Psalm 56 | |||
1
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Have mercy on me, O God, for they trample over me; • | ||
all day long they assault and oppress me. | |||
2
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My adversaries trample over me all the day long; • | ||
many are they that make proud war against me. | |||
3
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In the day of my fear I put my trust in you, • | ||
in God whose word I praise. | |||
4
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In God I trust, and will not fear, • | ||
for what can flesh do to me? | |||
5
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All day long they wound me with words; • | ||
their every thought is to do me evil. | |||
6
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They stir up trouble; they lie in wait; • | ||
marking my steps, they seek my life. | |||
7
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Shall they escape for all their wickedness? • | ||
In anger, O God, cast the peoples down. | |||
8
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You have counted up my groaning; | ||
put my tears into your bottle; • | |||
are they not written in your book? | |||
9
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Then shall my enemies turn back | ||
on the day when I call upon you; • | |||
this I know, for God is on my side. | |||
10
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In God whose word I praise, | ||
in the Lord whose word I praise, • | |||
in God I trust and will not fear: | |||
what can flesh do to me? | |||
11
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To you, O God, will I fulfil my vows; • | ||
to you will I present my offerings of thanks, | |||
12
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For you will deliver my soul from death | ||
and my feet from falling, • | |||
that I may walk before God in the light of the living. | |||
Psalm 57 | |||
1
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Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, • | ||
for my soul takes refuge in you; | |||
2
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In the shadow of your wings will I take refuge • | ||
until the storm of destruction has passed by. | |||
3
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I will call upon the Most High God, • | ||
the God who fulfils his purpose for me. | |||
4
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He will send from heaven and save me | ||
and rebuke those that would trample upon me; • | |||
God will send forth his love and his faithfulness. | |||
5
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I lie in the midst of lions, • | ||
people whose teeth are spears and arrows, | |||
and their tongue a sharp sword. | |||
6
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Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, • | ||
and your glory over all the earth. | |||
7
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They have laid a net for my feet; | ||
my soul is pressed down; • | |||
they have dug a pit before me | |||
and will fall into it themselves. | |||
8
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My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready; • | ||
I will sing and give you praise. | |||
9
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Awake, my soul; awake, harp and lyre, • | ||
that I may awaken the dawn. | |||
10
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I will give you thanks, O Lord, among the peoples; • | ||
I will sing praise to you among the nations. | |||
11
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For your loving-kindness is as high as the heavens, • | ||
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. | |||
12
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Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, • | ||
and your glory over all the earth. | |||
Psalm 58 | |||
1
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Do you indeed speak justly, you mighty? • | ||
Do you rule the peoples with equity? | |||
2
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With unjust heart you act throughout the land; • | ||
your hands mete out violence. | |||
3
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The wicked are estranged, even from the womb; • | ||
those who speak falsehood go astray from their birth. | |||
4
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They are as venomous as a serpent; • | ||
they are like the deaf adder which stops its ears, | |||
5
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Which does not heed the voice of the charmers, • | ||
and is deaf to the skilful weaver of spells. | |||
6
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Break, O God, their teeth in their mouths; • | ||
smash the fangs of these lions, O Lord. | |||
7
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Let them vanish like water that runs away; • | ||
let them wither like trodden grass. | |||
8
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Let them be as the slimy track of the snail, • | ||
like the untimely birth that never sees the sun. | |||
9
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Before ever their pots feel the heat of the thorns, • | ||
green or blazing, let them be swept away. | |||
10
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The righteous will be glad when they see God's vengeance; • | ||
they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. | |||
11
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So that people will say, | ||
'Truly, there is a harvest for the righteous; • | |||
truly, there is a God who judges in the earth.' | |||
Psalm 59 | |||
1
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Rescue me from my enemies, O my God; • | ||
set me high above those that rise up against me. | |||
2
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Save me from the evildoers • | ||
and from murderous foes deliver me. | |||
3
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For see how they lie in wait for my soul • | ||
and the mighty stir up trouble against me. | |||
4
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Not for any fault or sin of mine, O Lord; • | ||
for no offence, they run and prepare themselves for war. | |||
5
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Rouse yourself, come to my aid and see; • | ||
for you are the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel. | |||
6
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Awake, and judge all the nations; • | ||
show no mercy to the evil traitors. | |||
7
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They return at nightfall and snarl like dogs • | ||
and prowl about the city. | |||
8
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They pour out evil words with their mouths; | ||
swords are on their lips; • | |||
'For who', they say, 'can hear us?' | |||
9
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But you laugh at them, O Lord; • | ||
you hold all the nations in derision. | |||
10
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For you, O my strength, will I watch; • | ||
you, O God, are my strong tower. | |||
11
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My God in his steadfast love will come to me; • | ||
he will let me behold the downfall of my enemies. | |||
12
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Slay them not, lest my people forget; • | ||
send them reeling by your might | |||
and bring them down, O Lord our shield. | |||
13
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For the sins of their mouth, for the words of their lips, • | ||
let them be taken in their pride. | |||
14
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For the cursing and falsehood they have uttered, • | ||
consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more. | |||
15
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And they shall know that God rules in Jacob, • | ||
and to the ends of the earth. | |||
16
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And still they return at nightfall and snarl like dogs • | ||
and prowl about the city. | |||
17
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Though they forage for something to devour, • | ||
and howl if they are not filled, | |||
18
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Yet will I sing of your strength • | ||
and every morning praise your steadfast love; | |||
19
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For you have been my stronghold, • | ||
my refuge in the day of my trouble. | |||
20
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To you, O my strength, will I sing; • | ||
for you, O God, are my refuge, | |||
my God of steadfast love. | |||
Psalm 60 | |||
1
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O God, you have cast us off and broken us; • | ||
you have been angry; restore us to yourself again. | |||
2
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You have shaken the earth and torn it apart; • | ||
heal its wounds, for it trembles. | |||
3
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You have made your people drink bitter things; • | ||
we reel from the deadly wine you have given us. | |||
4
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You have made those who fear you to flee, • | ||
to escape from the range of the bow. | |||
5
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That your beloved may be delivered, • | ||
save us by your right hand and answer us. | |||
6
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God has spoken in his holiness: • | ||
'I will triumph and divide Shechem, | |||
and share out the valley of Succoth. | |||
7
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'Gilead is mine and Manasseh is mine; • | ||
Ephraim is my helmet and Judah my sceptre. | |||
8
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'Moab shall be my wash pot; | ||
over Edom will I cast my sandal; • | |||
across Philistia will I shout in triumph.' | |||
9
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Who will lead me into the strong city? • | ||
Who will bring me into Edom? | |||
10
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Have you not cast us off, O God? • | ||
Will you no longer go forth with our troops? | |||
11
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Grant us your help against the enemy, • | ||
for earthly help is in vain. | |||
12
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Through God will we do great acts, • | ||
for it is he that shall tread down our enemies. | |||