Psalms 59
1 God, save me from my enemies! Protect me from those who want to attack me!
To the chief music-maker; put to At-tashheth. Michtam. Of David. When Saul sent, and they were watching the house, to put him to death. Take me out of the hands of the cruel ones, O my God; keep me safe from those who come up against me.
2 Rescue me from men who want to do what is wicked, men who are murderers!
Take me out of the power of the workers of evil, and keep me safe from the men of blood.
3 Look! They are waiting to kill me! Fierce men have gathered to assault me. Yahweh, they are doing that even though I have not done what is wrong!
For see, they are watching in secret for my soul; the strong have come together against me? but not because of my sin, or my evil-doing, O Lord.
4 It is not because I have committed any sin [against them] that they run and get ready to attack me.
For no sin of mine they go quickly and get themselves ready; be awake and come to my help, and see.
5 Yahweh my God, commander of the armies of heaven, the one we Israelis [worship], arise and punish the [ungodly/heathen people of] all the nations; do not be merciful to those [wicked people] who have (acted treacherously toward/secretly planned to harm) us.
You, O Lord God of armies, are the God of Israel; come now and give punishment to the nations; have no mercy on any workers of deceit. (Selah)
6 They return each evening, snarling like vicious dogs [SIM] as they prowl around this city.
They come back in the evening; they make a noise like a dog, and go round the town.
7 They loudly say terrible things; they say [MTY] many things that [injure people like] [MET] swords do, but they think, “No one will [RHQ] hear us!”
See, hate is dropping from their lips; curses are on their tongues: they say, Who gives attention to it?
8 But Yahweh, you laugh at them. You (scoff at/ridicule) the [people of the pagan] nations.
But you are laughing at them, O Lord; you will make sport of all the nations.
9 God, I have confidence in you because you are very strong; you are my refuge.
O my strength, I will put my hope in you; because God is my strong tower.
10 Because you love me, you will come to save me; you will allow me to watch while you defeat my enemies.
The God of my mercy will go before me: God will let me see my desire effected on my haters.
11 But do not kill them [immediately] in order that my people will not forget [how you punished them]! [Instead], Lord, [you who are like a] shield [that protects us] [MET], scatter them by your power, and [then] defeat them.
Put them not to death, for so my people will keep the memory of them: let them be sent in all directions by your power; make them low, O Lord our saviour.
12 Because what they say [MTY] is sinful, allow them to be trapped for being proud. Because they are [always] cursing and telling lies,
Because of the sin of their mouths and the word of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride; and for their curses and their deceit,
13 because you are angry, get rid of them; destroy them completely in order that people will know that you rule over us, your Israeli people, and that you rule over all the earth.
Put an end to them in your wrath, put an end to them, so that they may not be seen again; let them see that God is ruling in Jacob and to the ends of the earth. (Selah)
14 My enemies return each evening, snarling like [vicious] dogs as they prowl around this city.
And in the evening let them come back, and make a noise like a dog, and go round the town.
15 They roam around, searching for food; and if they do not find enough, they growl.
Let them go wandering up and down in search of food, and be there all night if they have not enough.
16 But [as for me], I will sing about your power; [every] morning I will sing joyfully about your faithfully loving [us]. I will sing about how you protected me when I was [very] distressed.
But I will make songs of your power; yes, I will give cries of joy for your mercy in the morning; because you have been my strength and my high tower in the day of my trouble.
17 God, you are the one who enables me to be strong; you are my refuge; you faithfully love me.
To you, O my strength, will I make my song: because God is my high tower, even the God of my mercy.
