To the chief Musician, Altaschith, thoughts of David,

when he fled from Saul in the cave.

1 ¶ Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me: for my soul trusts in you: yea, I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings, until these calamities are past.

2 I will cry to God most high; to God who brings to pass his plan for me.

3 He will reach down from heaven, and save me from the slander of him who would trample me down. Selah. God will send forth his mercy and his truth.

4 I am in the midst of lions: and I lie down with those who devour men, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and whose tongue a sharp sword.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be above all the earth.

6 They have prepared a net for my feet; my soul is downcast: they have dug a pit in my path, and they have fallen into it. Selah.

7 ¶ My heart is confident, O God, my heart is confident: I will sing and give praise.

8 Awake, my heart; awake, my lute and lyre: I will rise early.

9 I will praise you, O Lord, among the people: I will sing to you among the nations.

10 For your mercy is great reaching to the heavens, and your truth to the clouds.

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

Psalm 58

To the chief Musician, Altaschith, thoughts of David.

1 ¶ Will you truly speak righteousness, O mighty ones? do you judge rightly, O you sons of men?

2 No, in your heart you devise wickedness; and your hands deal out violence in the land.

3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

4 Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stops its ear;

5 Which cannot hear the voice of charmers, charming ever so wisely.

6 ¶ Break the teeth in their mouth, O God: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.

7 Let them flow away like water that runs continually: when he bends his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as if they were split apart.

8 Let them pass on, like a snail that moves along in slime: like one born to a woman prematurely, that they may not see the sun.

9 Before your pots can feel heat from the thorns, whether green or burning, he will sweep them away as with a whirlwind.

10 The righteous will rejoice when he sees vengeance: he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.

11 Then the people will say, The righteous are truly rewarded: surely there is a God who judges in the earth.

Psalm 59

To the chief Musician, Altaschith, memorable thoughts of David;

when Saul sent men to watch his house and kill him.

1 ¶ Deliver me from my enemies, O my God: defend me from those who rise up against me.

2 Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.

3 For, look, they lie in wait for me: powerful men attack me; but not for any transgression, or sin of mine, O LORD.

4 They quickly get in position to kill me without a reason: see it, and awake to help me.

5 You, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, arise to punish all the nations: show no mercy to any treacherous wrong doer. Selah.

6 When evening comes they return: snarling like dogs, as they prowl around the city.

7 Behold, swords are in their lips, and they spew sharp words from their mouths: for they say, who will hear?

8 ¶ But you, O LORD, will laugh at them; you will ridicule all the nations.

9 O my strength, I will wait upon you: for God is my fortress.

10 My God in his mercy will go before me: God will let me look triumphantly on my enemies.

11 Do not kill them, lest my people forget: scatter them by your power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

12 Let them be taken in their pride, for the sin of their tongue and the words of their lips: and for the cursing and lying that comes out of their mouth.

13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, until they are gone: and let them know that God rules in Jacob and to the ends of the earth. Selah.

14 When evening comes let them return; and let them snarl like dogs, as they prowl around the city.

15 Let them wander up and down looking for something to devour, and remain all night if they are not satisfied.

16 But I will sing of your power; yea, I will sing aloud of your mercy in the morning: for you have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.

17 I will sing to you, O my strength: for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.