Historical
Psalm 58[a]
The Dethroning of Unjust Rulers
1 For the leader. Do not destroy.[b] A miktam of David.
I
2 Do you indeed pronounce justice, O gods;[c]
do you judge fairly you children of Adam?(A)
3 No, you freely engage in crime;
your hands dispense violence to the earth.
II
4 The wicked have been corrupt since birth;
liars from the womb, they have gone astray.
5 [d]Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
like that of a serpent stopping its ears,(B)
6 So as not to hear the voice of the charmer
or the enchanter with cunning spells.
III
7 O God, smash the teeth in their mouths;
break the fangs of these lions, Lord!(C)
8 Make them vanish like water flowing away;(D)
trodden down, let them wither like grass.(E)
9 Let them dissolve like a snail that oozes away,[e]
like an untimely birth that never sees the sun.(F)
10 Suddenly, like brambles or thistles,
have the whirlwind snatch them away.(G)
11 Then the just shall rejoice to see the vengeance
and bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.(H)
12 Then people will say:
“Truly there is a reward for the just;
there is a God who is judge on earth!”
Psalm 59[f]
Complaint Against Bloodthirsty Enemies
1 For the director. Do not destroy.[g] A miktam of David, when Saul sent people to watch his house and kill him.(I)
I
2 Rescue me from my enemies, my God;
lift me out of reach of my foes.
3 Deliver me from evildoers;
from the bloodthirsty save me.
4 They have set an ambush for my life;
the powerful conspire against me.
For no offense or misdeed of mine, Lord,
5 for no fault they hurry to take up arms.
Come near and see my plight!
6 You, Lord God of hosts, are the God of Israel!
Awake! Punish all the nations.
Have no mercy on these worthless traitors.
Selah
7 Each evening they return,
growling like dogs, prowling the city.(J)
8 Their mouths pour out insult;
sharp words are on their lips.
They say: “Who is there to hear?”[h]
9 But you, Lord, laugh at them;
you deride all the nations.(K)
10 My strength, for you I watch;
you, God, are my fortress,
11 my loving God.
II
May God go before me,
and show me my fallen foes.
12 Slay them, God,
lest they deceive my people.
Shake them by your power;
Lord, our shield, bring them down.
13 For the sinful words of their mouths and lips
let them be caught in their pride.
For the lies they have told under oath(L)
14 destroy them in anger,
destroy till they are no more.
Then people will know God rules over Jacob,
yes, even to the ends of the earth.(M)
Selah
15 Each evening they return,
growling like dogs, prowling the city.
16 They roam about as scavengers;
if they are not filled, they howl.
III
17 But I shall sing of your strength,
extol your mercy at dawn,
For you are my fortress,
my refuge in time of trouble.
18 My strength, your praise I will sing;
you, God, are my fortress, my loving God.
Psalm 60[i]
Lament After Defeat in Battle
1 For the leader; according to “The Lily of.…” A miktam of David (for teaching), 2 when he fought against Aram-Naharaim and Aram-Zobah; and Joab, coming back, killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.(N)
I
3 O God, you rejected us, broke our defenses;
you were angry but now revive us.
4 You rocked the earth, split it open;(O)
repair the cracks for it totters.
5 You made your people go through hardship,
made us stagger from the wine you gave us.(P)
6 Raise up a banner for those who revere you,
a refuge for them out of bow shot.
Selah
7 [j]Help with your right hand and answer us
that your loved ones may escape.
II
8 [k]In the sanctuary God promised:
“I will exult, will apportion Shechem;
the valley of Succoth I will measure out.
9 Gilead is mine, mine is Manasseh;
Ephraim is the helmet for my head,
Judah, my own scepter.[l]
10 [m]Moab is my washbowl;
upon Edom I cast my sandal.(Q)
I will triumph over Philistia.”
III
11 Who will bring me to the fortified city?[n]
Who will lead me into Edom?
12 Was it not you who rejected us, God?
Do you no longer march with our armies?(R)
13 Give us aid against the foe;
worthless is human help.
14 We will triumph with the help of God,
who will trample down our foes.
Psalm 61[o]
Prayer of the King in Time of Danger
1 For the leader; with stringed instruments. Of David.
I
2 Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer!
3 From the ends of the earth[p] I call;
my heart grows faint.
Raise me up, set me on a rock,
4 for you are my refuge,
a tower of strength against the foe.(S)
5 Let me dwell in your tent forever,
take refuge in the shelter of your wings.(T)
Selah
II
6 For you, O God, have heard my vows,
you have granted me the heritage of those who revere your name.
