Psalm 58-59
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked.
For the music director; set to [a]Al-tashheth. A [b]Mikhtam of David.
58 Do you indeed [c]speak righteousness, you [d]gods?
Do you (A)judge [e]fairly, you sons of mankind?
2 No, in heart you (B)practice injustice;
On earth you (C)clear a way for the violence of your hands.
3 The wicked have turned away (D)from the womb;
These who speak lies (E)go astray from [f]birth.
4 They have venom like the (F)venom of a serpent;
Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,
5 So that it (G)does not hear the voice of [g](H)charmers,
Or a skillful caster of spells.
6 God, (I)shatter their teeth in their mouth;
Break out the fangs of the young lions, Lord.
7 May they (J)flow away like water that runs off;
When he [h](K)aims his arrows, may they be as [i]headless shafts.
8 May they be like a snail which goes along in slime,
Like the (L)miscarriage of a woman that never sees the sun.
9 Before your (M)pots can feel the fire of thorns
He will (N)sweep them away with a whirlwind, the [j]green and the burning alike.
10 The (O)righteous will rejoice when he (P)sees vengeance;
He will (Q)wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 And people will say, “There certainly is [k](R)a reward for the righteous;
There certainly is a God who (S)judges on the earth!”
Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.
For the music director; set to [l]Al-tashheth. A [m]Mikhtam of David, [n]when Saul sent men and they watched the house in order to kill him.
59 (T)Rescue me from my enemies, my God;
[o](U)Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.
2 Rescue me from (V)those who practice injustice,
And save me from (W)men of bloodshed.
3 For behold, they (X)have [p]set an ambush for my [q]life;
[r]Fierce men (Y)attack me,
(Z)Not for my wrongdoing nor for my sin, Lord,
4 [s](AA)For no guilt of mine, they run and take their stand against me.
(AB)Stir Yourself to [t]help me, and see!
5 You, (AC)Lord God of armies, the God of Israel,
Awake to [u](AD)punish all the nations;
(AE)Do not be gracious to any who deal treacherously in wrongdoing. Selah
6 They (AF)return at evening, they howl like a (AG)dog,
And prowl around the city.
7 Behold, they (AH)gush forth with their mouths;
(AI)Swords are in their lips,
For, they say, “(AJ)Who hears?”
8 But You, Lord, (AK)laugh at them;
You (AL)scoff at all the nations.
9 Because of [v]his (AM)strength I will watch for You,
For God is my (AN)refuge.
10 [w]My God (AO)in His faithfulness will meet me;
God will let me (AP)look triumphantly upon my enemies.
11 Do not kill them, (AQ)or my people will forget;
[x](AR)Scatter them by Your power and bring them down,
Lord, (AS)our shield.
12 [y]On account of the (AT)sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
May they even be (AU)caught in their pride,
And on account of (AV)curses and lies which they tell.
13 [z](AW)Destroy them in wrath, [aa]destroy them so that they will no longer exist;
So that people may (AX)know that God [ab]rules in Jacob,
To the ends of the earth. Selah
14 They (AY)return at evening, they howl like a dog,
And prowl around the city.
15 They (AZ)wander about [ac]for food
And [ad]murmur if they are not satisfied.
16 But as for me, I will (BA)sing of Your strength;
Yes, I will (BB)joyfully sing of Your faithfulness in the (BC)morning,
For You have been my (BD)refuge
And a (BE)place of refuge on the day of my distress.
17 (BF)My strength, I will sing praises to You;
For God is my (BG)refuge, the [ae]God who shows me favor.
Footnotes
- Psalm 58 Title Lit Do Not Destroy
- Psalm 58 Title Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm
- Psalm 58:1 Another reading is speak righteousness in silence
- Psalm 58:1 Or mighty ones; or judges
- Psalm 58:1 Or mankind fairly?
- Psalm 58:3 Lit the womb
- Psalm 58:5 Or whisperers
- Psalm 58:7 Lit bends
- Psalm 58:7 Lit though they were cut off
- Psalm 58:9 Lit living
- Psalm 58:11 Lit fruit
- Psalm 59 Title Lit Do Not Destroy
- Psalm 59 Title Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm
- Psalm 59 Title 1 Sam 19:11
- Psalm 59:1 Or May You put me in an inaccessibly high place
- Psalm 59:3 Or lain in wait
- Psalm 59:3 Lit soul
- Psalm 59:3 Or Strong
- Psalm 59:4 Lit Without guilt
- Psalm 59:4 Lit meet
- Psalm 59:5 Lit visit
- Psalm 59:9 LXX, some mss and some ancient versions my strength (cf. v 17)
- Psalm 59:10 Many mss and some ancient versions The God of my faithfulness
- Psalm 59:11 Or Make them wander
- Psalm 59:12 Or The sin of their mouth is the word of their lips,
- Psalm 59:13 Lit Bring to an end
- Psalm 59:13 Lit Bring to an end
- Psalm 59:13 Or is Ruler
- Psalm 59:15 Lit to eat
- Psalm 59:15 Another reading is linger all night
- Psalm 59:17 Lit God of my favor
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Bible Gateway Recommends
