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Psalm 56

Trust in God under Persecution

To the leader: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. Of David. A Miktam, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
¹ Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me;
   all day long foes oppress me;
² my enemies trample on me all day long,
   for many fight against me.
O Most High, ³when I am afraid,
   I put my trust in you.
⁴ In God, whose word I praise,
   in God I trust; I am not afraid;
   what can flesh do to me?

⁵ All day long they seek to injure my cause;
   all their thoughts are against me for evil.
⁶ They stir up strife, they lurk,
   they watch my steps.
As they hoped to have my life,
⁷   so repay^* them for their crime;
   in wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

⁸ You have kept count of my tossings;
   put my tears in your bottle.
   Are they not in your record?
⁹ Then my enemies will retreat
   on the day when I call.
   This I know, that^* God is for me.
¹⁰ In God, whose word I praise,
   in the Lord, whose word I praise,
¹¹ in God I trust; I am not afraid.
   What can a mere mortal do to me?

¹² My vows to you I must perform, O God;
   I will render thank-offerings to you.
¹³ For you have delivered my soul from death,
   and my feet from falling,
so that I may walk before God
   in the light of life.

Psalm 57

Praise and Assurance under Persecution

To the leader: Do Not Destroy. Of David. A Miktam, when he fled from Saul, in the cave.
¹ Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
   for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
   until the destroying storms pass by.
² I cry to God Most High,
   to God who fulfils his purpose for me.
³ He will send from heaven and save me,
   he will put to shame those who trample on me.
          Selah
God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.

⁴ I lie down among lions
   that greedily devour^* human prey;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
   their tongues sharp swords.

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
   Let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶ They set a net for my steps;
   my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my path,
   but they have fallen into it themselves.
          Selah
⁷ My heart is steadfast, O God,
   my heart is steadfast.
I will sing and make melody.
⁸   Awake, my soul!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
   I will awake the dawn.
⁹ I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
   I will sing praises to you among the nations.
¹⁰ For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens;
   your faithfulness extends to the clouds.

¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
   Let your glory be over all the earth.

Psalm 58

Prayer for Vengeance

To the leader: Do Not Destroy. Of David. A Miktam.
¹ Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?^*
   Do you judge people fairly?
² No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;
   your hands deal out violence on earth.

³ The wicked go astray from the womb;
   they err from their birth, speaking lies.
⁴ They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
   like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
⁵ so that it does not hear the voice of charmers
   or of the cunning enchanter.

⁶ O God, break the teeth in their mouths;
   tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
⁷ Let them vanish like water that runs away;
   like grass let them be trodden down^* and wither.
⁸ Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime;
   like the untimely birth that never sees the sun.
⁹ Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns,
   whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!

¹⁰ The righteous will rejoice when they see vengeance done;
   they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
¹¹ People will say, ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
   surely there is a God who judges on earth.’

Psalm 59

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

To the leader: Do Not Destroy. Of David. A Miktam, when Saul ordered his house to be watched in order to kill him.
¹ Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
   protect me from those who rise up against me.
² Deliver me from those who work evil;
   from the bloodthirsty save me.

³ Even now they lie in wait for my life;
   the mighty stir up strife against me.
For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,
⁴   for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.

Rouse yourself, come to my help and see!
⁵   You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Awake to punish all the nations;
   spare none of those who treacherously plot evil.
          Selah

⁶ Each evening they come back,
   howling like dogs
   and prowling about the city.
⁷ There they are, bellowing with their mouths,
   with sharp words^* on their lips—
   for ‘Who’, they think,^* ‘will hear us?’

⁸ But you laugh at them, O Lord;
   you hold all the nations in derision.
⁹ O my strength, I will watch for you;
   for you, O God, are my fortress.
¹⁰ My God in his steadfast love will meet me;
   my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.

¹¹ Do not kill them, or my people may forget;
   make them totter by your power, and bring them down,
   O Lord, our shield.
¹² For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
   let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies that they utter,
¹³   consume them in wrath;
   consume them until they are no more.
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
   that God rules over Jacob.
          Selah

¹⁴ Each evening they come back,
   howling like dogs
   and prowling about the city.
¹⁵ They roam about for food,
   and growl if they do not get their fill.

¹⁶ But I will sing of your might;
   I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been a fortress for me
   and a refuge on the day of my distress.
¹⁷ O my strength, I will sing praises to you,
   for you, O God, are my fortress,
   the God who shows me steadfast love.

Psalm 60

Prayer for National Victory after Defeat

To the leader: according to The Lily of the Covenant. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he struggled with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
¹ O God, you have rejected us, broken our defences;
   you have been angry; now restore us!
² You have caused the land to quake; you have torn it open;
   repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.
³ You have made your people suffer hard things;
   you have given us wine to drink that made us reel.

⁴ You have set up a banner for those who fear you,
   to rally to it out of bowshot.^*
          Selah
⁵ Give victory with your right hand, and answer us,^*
   so that those whom you love may be rescued.

⁶ God has promised in his sanctuary:^*
   ‘With exultation I will divide up Shechem,
   and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
⁷ Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
   Ephraim is my helmet;
   Judah is my sceptre.
⁸ Moab is my wash-basin;
   on Edom I hurl my shoe;
   over Philistia I shout in triumph.’

⁹ Who will bring me to the fortified city?
   Who will lead me to Edom?
¹⁰ Have you not rejected us, O God?
   You do not go out, O God, with our armies.
¹¹ O grant us help against the foe,
   for human help is worthless.
¹² With God we shall do valiantly;
   it is he who will tread down our foes.

Psalm 61

Assurance of God’s Protection

To the leader: with stringed instruments. Of David.
¹ Hear my cry, O God;
   listen to my prayer.
² From the end of the earth I call to you,
   when my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock
   that is higher than I;
³ for you are my refuge,
   a strong tower against the enemy.

⁴ Let me abide in your tent for ever,
   find refuge under the shelter of your wings.
          Selah
⁵ For you, O God, have heard my vows;
   you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

⁶ Prolong the life of the king;
   may his years endure to all generations!
⁷ May he be enthroned for ever before God;
   appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

⁸ So I will always sing praises to your name,
   as I pay my vows day after day.