To the Overseer with stringed instruments. -- An instruction, by David, in the coming in of the Ziphim, and they say to Saul, 'Is not David hiding himself with us?' O God, by Thy name save me, and by Thy might judge me.

For strangers have risen against me
And violent men have sought my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah.

Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the pressure of the wicked;
For they bring down trouble on me,
And in anger they persecute me.

Day and night they go around her walls;
Wickedness and mischief are in her midst.

May death destroy them! May they go down alive into Sheol! For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.

He has redeemed my life in peace from the battle that was against me,
For there were many against me.

God will hear and humble them,
Even He who sits enthroned from old— Selah.
Because in them there has been no change [of heart],
And they do not fear God [at all].

Yea, they lay hands upon such as be at peace with him, and so they break his covenant.

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
But his heart was hostile;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.

{To the chanter, upon the domme stock dove, which flyeth far off: Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath} Be merciful unto me, O God, for men will tread me down: they are daily fighting and troubling me.

My enemies have trampled upon me all day long,
For they are many who fight proudly against me.

All day long they twist my words and say hurtful things;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.

They attack, they hide and lurk,
They watch my steps,
As they have [expectantly] waited to take my life.

Cast them out because of their wickedness.
In anger bring down the peoples, O God!

You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not recorded in Your book?

They set a net for my steps;
My very life was bowed down.
They dug a pit before me;
Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah.

The wicked are estranged from the womb;
These go astray from birth, speaking lies [even twisted partial truths].

Their poison is like the venom of a serpent;
They are like the deaf horned viper that stops up its ear,

Let them flow away like water that runs off;
When he aims his arrows, let them be as headless shafts.

As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

Before your pots feel the thorns, green or burning, they shall be whirled away.

The godly will rejoice when they see vengeance carried out; they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.

so that men shall say, "Most certainly there is a reward for the righteous. Most certainly there is a God who judges the earth." For the Chief Musician. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." A poem by David, when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.

{To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David; when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him.} Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.

For look, they wait to ambush me; powerful men stalk me, but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord.

Though I have done nothing wrong, they are anxious to attack. Spring into action and help me! Take notice of me!

They return in the evening; they growl like a dog and prowl around outside the city.

Look, they hurl insults at me and openly threaten to kill me, for they say, "Who hears?"

They speak sinful words. So let them be trapped by their own pride and by the curses and lies they speak!

Angrily wipe them out! Wipe them out so they vanish! Let them know that God rules in Jacob and to the ends of the earth! (Selah)

They return in the evening; they growl like a dog and prowl around outside the city.

They wander around looking for something to eat; they refuse to sleep until they are full.

And I will sing thy strength; and I will rejoice at morning for thy mercy; for they wert a height to me, and a refuge in the day of straits to me.

Give a safe place to those who have fear of you, where they may go in flight from before the bow. (Selah.)

You have given your loyal followers a rallying flag, so that they might seek safety from the bow. (Selah)

He dwelleth to the age before God, Kindness and truth appoint -- they keep him.

They spend all their time planning how to bring him down. They love to use deceit; they pronounce blessings with their mouths, but inwardly they utter curses. (Selah)

Men are nothing but a mere breath; human beings are unreliable. When they are weighed in the scales, all of them together are lighter than air.

and you, O Lord, demonstrate loyal love. For you repay men for what they do.

Enemies seek to destroy my life, but they will descend into the depths of the earth.

They will be given over to the power of the sword;
They will be a prey for foxes.

But the king shall rejoice in God; all they that swear by him shall be commended, for the mouth of liars shall be stopped.

They sharpen their tongues like a sword; they aim their arrow, a slanderous charge,

in order to shoot down the innocent in secluded places. They shoot at him suddenly and are unafraid of retaliation.

They encourage themselves in [their pursuit of] an evil agenda;
They talk of laying snares secretly;
They say, “Who will discover us?”

They devise acts of injustice, saying,
“We are ready with a well-conceived plan.”
For the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep (mysterious, unsearchable).

But God will shoot them with an [unexpected] arrow;
Suddenly they will be wounded.

So they will be caused to stumble;
Their own tongue is against them;
All who gaze at them will shake the head [in scorn].

