A Prayer for Safety
1 Save me from my enemies, my God;
protect me from those who attack me!
2 Save me from those evil people;
rescue me from those murderers!
3 Look! They are waiting to kill me;
cruel people are gathering against me.
It is not because of any sin or wrong I have done,
4 nor because of any fault of mine, O Lord,
that they hurry to their places.
5 Rise, Lord God Almighty, and come to my aid;
see for yourself, God of Israel!
Wake up and punish the heathen;
show no mercy to evil traitors!
6 They come back in the evening,
snarling like dogs as they go about the city.
7 Listen to their insults and threats.
Their tongues are like swords in their mouths,
yet they think that no one hears them.
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;
you mock all the heathen.
9 I have confidence in your strength;
you are my refuge, O God.
10 My God loves me and will come to me;
he will let me see my enemies defeated.
11 Do not kill them, O God, or my people may forget.
Scatter them by your strength and defeat them,
O Lord, our protector.
12 Sin is on their lips; all their words are sinful;
may they be caught in their pride!
Because they curse and lie,
13 destroy them in your anger;
destroy them completely.
Then everyone will know that God rules in Israel,
that his rule extends over all the earth.
14 My enemies come back in the evening,
snarling like dogs as they go about the city,
15 like dogs roaming about for food
and growling if they do not find enough.
16 But I will sing about your strength;
every morning I will sing aloud of your constant love.
You have been a refuge for me,
a shelter in my time of trouble.
17 I will praise you, my defender.
My refuge is God,
the God who loves me.
1 To him that excelleth. Destroy not. A Psalme of David on Michtam. When Saul sent and they did watch the house to kill him. O my God, deliuer mee from mine enemies: defend me from them that rise vp against me. 2 Deliuer me from the wicked doers, and saue me from the bloody men. 3 For loe, they haue layd waite for my soule: the mightie men are gathered against me, not for mine offence, nor for my sinne, O Lord. 4 They runne and prepare themselues without a fault on my part: arise therefore to assist me, and beholde. 5 Euen thou, O Lord God of hostes, O God of Israel awake to visit all the heathen, and be not merciful vnto all that transgresse maliciously. Selah. 6 They goe to and from in the euening: they barke like dogs, and goe about the citie. 7 Behold, they brag in their talke, and swords are in their lips: for, Who, say they, doeth heare? 8 But thou, O Lord, shalt haue them in derision, and thou shalt laugh at all the heathen. 9 He is strong: but I will waite vpon thee: for God is my defence. 10 My mercifull God will preuent me: God wil let me see my desire vpon mine enemies. 11 Slay them not, least my people forget it: but scatter them abroad by thy power, and put them downe, O Lord our shield, 12 For the sinne of their mouth, and the words of their lips: and let them be taken in their pride, euen for their periurie and lies, that they speake. 13 Consume them in thy wrath: consume them that they be no more: and let them knowe that God ruleth in Iaakob, euen vnto the ends of the world. Selah. 14 And in the euening they shall go to and from, and barke like dogs, and go about the citie. 15 They shall runne here and there for meate: and surely they shall not be satisfied, though they tary all night. 16 But I wil sing of thy power, and will prayse thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast bene my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. 17 Vnto thee, O my Strength, wil I sing: for God is my defence, and my mercifull God.