PSALM 59 [†]  a Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;

 b protect me from those who  c rise up against me;

2 deliver me from  d those who work evil,

and save me from  e bloodthirsty men.

3 For behold, they  f lie in wait for my life;

fierce men  g stir up strife against me.

 h For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD,

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

 i Awake, come to meet me, and see!

5[†] You,  j LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel.

Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;

spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah

6 Each evening they  k come back,

howling like dogs

and prowling about the city.

7 There they are,  l bellowing with their mouths

with  m swords in their lips—

for  n “Who,” they think, [2] “will hear us?”

8[^] But you, O LORD,  o laugh at them;

you hold all the nations in derision.

9 O my Strength, I will watch for you,

for you, O God, are  p my fortress.

10  q My God in his steadfast love [3]  r will meet me;

God will let me  s look in triumph on my enemies.

11[†] Kill them not, lest my people forget;

make them totter [4] by your power and  t bring them down,

O Lord, our  u shield!

12 For  v 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  w consume them in wrath;

consume them till they are no more,

that they may  x know that God rules over Jacob

to  y the ends of the earth. Selah

14  z Each evening they come back,

howling like dogs

and prowling about the city.

15 They  a wander about for food

and growl if they do not get their fill.

16 But I will sing of your strength;

I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.

For you have been to me  b a fortress

and  c a refuge in  d the day of my distress.

17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,

for you, O God,  b are my fortress,

 e the God who shows me steadfast love.

To the choirmaster: according to  f Shushan Eduth. A  g Miktam [1] of David;  h for instruction; when he  i strove with Aram-naharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.