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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.

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
    protect me from those who rise up against me.
Deliver me from those who work evil;
    from the bloodthirsty save me.

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,
    for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.

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

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

But you laugh at them, O Lord;
    you hold all the nations in derision.
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.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 59:7 Heb with swords
  2. Psalm 59:7 Heb lacks they think

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.

O God, you have rejected us, broken our defences;
    you have been angry; now restore us!
You have caused the land to quake; you have torn it open;
    repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering.
You have made your people suffer hard things;
    you have given us wine to drink that made us reel.

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

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

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.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 60:4 Gk Syr Jerome: Heb because of the truth
  2. Psalm 60:5 Another reading is me
  3. Psalm 60:6 Or by his holiness

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