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(A special psalm by David for the music leader. To the tune “Don't Destroy.”[a])

A Prayer When All Goes Wrong

Do you mighty people[b] talk
only to oppose justice?[c]
    Don't you ever judge fairly?
You are always planning evil,
    and you are brutal.
You have done wrong and lied
    from the day you were born.
Your words spread poison
    like the bite of a cobra
that refuses to listen
    to the snake charmer.

My enemies are fierce
    as lions, Lord God!
Shatter their teeth.
    Snatch out their fangs.
Make them disappear
like leaking water,
    and make their arrows miss.
Let them dry up like snails
or be like a child that dies
    before seeing the sun.
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

(A) Save me, God! Protect me
    from enemy attacks!
Keep me safe from brutal people
    who want to kill me.

Merciless enemies, Lord,
are hiding and plotting,
    hoping to kill me.
I have not hurt them
    in any way at all.
But they are ready to attack.
Do something! Help me!
    Look at what's happening.
Lord God All-Powerful,
    you are the God of Israel.
Punish the other nations
and don't pity those terrible
    and rebellious people.

My enemies return at evening,
growling like dogs
    roaming the city.
They curse, and their words
    cut like swords,
as they say to themselves,
    “No one can hear us!”

You, Lord, laugh at them
    and sneer at the nations.
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

(B) You, God, are angry with us!
We are rejected and crushed.
    Make us strong again!
You made the earth shake
    and split wide open;
now heal its wounds
    and stop its trembling.
You brought hard times
    on your people,
and you gave us wine
    that made us stagger.

You gave a signal to those
    who worship you,
so they could escape
    from enemy arrows.[h]
Answer our prayers, God!
Use your powerful arm
    and give us victory.
Then the people you love
    will be safe.

Our God, you solemnly promised,
“I would gladly divide up
    the city of Shechem
and give away Succoth Valley
    piece by piece.
The lands of Gilead
    and Manasseh are mine.
Ephraim is my war helmet,
and Judah is the symbol
    of my royal power.
Moab is merely my washbasin.
    Edom belongs to me,
and I shout in triumph
    over the Philistines.”

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.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 58 Don't Destroy: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  2. 58.1 mighty people: Or “mighty rulers” or “mighty gods.”
  3. 58.1 Do … justice: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  4. 58.9 Wipe … fire: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  5. Psalm 59 Don't Destroy: See the note at Psalm 57.
  6. Psalm 60 wars … Syria: See 2 Samuel 8.3-8; 10.16-18; 1 Chronicles 18.3-11; 19.6-19.
  7. Psalm 60 killed … Edomites: See 2 Samuel 8.13; 1 Chronicles 18.12.
  8. 60.4 so … arrows: Some ancient translations and one possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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