Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

For the music 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.

1Rescue me from my enemies, my God;

[d]Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.

2Rescue me from those who practice injustice,

And save me from men of bloodshed.

3For behold, they have [e]set an ambush for my [f]life;

[g]Fierce men attack me,

Not for my wrongdoing nor for my sin, LORD,

4[h]For no guilt of mine, they run and take their stand against me.

Stir Yourself to [i]help me, and see!

5You, LORD God of armies, the God of Israel,

Awake to [j]punish all the nations;

Do not be gracious to any who deal treacherously in wrongdoing. Selah

6They return at evening, they howl like a dog,

And prowl around the city.

7Behold, they gush forth with their mouths;

Swords are in their lips,

For, they say, “Who hears?”

8But You, LORD, laugh at them;

You scoff at all the nations.

9Because of [k]his strength I will watch for You,

For God is my refuge.

10[l]My God in His faithfulness will meet me;

God will let me look triumphantly upon my enemies.

11Do not kill them, or my people will forget;

[m]Scatter them by Your power and bring them down,

Lord, our shield.

12[n]On account of the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,

May they even be caught in their pride,

And on account of curses and lies which they tell.

13[o]Destroy them in wrath, [p]destroy them so that they will no longer exist;

So that people may know that God [q]rules in Jacob,

To the ends of the earth. Selah

14They return at evening, they howl like a dog,

And prowl around the city.

15They wander about [r]for food

And [s]murmur if they are not satisfied.

16But as for me, I will sing of Your strength;

Yes, I will joyfully sing of Your faithfulness in the morning,

For You have been my refuge

And a place of refuge on the day of my distress.

17My strength, I will sing praises to You;

For God is my refuge, the [t]God who shows me favor.

[a] PSALM 59Title Lit Do Not Destroy
[b] PSALM 59Title Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm
[c] PSALM 59Title 1 Sam 19:11
[d] 1 Or May You put me in an inaccessibly high place
[e] 3 Or lain in wait
[f] 3 Lit soul
[g] 3 Or Strong
[h] 4 Lit Without guilt
[i] 4 Lit meet
[j] 5 Lit visit
[k] 9 LXX, some mss and some ancient versions my strength (cf. v 17)
[l] 10 Many mss and some ancient versions The God of my faithfulness
[m] 11 Or Make them wander
[n] 12 Or The sin of their mouth is the word of their lips,
[o] 13 Lit Bring to an end
[p] 13 Lit Bring to an end
[q] 13 Or is Ruler
[r] 15 Lit to eat
[s] 15 Another reading is linger all night
[t] 17 Lit God of my favor