Psalm 58-59

Common English Bible

Psalm 58

For the music leader. Do not destroy. A psalm of David, a miktam.^[a]

58 Do you really speak what is right, you gods?
Do you really judge humans fairly?
²No: in your hearts you plan injustice;
your hands do violence on the earth.

³The wicked backslide from the womb;
    liars go astray from birth.
⁴Their venom is like a snake’s venom—
    like a deaf cobra’s—one that shuts its ears
⁵        so it can’t hear the snake charmer’s voice
        or the spells of a skillful enchanter.

⁶God, break their teeth out of their mouths!
    Tear out the lions’ jawbones, Lord!
⁷Let them dissolve like water flowing away.
    When they bend the bow,
    let their arrows be like headless shafts.^[b]
⁸Like the snail that dissolves into slime,
    like a woman’s stillborn child,
    let them never see the sun.
⁹Before your pots feel the thorns,
    whether green or burned up,
    God will sweep them away!^[c]

¹⁰But the righteous will rejoice when they see vengeance done,
when they wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
¹¹Then it will be said:
“Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!
Yes, there is a God who judges people on the earth.”

Psalm 59

For the music leader. Do not destroy. A miktam^[d] of David, when Saul sent men to watch the house in order to kill him.

59 Oh, my God, deliver me from my enemies;
    put me out of reach from those who rise up against me.
²Deliver me from evildoers;
    save me from the bloodthirsty.
³Look at how they lie in ambush for my life!
    Powerful people are attacking me, Lord—
        but not because of any error or sin of mine.
⁴    They run and take their stand—
        but not because of any fault of mine.

Get up when I cry out to you!
    Look at what’s happening!
⁵You are the Lord God of heavenly forces,
    the God of Israel!
Wake up and punish all the nations!
    Grant no mercy to any wicked traitor! Selah

⁶They come back every evening,
    growling like dogs,
    prowling around the city.
⁷See what they belch out with their mouths:
    swords are between their lips!
        Who can listen to them?^[e]
⁸But you, Lord, laugh at them.
    You mock all the nations.
⁹I keep looking for you, my strength,
    because God is my stronghold.
¹⁰My loving God will come to meet me.
    God will allow me to look down on my enemies.

¹¹Don’t kill them, or my people might forget;
    instead, by your power
    shake them up and bring them down,
        you who are our shield and my Lord.
¹²For the sin of their mouths,
    the words that they speak,
    let them be captured in their pride.
For the curses and lies they repeat,
¹³        finish them off in anger;
        finish them off until they are gone!
Then let it be known to the ends of the earth
    that God rules over Jacob. Selah

¹⁴They come back every evening,
    growling like dogs,
    prowling around the city.
¹⁵They roam about for food,
    and if they don’t get their fill,
    they stay all night.
¹⁶But me? I will sing of your strength!
    In the morning I will shout out loud
    about your faithful love
        because you have been my stronghold,
        my shelter when I was distraught.
¹⁷I will sing praises to you, my strength,
    because God is my stronghold,
    my loving God.