will come to you.
Our guilt overwhelms us,
    but you forgive our sins.
Happy are the people you choose
    and invite to stay in your court.
We are filled with good things in your house,
    your holy Temple.

You answer us in amazing ways,
    God our Savior.
People everywhere on the earth
    and beyond the sea trust you.
You made the mountains by your strength;
    you are dressed in power.
You stopped the roaring seas,
    the roaring waves,
    and the uproar of the nations.
Even those people at the ends of the earth fear your miracles.
    You are praised from where the sun rises to where it sets.

You take care of the land and water it;
    you make it very fertile.
The rivers of God are full of water.
    Grain grows because you make it grow.
10 You send rain to the plowed fields;
    you fill the rows with water.
You soften the ground with rain,
    and then you bless it with crops.
11 You give the year a good harvest,
    and you load the wagons with many crops.
12 The desert is covered with grass
    and the hills with happiness.
13 The pastures are full of flocks,
    and the valleys are covered with grain.
    Everything shouts and sings for joy.

New Century Version (NCV)

The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.