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Psalm 58-59
New Life Version
Psalm 58-59
New Life Version
Prayer for God to Punish the Sinful
58 Do you speak what is right and good, O you powerful ones? Are you always right in how you judge, O sons of men? 2 No, in your heart you do what is wrong. You use your hands to hurt and destroy in the land. 3 The sinful go wrong as soon as they are born. Those who speak lies go the wrong way from birth. 4 Their poison is like the poison of a snake. They are like a cobra that cannot or will not listen. 5 It does not hear the voice of the man who has power over it, even if the man is very good in his work.
6 O God, break the teeth in their mouth. Break out the teeth of the young lions, O Lord. 7 Let them flow away like water that pours. When he uses his arrows, let them have no heads. 8 Let them be like a snail that melts away as it goes. Like a baby born dead, may they never see the sun. 9 Before your pots can feel the fire of thorns, He will blow them away with a storm, both the green and the burning ones.
10 The one who is right and good will be full of joy when he sees the sinful punished. He will wash his feet in their blood. 11 And men will say, “For sure there is pay for those who are right and good. For sure there is a God Who says who is guilty or not on the earth.”
Prayer for a Safe Place
59 O my God, take me away from those who hate me. Put me up high above those who rise up against me. 2 Take me away from those who do wrong. And save me from those who kill. 3 For, look, they lie in wait for my life. Strong men are gathering together to fight me, but not because of my wrong-doing or my sin, O Lord. 4 I have done no wrong, but they get ready to fight against me. Rise up to help me. 5 You, O Lord God of All, God of Israel, rise up to punish all the nations. Show no loving-kindness to those people who cannot be trusted and plan sins. 6 They return at evening. They sound like dogs and go around the city. 7 See, they spit with their mouth. Swords are in their lips. And they say, “Who can hear us?” 8 But You laugh at them, O Lord. You laugh at all the nations.
9 O my Strength, I will watch for You. For God is my strong place. 10 My God in His loving-kindness will meet me. God will let me look at those who come against me and know that I will win the fight. 11 Do not kill them, or my people may forget. Divide them by Your power and bring them down, O Lord, our safe-covering. 12 Let them be caught in their pride for the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips. For the lies and bad things they say, 13 destroy them in anger. Destroy them so that they will be no more. Let it be known that God rules in Jacob and to the ends of the earth.
14 They return at evening. They make sounds like dogs and go around the city. 15 They go around looking for food and they show their teeth if they are not filled.
16 But as for me, I will sing of Your strength. Yes, I will sing with joy of Your loving-kindness in the morning. For You have been a strong and safe place for me in times of trouble. 17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to You. For God is my strong place and the God Who shows me loving-kindness.
Psalm 58-59
New International Version
Psalm 58-59
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)
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
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