Psalm
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Psalm 59

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies.

For the choir director; set to [a]Al-tashheth. A [b]Mikhtam of David, [c]when Saul sent men and they watched the house in order to kill him.

1Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
[d]Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from those who do iniquity
And save me from men of bloodshed.
3 For behold, they have [e]set an ambush for my [f]life;
[g]Fierce men [h]launch an attack against me,
Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord,
4 [i]For no guilt of mine, they run and set themselves against me.
Arouse Yourself to [j]help me, and see!
5 You, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to [k]punish all the nations;
Do not be gracious to any who are treacherous in iniquity. [l]Selah.
6 They return at evening, they howl like a dog,
And go around the city.
7 Behold, they belch forth with their mouth;
Swords are in their lips,
For, they say, “Who hears?”
8 But You, O Lord, laugh at them;
You scoff at all the nations.

9 Because of [m]his strength I will watch for You,
For God is my stronghold.
10 [n]My God in His lovingkindness will meet me;
God will let me look triumphantly upon [o]my foes.
11 Do not slay them, or my people will forget;
[p]Scatter them by Your power, and bring them down,
O Lord, our shield.
12 [q]On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
Let them even be caught in their pride,
And on account of curses and [r]lies which they utter.
13 [s]Destroy them in wrath, [t]destroy them that they may be no more;
That men may know that God [u]rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah.
14 They return at evening, they howl like a dog,
And go around the city.
15 They wander about [v]for food
And [w]growl if they are not satisfied.

16 But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength;
Yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For You have been my stronghold
And a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 O my strength, I will sing praises to You;
For God is my stronghold, the [x]God who shows me lovingkindness.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 59:1 Lit Do Not Destroy
  2. Psalm 59:1 Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm
  3. Psalm 59:1 1 Sam 19:11
  4. Psalm 59:1 Or May You put me in an inaccessibly high place
  5. Psalm 59:3 Or lain in wait
  6. Psalm 59:3 Lit soul
  7. Psalm 59:3 Or Strong
  8. Psalm 59:3 Or stir up strife
  9. Psalm 59:4 Lit Without guilt
  10. Psalm 59:4 Lit meet
  11. Psalm 59:5 Lit visit
  12. Psalm 59:5 Selah may mean: Pause, Crescendo or Musical interlude
  13. Psalm 59:9 Many mss and some ancient versions read My strength
  14. Psalm 59:10 Many mss and some ancient versions read The God of my lovingkindness
  15. Psalm 59:10 Lit those who lie in wait for me
  16. Psalm 59:11 Or Make them wander
  17. Psalm 59:12 Or The sin of their mouth is the word of their lips,
  18. Psalm 59:12 Lit lying
  19. Psalm 59:13 Lit Bring to an end
  20. Psalm 59:13 Lit Bring to an end
  21. Psalm 59:13 Or is Ruler
  22. Psalm 59:15 Or to devour
  23. Psalm 59:15 Another reading is tarry all night
  24. Psalm 59:17 Lit God of my lovingkindness
Psalm 59