Then all men will fear [God’s judgment];
They will declare the work of God,
And they will consider and wisely acknowledge what He has done.

The righteous rejoiced in the LORD, because they had fled to him for refuge. Let all the upright in heart exult. To the Director: A song. Lyrics by David.

My acts of iniquity they overwhelm me! Our transgressions you blot them out!

They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.

They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.

The meadows are clothed with flocks
And the valleys are covered with grain;
They shout for joy and they sing.

“All the earth will [bow down to] worship You [in submissive wonder],
And will sing praises to You;
They will praise Your name in song.” Selah.

He turned the sea into dry land;
They crossed through the river on foot;
There we rejoiced in Him.

Ruling by his strength forever; his eyes will look about upon the nations: they turning away shall not lift up for themselves. Silence.

To the overseer; to David chanting of a song. God will rise; his enemies shall be scattered, and they hating him shall flee from his face.

But the godly are happy; they rejoice before God and are overcome with joy.

O God, you cause abundant showers to fall on your chosen people. When they are tired, you sustain them,

“The kings of the [enemies’] armies flee, they flee,
And the beautiful woman who remains at home divides the spoil [left behind].”

God has countless chariots; they number in the thousands. The Lord comes from Sinai in holy splendor.

They have seen Your [solemn] procession, O God,
The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary [in holiness].

The chiefs went before, they playing on instruments, after; in the midst, girls beating the tabret.

Sound your battle cry against the wild beast of the reeds, and the nations that assemble like a herd of calves led by bulls! They humble themselves and offer gold and silver as tribute. God scatters the nations that like to do battle.

They come with red cloth from Egypt, Ethiopia voluntarily offers tribute to God.

Save me, O God,
For the waters have threatened my life [they have come up to my neck].

Those who hate me without cause are more numerous than the hairs of my head. Those who want to destroy me, my enemies for no reason, outnumber me. They make me repay what I did not steal!

They waiting for thee shall not be ashamed for me: O Lord Jehovah of armies, they shall not be disgraced for me, seeking thee, O God of Israel.

My own brothers treat me like a stranger; they act as if I were a foreigner.

I wear sackcloth and they ridicule me.

They who sit in the [city’s] gate talk about me and mock me,
And I am the song of the drunkards.

Draw near to my soul and redeem it;
Ransom me because of my enemies [so that they do not delight in my distress].

They (self-righteous hypocrites) also gave me gall [poisonous and bitter] for my food,
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

May their table [with all its abundance and luxury] become a snare [to them];
And when they are in peace [secure at their sacrificial feasts], may it become a trap.

May their eyes be dimmed so that they cannot see,
And make their loins shake continually [in terror and weakness].

For they have persecuted him whom You have struck,
And they tell of the pain of those whom You have pierced and wounded.

Give punishment for their iniquity, And they enter not into Thy righteousness.

They are blotted out of the book of life, And with the righteous are not written.

The humble have seen -- they rejoice, Ye who seek God -- and your heart liveth.

For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

They seeking my soul shall be confused and ashamed: they shall be turned away behind; and they desiring my evils, shall be ashamed.

They shall be turned back for a reward of their shame, saying, Aha! Aha

All seeking thee shall rejoice and be glad in thee, and they shall say always, God shall be magnified; they loving thy salvation.

Many are appalled when they see me, but you are my secure shelter.

For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,

They say, "God has abandoned him. Run and seize him, for there is no one who will rescue him!"

They are ashamed, they are consumed, Who are opposing my soul, They are covered with reproach and blushing, Who are seeking my evil,

My mouth will make clear your righteousness and your salvation all the day; for they are more than may be measured.

Thy righteousness, O God, is very high, and great things are they that thou hast done; O God, who is like unto thee?

My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

For he will rescue the needy when they cry out for help, and the oppressed who have no defender.

May he live! May they offer him gold from Sheba! May they continually pray for him! May they pronounce blessings on him all day long!

There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

May his fame endure! May his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky! May they use his name when they formulate their blessings! May all nations consider him to be favored by God!

For they suffer no pain; their bodies are strong and well-fed.

They are immune to the trouble common to men; they do not suffer as other men do.