Psalms 59

1 Rescue me from my enemies, God, and ransom me from those who rise against me.

2 Rescue me from those who practice lawlessness, and save me from violent men.

3 Look, they hunted my soul; powerful men attacked me. Lord, it was not because of my lawlessness or my sin.

4 Without lawlessness I ran and directed my course. Wake up to meet me, and see.

5 Lord God of armies, God of Israel, pay attention and visit all the nations. Show no compassion to anyone who practices lawlessness. Pause.

6 They will return in the evening, go hungry like a dog, and circle the city.

7 Look, they will speak with their mouths, and a sword is on their lips, because they say, “Who heard?”

8 But you, Lord, will laugh at them; you will treat all the nations as nothing.

9 I will guard my strength for you, because you, God, are my helper.

10 My God—his mercy will go before me. God will let me look upon my enemies.

11 Do not kill them, so that they do not forget my people. Scatter them by your power and bring them down, Lord, my defender.

12 For the sin of their mouths and the words of their lips, let them be caught in their arrogance. Destruction will be proclaimed because of their curse and falsehood—

13 destruction in wrath—and they will no longer exist. Then they will know that God rules Jacob and the ends of the earth. Pause.

14 They will return in the evening, go hungry like a dog, and circle the city.

15 They will scatter in search of food, and if they are not filled, they will complain.

16 But I will sing about your strength and rejoice in your mercy in the morning, because you became my helper and refuge on a day of my affliction.

17 My helper, I will make music to you, because you, God, are my helper—my God, my mercy.