¹For the leader. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” By David; a mikhtam , when Sha’ul sent men to keep watch on David’s house in order to kill him:

²My God, rescue me from my enemies!

Lift me up, out of reach of my foes!

³Rescue me from evildoers,

save me from bloodthirsty men.

⁴For there they are, lying in wait to kill me.

Openly they gather themselves against me,

and not because I committed a crime

or sinned, Adonai .

⁵For no fault of mine, they run and prepare.

Awaken to help me, and see!

⁶You, Adonai Elohei-Tzva’ot ,

God of Isra’el,

arouse yourself to punish all the nations;

spare none of those wicked traitors. (Selah)

⁷They return at nightfall, snarling like dogs

as they go around the city.

⁸Look what pours out of their mouth,

what swords are on their lips,

[as they say to themselves,]

“No one is listening, anyway.”

⁹But you, Adonai , laugh at them,

you mock all the nations.

¹⁰My Strength, I will watch for you,

for God is my fortress.

¹¹God, who gives me grace, will come to me;

God will let me gaze in triumph at my foes.

¹²Don’t kill them, or my people will forget;

instead, by your power, make them wander to and fro;

but bring them down, Adonai our Shield,

¹³for the sins their mouths make with each word from their lips.

Let them be trapped by their pride

for the curses and falsehoods they utter.

¹⁴Finish them off in wrath,

finish them off, put an end to them,

and let them know to the ends of the earth

that God is Ruler in Ya‘akov. (Selah)

¹⁵They return at nightfall, snarling like dogs

as they go around the city.

¹⁶They roam about, looking for food,

prowling all night if they don’t get their fill.

¹⁷But as for me, I will sing of your strength;

in the morning I will sing aloud of your grace.

For you are my fortress,

a refuge when I am in trouble.

¹⁸My Strength, I will sing praises to you,

for God is my fortress, God, who gives me grace.