7 Add days to the life of the king;
may his years be as from generation to generation;(U)
8 (V)May he reign before God forever;
send your love and fidelity[q] to preserve him—(W)
9 I will duly sing to your name forever,
fulfill my vows day after day.
Psalm 62[r]
Trust in God Alone
1 For the leader; ‘al Jeduthun.[s] A psalm of David.
I
2 My soul rests in God alone,(X)
from whom comes my salvation.
3 God alone is my rock and salvation,
my fortress; I shall never fall.
4 How long will you set yourself against a man?
You shall all be destroyed,
Like a sagging wall
or a tumbled down fence!
5 Even highly placed people
plot to overthrow him.
They delight in lies;
they bless with their mouths,
but inwardly they curse.(Y)
Selah
II
6 My soul, be at rest in God alone,
from whom comes my hope.
7 God alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not fall.
8 My deliverance and honor are with God,(Z)
my strong rock;
my refuge is with God.
9 Trust God at all times, my people!
Pour out your hearts to God our refuge!
Selah
III
10 Mortals are a mere breath,
the sons of man but an illusion;(AA)
On a balance they rise;[t]
together they weigh nothing.
11 Do not trust in extortion;
in plunder put no empty hope.
On wealth that increases,
do not set your heart.(AB)
12 [u]One thing God has said;
two things I have heard:(AC)
Strength belongs to God;
13 so too, my Lord, does mercy,
For you repay each man
according to his deeds.(AD)
Psalm 63[v]
Ardent Longing for God
1 A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.(AE)
I
2 O God, you are my God—
it is you I seek!
For you my body yearns;
for you my soul thirsts,
In a land parched, lifeless,
and without water.(AF)
3 I look to you in the sanctuary
to see your power and glory.
4 For your love is better than life;[w]
my lips shall ever praise you!
II
5 I will bless you as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands, calling on your name.
6 My soul shall be sated as with choice food,
with joyous lips my mouth shall praise you!
7 I think of you upon my bed,
I remember you through the watches of the night
8 You indeed are my savior,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.(AG)
9 My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
III
10 But those who seek my life will come to ruin;
they shall go down to the depths of the netherworld!
11 Those who would hand over my life to the sword shall
become the prey of jackals!
12 But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by the Lord[x] shall exult,
but the mouths of liars will be shut!(AH)
Psalm 64[y]
Treacherous Conspirators Punished by God
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2 O God, hear my anguished voice;
from a dreadful foe protect my life.
3 Hide me from the malicious crowd,
the mob of evildoers.
4 They sharpen their tongues like swords,
bend their bows of poison words.(AI)
5 They shoot at the innocent from ambush,
they shoot him in a moment and do not fear.
6 They resolve on their wicked plan;
they conspire to set snares;
they say: “Who will see us?”
7 They devise wicked schemes,
conceal the schemes they devise;
the designs of their hearts are hidden.(AJ)
II
8 God shoots an arrow at them;
in a moment they are struck down.(AK)
9 They are brought down by their own tongues;
all who see them flee.(AL)
10 Every person fears and proclaims God’s actions,
they ponder his deeds.
11 The righteous rejoices and takes refuge in the Lord;
all the upright give praise.(AM)
Psalm 65[z]
Thanksgiving for God’s Blessings
1 For the leader. A psalm of David. A song.
I
2 To you we owe our hymn of praise,
O God on Zion;
To you our vows[aa] must be fulfilled,
3 [ab]you who hear our prayers.
To you all flesh must come(AN)
4 with its burden of wicked deeds.
We are overcome by our sins;
only you can pardon them.(AO)
5 Blessed the one whom you will choose and bring
to dwell in your courts.
May we be filled with the good things of your house,
your holy temple!
II
6 You answer us with awesome deeds[ac] of justice,
O God our savior,
The hope of all the ends of the earth
and of those far off across the sea.(AP)
7 You are robed in power,
you set up the mountains by your might.
8 You still the roaring of the seas,(AQ)
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.(AR)
9 Distant peoples stand in awe of your marvels;
the places of morning and evening you make resound with joy.
10 [ad]You visit the earth and water it,
make it abundantly fertile.(AS)
God’s stream[ae] is filled with water;
you supply their grain.
Thus do you prepare it:
11 you drench its plowed furrows,
and level its ridges.
With showers you keep it soft,
blessing its young sprouts.
12 You adorn the year with your bounty;
your paths[af] drip with fruitful rain.
13 The meadows of the wilderness also drip;
the hills are robed with joy.
14 The pastures are clothed with flocks,
the valleys blanketed with grain;
they cheer and sing for joy.(AT)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.