Psalm 57-58
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 57
Praise for God’s Protection
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[a] A Davidic Miktam. When he fled before Saul into the cave.(A)
1 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,
for I take refuge in You.
I will seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings
until danger passes.(B)
2 I call to God Most High,
to God who fulfills His purpose for me.[b](C)
3 He reaches down from heaven and saves me,
challenging the one who tramples me.(D)
God sends His faithful love and truth.(E)
4 I am surrounded by lions;
I lie down with those who devour men.
Their teeth are spears and arrows;
their tongues are sharp swords.(F)
5 God, be exalted above the heavens;
let Your glory be over the whole earth.(G)
6 They prepared a net for my steps;
I was despondent.
They dug a pit ahead of me,
but they fell into it!(H)
7 My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident.
I will sing; I will sing praises.(I)
8 Wake up, my soul![c]
Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.(J)
9 I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the nations.(K)
10 For Your faithful love is as high as the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches the clouds.(L)
11 God, be exalted above the heavens;(M)
let Your glory be over the whole earth.(N)
Psalm 58
A Cry against Injustice
For the choir director: “Do Not Destroy.”[d] A Davidic Miktam.
1 Do you really speak righteously, you mighty ones?[e]
Do you judge people fairly?(O)
2 No, you practice injustice in your hearts;
with your hands you weigh out violence in the land.(P)
3 The wicked go astray from the womb;
liars err from birth.(Q)
4 They have venom like the venom of a snake,
like the deaf cobra that stops up its ears,(R)
5 that does not listen to the sound of the charmers
who skillfully weave spells.(S)
6 God, knock the teeth out of their mouths;
Lord, tear out the young lions’ fangs.(T)
7 They will vanish like water that flows by;
they will aim their useless arrows.[f][g](U)
8 Like a slug that moves along in slime,
like a woman’s miscarried child,
they will not see the sun.(V)
9 Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—
whether green or burning—
He will sweep them away.[h](W)
10 The righteous one will rejoice
when he sees the retribution;(X)
he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.(Y)
11 Then people will say,
“Yes, there is a reward for the righteous!
There is a God who judges on earth!”(Z)
Footnotes
- Psalm 57:1 Possibly a tune
- Psalm 57:2 Or who avenges me
- Psalm 57:8 Lit glory
- Psalm 58:1 Possibly a tune
- Psalm 58:1 Or Can you really speak righteousness in silence?
- Psalm 58:7 Or their arrows as if they were circumcised; Hb obscure
- Psalm 58:7 Or they wither like trampled grass
- Psalm 58:9 Or thorns, He will sweep it away, whether raw or cooking, or thorns, He will sweep him away alive in fury
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