Psalm 56-60
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 56
A Call for God’s Protection
For the choir director: according to “A Silent Dove Far Away.”[a] A Davidic Miktam. When the Philistines seized him in Gath.(A)
1 Be gracious to me, God, for man tramples me;
he fights and oppresses me all day long.
2 My adversaries trample me all day,
for many arrogantly fight against me.[b](B)
3 When I am afraid,
I will trust in You.(C)
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?(D)
5 They twist my words all day long;
all their thoughts against me are evil.(E)
6 They stir up strife,[c] they lurk;
they watch my steps
while they wait to take my life.(F)
7 Will they escape in spite of such sin?
God, bring down the nations in wrath.(G)
8 You Yourself have recorded my wanderings.[d]
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in Your records?(H)
9 Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call.(I)
This I know: God is for me.(J)
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?(K)
12 I am obligated by vows[e] to You, God;
I will make my thank offerings to You.(L)
13 For You delivered me from death,
even my feet from stumbling,
to walk before God in the light of life.(M)
Psalm 57
Praise for God’s Protection
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[f] A Davidic Miktam. When he fled before Saul into the cave.(N)
1 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,
for I take refuge in You.
I will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings
until danger passes.(O)
2 I call to God Most High,
to God who fulfills His purpose for me.[g](P)
3 He reaches down from heaven and saves me,
challenging the one who tramples me.(Q)
God sends His faithful love and truth.(R)
4 I am surrounded by lions;
I lie down with those who devour men.
Their teeth are spears and arrows;
their tongues are sharp swords.(S)
5 God, be exalted above the heavens;
let Your glory be over the whole earth.(T)
6 They prepared a net for my steps;
I was despondent.
They dug a pit ahead of me,
but they fell into it!(U)
7 My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident.
I will sing; I will sing praises.(V)
8 Wake up, my soul![h]
Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.(W)
9 I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the nations.(X)
10 For Your faithful love is as high as the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches the clouds.(Y)
11 God, be exalted above the heavens;(Z)
let Your glory be over the whole earth.(AA)
Psalm 58
A Cry against Injustice
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[i] A Davidic Miktam.
1 Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones?[j]
Do you judge people fairly?(AB)
2 No, you practice injustice in your hearts;
with your hands you weigh out violence in the land.(AC)
3 The wicked go astray from the womb;
liars err from birth.(AD)
4 They have venom like the venom of a snake,
like the deaf cobra that stops up its ears,(AE)
5 that does not listen to the sound of the charmers
who skillfully weave spells.(AF)
6 God, knock the teeth out of their mouths;
Lord, tear out the young lions’ fangs.(AG)
7 They will vanish like water that flows by;
they will aim their useless arrows.[k][l](AH)
8 Like a slug that moves along in slime,
like a woman’s miscarried child,
they will not see the sun.(AI)
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether green or burning—
He will sweep them away.[m](AJ)
10 The righteous one will rejoice
when he sees the retribution;(AK)
he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.(AL)
11 Then people will say,
“Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!
There is a God who judges on earth!”(AM)
Psalm 59
God Our Stronghold
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[n] A Davidic Miktam. When Saul sent agents to watch the house and kill him.(AN)
1 Deliver me from my enemies, my God;(AO)
protect me from those who rise up against me.(AP)
2 Deliver me from those who practice sin,
and save me from men of bloodshed.(AQ)
3 Lord, look! They set an ambush for me.(AR)
Powerful men attack me,
but not because of any sin or rebellion of mine.(AS)
4 For no fault of mine,
they run and take up a position.
Awake to help me, and take notice.(AT)
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.(AU)
6 They return at evening, snarling like dogs
and prowling around the city.(AV)
7 Look, they spew from their mouths—
sharp words from[o] their lips.(AW)
“For who,” they say, “will hear?”(AX)
8 But You laugh at them, Lord;
You ridicule all the nations.(AY)
9 I will keep watch for You, my[p] strength,
because God is my stronghold.(AZ)
10 My faithful God[q] will come to meet me;
God will let me look down on my adversaries.(BA)
11 Do not kill them; otherwise, my people will forget.
By Your power, make them homeless wanderers(BB)
and bring them down,
Lord, our shield.(BC)
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.(BD)
13 Consume them in rage;
consume them until they are gone.(BE)
Then people will know throughout[r] the earth
that God rules over Jacob.(BF)
14 And they return at evening, snarling like dogs
and prowling around the city.(BG)
15 They scavenge for food;
they growl if they are not satisfied.(BH)
16 But I will sing of Your strength
and will joyfully proclaim
Your faithful love in the morning.(BI)
For You have been a stronghold for me,
a refuge in my day of trouble.(BJ)
17 To You, my strength, I sing praises,
because God is my stronghold—
my faithful God.(BK)
Psalm 60
Prayer in Difficult Times
For the choir director: according to “The Lily of Testimony.”[s] 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.(BL)
1 God, You have rejected us;
You have broken out[t] against us;
You have been angry. Restore us
2 You have shaken the land and split it open.
Heal its fissures, for it shudders.(BN)
3 You have made Your people suffer hardship;
You have given us wine to drink
that made us stagger.(BO)
4 You have given a signal flag to those who fear You,
so that they can flee before the archers.[v](BP)
5 Save with Your right hand, and answer me,
so that those You love may be rescued.(BQ)
6 God has spoken in His sanctuary:[w]
“I will triumph! I will divide up Shechem.(BR)
I will apportion the Valley of Succoth.(BS)
7 Gilead is Mine, Manasseh is Mine,
and Ephraim is My helmet;(BT)
Judah is My scepter.(BU)
8 Moab is My washbasin.(BV)
I throw My sandal on Edom;(BW)
I shout in triumph over Philistia.”(BX)
9 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?(BY)
10 God, haven’t You rejected us?
God, You do not march out with our armies.(BZ)
11 Give us aid against the foe,
for human help is worthless.(CA)
12 With God we will perform valiantly;(CB)
He will trample our foes.(CC)
Footnotes
- Psalm 56:1 Possibly a tune
- Psalm 56:2 Or many fight against me, O exalted One, or many fight against me from the heights
- Psalm 56:6 Or They attack
- Psalm 56:8 Or misery
- Psalm 56:12 Lit On me the vows
- Psalm 57:1 Possibly a tune
- Psalm 57:2 Or who avenges me
- Psalm 57:8 Lit glory
- 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
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