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Psalm 58-60
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 58-60
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 58
A Cry against Injustice
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[a] A Davidic Miktam.
1 Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones?[b]
Do you judge people fairly?(A)
2 No, you practice injustice in your hearts;
with your hands you weigh out violence in the land.(B)
3 The wicked go astray from the womb;
liars err from birth.(C)
4 They have venom like the venom of a snake,
like the deaf cobra that stops up its ears,(D)
5 that does not listen to the sound of the charmers
who skillfully weave spells.(E)
6 God, knock the teeth out of their mouths;
Lord, tear out the young lions’ fangs.(F)
7 They will vanish like water that flows by;
they will aim their useless arrows.[c][d](G)
8 Like a slug that moves along in slime,
like a woman’s miscarried child,
they will not see the sun.(H)
9 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)
1 Deliver me from my enemies, my God;(N)
protect me from those who rise up against me.(O)
2 Deliver me from those who practice sin,
and save me from men of bloodshed.(P)
3 Lord, look! They set an ambush for me.(Q)
Powerful men attack me,
but not because of any sin or rebellion of mine.(R)
4 For no fault of mine,
they run and take up a position.
Awake to help me, and take notice.(S)
5 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)
6 They return at evening, snarling like dogs
and prowling around the city.(U)
7 Look, they spew from their mouths—
sharp words from[g] their lips.(V)
“For who,” they say, “will hear?”(W)
8 But You laugh at them, Lord;
You ridicule all the nations.(X)
9 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)
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)
Psalm 60
Prayer in Difficult Times
For the choir director: according to “The Lily of Testimony.”[k] A Davidic Miktam for teaching. When he fought with Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and struck Edom in the Valley of Salt, killing 12,000.(AK)
1 God, You have rejected us;
You have broken out[l] against us;
You have been angry. Restore us
2 You have shaken the land and split it open.
Heal its fissures, for it shudders.(AM)
3 You have made Your people suffer hardship;
You have given us wine to drink
that made us stagger.(AN)
4 You have given a signal flag to those who fear You,
so that they can flee before the archers.[n](AO)
5 Save with Your right hand, and answer me,
so that those You love may be rescued.(AP)
6 God has spoken in His sanctuary:[o]
“I will triumph! I will divide up Shechem.(AQ)
I will apportion the Valley of Succoth.(AR)
7 Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine,
and Ephraim is My helmet;(AS)
Judah is My scepter.(AT)
8 Moab is My washbasin.(AU)
I throw My sandal on Edom;(AV)
I shout in triumph over Philistia.”(AW)
9 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?(AX)
10 God, haven’t You rejected us?
God, You do not march out with our armies.(AY)
11 Give us aid against the foe,
for human help is worthless.(AZ)
12 With God we will perform valiantly;(BA)
He will trample our foes.(BB)
Footnotes
- Psalm 58:1 Possibly a tune
- Psalm 58:1 Or Can you really speak righteousness in silence?
- Psalm 58:7 Or their arrows as if they were circumcised; Hb obscure
- Psalm 58:7 Or they wither like trampled grass
- Psalm 58:9 Or thorns, He will sweep it away, whether raw or cooking, or thorns, He will sweep him away alive in fury
- Psalm 59:1 Possibly a tune
- Psalm 59:7 Lit swords are on
- Psalm 59:9 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg, Tg; other Hb mss read his
- Psalm 59:10 Alt Hb tradition reads My God in His faithful love
- Psalm 59:13 Lit know to the ends of
- Psalm 60:1 Possibly a tune; Pss 45; 69; 80
- Psalm 60:1 Lit have burst through
- Psalm 60:1 Or Turn back to us
- Psalm 60:4 Or can rally before the archers, or can rally because of the truth
- Psalm 60:6 Or has promised by His holy nature
Psalm 58-60
New International Version
Psalm 58-60
New International Version
Psalm 58[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b]
1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(A)
Do you judge people with equity?
2 No, in your heart you devise injustice,(B)
and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(C)
3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(D)
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed(E) the tune of the charmer,(F)
however skillful the enchanter may be.
6 Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(G)
Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(H)
7 Let them vanish like water that flows away;(I)
when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(J)
8 May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(K)
like a stillborn child(L) that never sees the sun.
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(M)—
whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[c](N)
10 The righteous will be glad(O) when they are avenged,(P)
when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(Q)
11 Then people will say,
“Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(R)
surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(S)
Psalm 59[d]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[e] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house(T) in order to kill him.
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(U)
be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(V)
2 Deliver me from evildoers(W)
and save me from those who are after my blood.(X)
3 See how they lie in wait for me!
Fierce men conspire(Y) against me
for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
4 I have done no wrong,(Z) yet they are ready to attack me.(AA)
Arise to help me; look on my plight!(AB)
5 You, Lord God Almighty,
you who are the God of Israel,(AC)
rouse yourself(AD) to punish all the nations;(AE)
show no mercy to wicked traitors.[f](AF)
6 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,(AG)
and prowl about the city.
7 See what they spew from their mouths(AH)—
the words from their lips are sharp as swords,(AI)
and they think, “Who can hear us?”(AJ)
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;(AK)
you scoff at all those nations.(AL)
9 You are my strength,(AM) I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress,(AN)
10 my God on whom I can rely.
God will go before me
and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield,[g](AO)
or my people will forget.(AP)
In your might uproot them
and bring them down.(AQ)
12 For the sins of their mouths,(AR)
for the words of their lips,(AS)
let them be caught in their pride.(AT)
For the curses and lies they utter,
13 consume them in your wrath,
consume them till they are no more.(AU)
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(AV)
14 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food(AW)
and howl if not satisfied.
16 But I will sing(AX) of your strength,(AY)
in the morning(AZ) I will sing of your love;(BA)
for you are my fortress,(BB)
my refuge in times of trouble.(BC)
17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
you, God, are my fortress,
my God on whom I can rely.(BD)
Psalm 60[h](BE)
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam[i] of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim[j] and Aram Zobah,[k] and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.(BF)
1 You have rejected us,(BG) God, and burst upon us;
you have been angry(BH)—now restore us!(BI)
2 You have shaken the land(BJ) and torn it open;
mend its fractures,(BK) for it is quaking.
3 You have shown your people desperate times;(BL)
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.(BM)
4 But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner(BN)
to be unfurled against the bow.[l]
5 Save us and help us with your right hand,(BO)
that those you love(BP) may be delivered.
6 God has spoken from his sanctuary:
“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem(BQ)
and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.(BR)
7 Gilead(BS) is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim(BT) is my helmet,
Judah(BU) is my scepter.(BV)
8 Moab is my washbasin,
on Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.(BW)”
9 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?(BX)
11 Give us aid against the enemy,
for human help is worthless.(BY)
12 With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.(BZ)
Footnotes
- Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
- Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
- Psalm 59:1 In Hebrew texts 59:1-17 is numbered 59:2-18.
- Psalm 59:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 59:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 13.
- Psalm 59:11 Or sovereign
- Psalm 60:1 In Hebrew texts 60:1-12 is numbered 60:3-14.
- Psalm 60:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 60:1 Title: That is, Arameans of Northwest Mesopotamia
- Psalm 60:1 Title: That is, Arameans of central Syria
- Psalm 60:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
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