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This is for the music leader, and he should use special music.

David wrote this prayer when King Saul sent men to catch David at his house and murder him.

A prayer[a]

59 My God, please save me from my enemies!
They are attacking me,
    so please keep me safe from them.
Rescue me from those dangerous men,
    who are doing evil things.
Look at them! They are waiting to kill me!
    Cruel men are ready to attack me.
Lord, I have not done anything against them,
    but they still want to kill me.
I have done nothing that is wrong,
    but they are preparing to attack me.
Do something to help me!
    Look at what they are doing!
For you are the Lord God Almighty,
    the God that Israel serves.
Get up and punish all the foreign nations.
Do not forgive any wicked people
    who have turned against us.
Selah.
Those bad people come back to the city every evening.
They go from place to place,
    and they cry out like dogs.
They shout evil things,
    and their words hurt like swords.
They think, ‘Nobody can hear what we say!’
But Lord, you laugh at them.
    You laugh at all the foreign nations.
I will wait for you to help me,
    because you are the one who gives me strength.
You, God, are the strong place
    where I will be safe.
10 Yes God, you love me with a faithful love,
    and you will come to help me.
God will let me see that he has won against my enemies.
11 Do not kill them yet,
    or my people will soon forget.
Use your power to send them away without homes.
    Then make them fall!
You are our Lord
    who keeps us safe like a soldier's shield.
12 They speak bad words that are evil.
Let their own pride catch them in a trap,
    because they curse people,
    and they tell lies.
13 Because you are angry with them,
    destroy them!
Destroy them completely,
    so that they are no more.
Then everybody will know that God rules in Israel,
    and he rules everywhere in the earth.
Selah.
14 Those bad people come back to the city every evening.
They go from place to place,
    and they cry out like dogs.
15 They go from place to place
    and they look for food to eat.
They will not rest until they are full.
16 But I will sing to praise you.
    I will sing about your strength!
In the morning,
    I will praise you for your faithful love.
Because you are the strong place where I can hide.
When I am in trouble,
    you keep me safe.
17 You are the one who gives me strength.
    I will sing songs to praise you.
You, God, are my strong, safe place.
You are the God who loves me with a faithful love.

Footnotes

  1. 59:1 See 1 Samuel 19:8-18.