Psalm 58

A Cry against Injustice

For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[a] A Davidic Miktam.

Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones?[b]
Do you judge people fairly?(A)
No, you practice injustice in your hearts;
with your hands you weigh out violence in the land.(B)

The wicked go astray from the womb;
liars err from birth.(C)
They have venom like the venom of a snake,
like the deaf cobra that stops up its ears,(D)
that does not listen to the sound of the charmers
who skillfully weave spells.(E)

God, knock the teeth out of their mouths;
Lord, tear out the young lions’ fangs.(F)
They will vanish like water that flows by;
they will aim their useless arrows.[c][d](G)
Like a slug that moves along in slime,
like a woman’s miscarried child,
they will not see the sun.(H)

Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether green or burning—
He will sweep them away.[e](I)
10 The righteous one will rejoice
when he sees the retribution;(J)
he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.(K)
11 Then people will say,
“Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!
There is a God who judges on earth!”(L)

Psalm 59

God Our Stronghold

For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[f] A Davidic Miktam. When Saul sent agents to watch the house and kill him.(M)

Deliver me from my enemies, my God;(N)
protect me from those who rise up against me.(O)
Deliver me from those who practice sin,
and save me from men of bloodshed.(P)
Lord, look! They set an ambush for me.(Q)
Powerful men attack me,
but not because of any sin or rebellion of mine.(R)
For no fault of mine,
they run and take up a position.
Awake to help me, and take notice.(S)
Lord God of Hosts, You are the God of Israel,
rise up to punish all the nations;
do not show grace to any wicked traitors.(T)Selah

They return at evening, snarling like dogs
and prowling around the city.(U)
Look, they spew from their mouths—
sharp words from[g] their lips.(V)
“For who,” they say, “will hear?”(W)
But You laugh at them, Lord;
You ridicule all the nations.(X)
I will keep watch for You, my[h] strength,
because God is my stronghold.(Y)
10 My faithful God[i] will come to meet me;
God will let me look down on my adversaries.(Z)

11 Do not kill them; otherwise, my people will forget.
By Your power, make them homeless wanderers(AA)
and bring them down,
Lord, our shield.(AB)
12 For the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
let them be caught in their pride.
They utter curses and lies.(AC)
13 Consume them in rage;
consume them until they are gone.(AD)
Then people will know throughout[j] the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(AE)Selah

14 And they return at evening, snarling like dogs
and prowling around the city.(AF)
15 They scavenge for food;
they growl if they are not satisfied.(AG)

16 But I will sing of Your strength
and will joyfully proclaim
Your faithful love in the morning.(AH)
For You have been a stronghold for me,
a refuge in my day of trouble.(AI)
17 To You, my strength, I sing praises,
because God is my stronghold—
my faithful God.(AJ)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 58:1 Possibly a tune
  2. Psalm 58:1 Or Can you really speak righteousness in silence?
  3. Psalm 58:7 Or their arrows as if they were circumcised; Hb obscure
  4. Psalm 58:7 Or they wither like trampled grass
  5. Psalm 58:9 Or thorns, He will sweep it away, whether raw or cooking, or thorns, He will sweep him away alive in fury
  6. Psalm 59:1 Possibly a tune
  7. Psalm 59:7 Lit swords are on
  8. Psalm 59:9 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg, Tg; other Hb mss read his
  9. Psalm 59:10 Alt Hb tradition reads My God in His faithful love
  10. Psalm 59:13 Lit know to the ends of

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