- Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Defend me from those who rise up against me.
- Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, And save me from bloodthirsty men.
- For look, they lie in wait for my life; The mighty gather against me, Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O LORD.
- They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine. Awake to help me, and behold!
- You therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, Awake to punish all the nations; Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah
- At evening they return, They growl like a dog, And go all around the city.
- Indeed, they belch with their mouth; Swords are in their lips; For they say, "Who hears?"
- But You, O LORD, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision.
- I will wait for You, O You his Strength;[2] For God is my defense.
- My God of mercy[3] shall come to meet me; God shall let me see my desire on my enemies.
- Do not slay them, lest my people forget; Scatter them by Your power, And bring them down, O Lord our shield.
- For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be taken in their pride, And for the cursing and lying which they speak.
- Consume them in wrath, consume them, That they may not be; And let them know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth. Selah
- And at evening they return, They growl like a dog, And go all around the city.
- They wander up and down for food, And howl[4] if they are not satisfied.
- But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble.
- To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy.
To the Chief Musician. Set to "Do Not Destroy."[1] A Michtam of David when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.
- Hebrew 'Al Tashcheth'
- Following Masoretic Text and Syriac; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate read 'my Strength'.
- Following Qere; some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, and Vulgate read 'My God, His mercy;' Kethib, some Hebrew manuscripts and Targum read 'O God, my mercy;' Syriac reads 'O God, Your mercy'.
- Following Septuagint and Vulgate; Masoretic Text, Syriac, and Targum read 'spend the night'.