Prayer for a Safe Place
59 O my God, take me away from those who hate me. Put me up high above those who rise up against me. 2 Take me away from those who do wrong. And save me from those who kill. 3 For, look, they lie in wait for my life. Strong men are gathering together to fight me, but not because of my wrong-doing or my sin, O Lord. 4 I have done no wrong, but they get ready to fight against me. Rise up to help me. 5 You, O Lord God of All, God of Israel, rise up to punish all the nations. Show no loving-kindness to those people who cannot be trusted and plan sins. 6 They return at evening. They sound like dogs and go around the city. 7 See, they spit with their mouth. Swords are in their lips. And they say, “Who can hear us?” 8 But You laugh at them, O Lord. You laugh at all the nations.
9 O my Strength, I will watch for You. For God is my strong place. 10 My God in His loving-kindness will meet me. God will let me look at those who come against me and know that I will win the fight. 11 Do not kill them, or my people may forget. Divide them by Your power and bring them down, O Lord, our safe-covering. 12 Let them be caught in their pride for the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips. For the lies and bad things they say, 13 destroy them in anger. Destroy them so that they will be no more. Let it be known that God rules in Jacob and to the ends of the earth.
14 They return at evening. They make sounds like dogs and go around the city. 15 They go around looking for food and they show their teeth if they are not filled.
16 But as for me, I will sing of Your strength. Yes, I will sing with joy of Your loving-kindness in the morning. For You have been a strong and safe place for me in times of trouble. 17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to You. For God is my strong place and the God Who shows me loving-kindness.