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David wrote this song for the music leader.

God will keep us safe[a]

64 God, please listen to me
    as I tell you about my troubles.
Keep me safe from my enemies
    when they attack me.
When evil men think of ways to hurt me,
    hide me in a safe place.
Those people work together as a group
    to do wicked things.
Their tongues are like
    sharp swords that hurt people.
Their cruel words are like
    arrows that they shoot at people.
They hide in secret places,
    and they quickly shoot lies at good people.
They are not afraid that anyone will punish them.
They help each other to do evil things.
They decide where they will hide their traps,
    and they say, ‘Nobody will see them!’
They think of wicked ideas to hurt people.
    They say, ‘That is a great idea!’[b]
Nobody really understands what people think
    deep inside themselves.
But God will punish them!
He will suddenly shoot an arrow at them
    and it will hurt them a lot.[c]
Their own evil words will turn against them
    and make them fall.
Everyone who sees them will shake their heads.
People will be afraid.
They will say, ‘Look at what God has done!’
    They will think carefully about it all.
10 But people who serve the Lord should be happy
    because of what he has done.
They should trust him to keep them safe.
Good, honest people should praise God,
    because he is great!

Footnotes

  1. 64:1 David wants God to keep him safe from bad people who wanted to hurt him. At the end of the psalm he says what God will do. People who trust him do not need to be afraid.
  2. 64:6 David gives us a picture of the bad men. They hide so nobody can see them. They are like people who shoot arrows at other people to hurt them. They think that nobody will ever find out what they have done.
  3. 64:7 Arrows are a picture of how God will punish them. The things that bad people do to hurt other people are like arrows. So God's punishment will also be like arrows.

Psalm 64[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;(A)
    protect my life from the threat of the enemy.(B)

Hide me from the conspiracy(C) of the wicked,(D)
    from the plots of evildoers.
They sharpen their tongues like swords(E)
    and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.(F)
They shoot from ambush at the innocent;(G)
    they shoot suddenly, without fear.(H)

They encourage each other in evil plans,
    they talk about hiding their snares;(I)
    they say, “Who will see it[b]?”(J)
They plot injustice and say,
    “We have devised a perfect plan!”
    Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

But God will shoot them with his arrows;
    they will suddenly be struck down.
He will turn their own tongues against them(K)
    and bring them to ruin;
    all who see them will shake their heads(L) in scorn.(M)
All people will fear;(N)
    they will proclaim the works of God
    and ponder what he has done.(O)

10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord(P)
    and take refuge in him;(Q)
    all the upright in heart will glory in him!(R)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1-10 is numbered 64:2-11.
  2. Psalm 64:5 Or us