Psalms 57

1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me; for the hope of my soul is in you: I will keep myself safely under the shade of your wings, till these troubles are past.

1Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a title.

1To the Overseer. --`Destroy not.' --A secret treasure of David, in his fleeing from the face of Saul into a cave. Favour me, O God, favour me, For in Thee is my soul trusting, And in the shadow of Thy wings I trust, Until the calamities pass over.

2I will send up my cry to the Most High God; to God who does all things for me.

2If in very deed ye speak justice: judge right things, ye sons of men.

2I call to God Most High, To God <FI>who<Fi> is perfecting for me.

3He will send from heaven, and take me from the power of him whose desire is for my destruction. God will send out his mercy and his good faith.

3For in your heart you work iniquity: your hands forge injustice in the earth.

3He sendeth from the heaven, and saveth me, He reproached--who is panting after me. Selah. God sendeth forth His kindness and His truth.

4My soul is among lions; I am stretched out among those who are on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and whose tongue is a sharp sword.

4The wicked are alienated from the womb; they have gone astray from the womb: they have spoken false things.

4My soul <FI>is<Fi> in the midst of lions, I lie down <FI>among<Fi> flames--sons of men, Their teeth <FI>are<Fi> a spear and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.

5O God, be lifted up higher than the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

5Their madness is according to the likeness of a serpent: like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ears:

5Be Thou exalted above the heavens, O God, Above all the earth Thine honour.

6They have made ready a net for my steps; my soul is bent down; they have made a great hole before me, and have gone down into it themselves. (Selah.)

6Which will not hear the voice of the charmers; nor of the wizard that charmeth wisely.

6A net they have prepared for my steps, Bowed down hath my soul, They have digged before me a pit, They have fallen into its midst. Selah.

7My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will make songs, and give praise.

7God shall break in pieces their teeth in their mouth: the Lord shall break the grinders of the lions.

7Prepared is my heart, O God, Prepared is my heart, I sing and praise.

8You are my glory; let the instruments of music be awake; I myself will be awake with the dawn.

8They shall come to nothing, like water running down; he hath bent his bow till they be weakened.

8Awake, mine honour, awake, psaltery and harp, I awake the morning dawn.

9I will give you praise, O Lord, among the peoples; I will make songs to you among the nations.

9Like wax that melteth they shall be taken away: fire hath fallen on them, and they shall not see the sun.

9I thank Thee among the peoples, O Lord, I praise Thee among the nations.

10For your mercy is great, stretching up to the heavens, and your righteousness goes up to the clouds.

10Before your thorns could know the brier; he swalloweth them up, as alive, in his wrath.

10For great unto the heavens <FI>is<Fi> Thy kindness, And unto the clouds Thy truth.

11Be lifted up, O God, higher than the heavens, let your glory be over all the earth.

11The just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge: he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.

11Be thou exalted above the heavens, O God. Above all the earth Thine honour!

12(not in this translation)

12And man shall say: If indeed there be fruit to the just: there is indeed a God that judgeth them on the earth.

12(not in this translation)