Psalm 55

New International Version

Psalm 55^[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil^[b] of David.

¹Listen to my prayer, O God,
    do not ignore my plea;^(A)
²    hear me and answer me.^(B)
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught^(C)
³    because of what my enemy is saying,
    because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me^(D)
    and assail^(E) me in their anger.^(F)

⁴My heart is in anguish^(G) within me;
    the terrors^(H) of death have fallen on me.
⁵Fear and trembling^(I) have beset me;
    horror^(J) has overwhelmed me.
⁶I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest.
⁷I would flee far away
    and stay in the desert;^[c]^(K)
⁸I would hurry to my place of shelter,^(L)
    far from the tempest and storm.^(M)”

⁹Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,^(N)
    for I see violence and strife^(O) in the city.^(P)
¹⁰Day and night they prowl^(Q) about on its walls;
    malice and abuse are within it.
¹¹Destructive forces^(R) are at work in the city;
    threats and lies^(S) never leave its streets.

¹²If an enemy were insulting me,
    I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
    I could hide.
¹³But it is you, a man like myself,
    my companion, my close friend,^(T)
¹⁴with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship^(U)
    at the house of God,^(V)
as we walked about
    among the worshipers.

¹⁵Let death take my enemies by surprise;^(W)
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,^(X)
for evil finds lodging among them.

¹⁶As for me, I call to God,
    and the Lord saves me.
¹⁷Evening,^(Y) morning^(Z) and noon^(AA)
    I cry out in distress,
    and he hears my voice.
¹⁸He rescues me unharmed
    from the battle waged against me,
    even though many oppose me.
¹⁹God, who is enthroned from of old,^(AB)
    who does not change—
he will hear^(AC) them and humble them,
    because they have no fear of God.^(AD)

²⁰My companion attacks his friends;^(AE)
    he violates his covenant.^(AF)
²¹His talk is smooth as butter,^(AG)
    yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,^(AH)
    yet they are drawn swords.^(AI)

²²Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you;^(AJ)
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken.^(AK)
²³But you, God, will bring down the wicked
    into the pit^(AL) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful^(AM)
    will not live out half their days.^(AN)

But as for me, I trust in you.^(AO)

Footnotes

Psalm 55:1 In Hebrew texts 55:1-23 is numbered 55:2-24.
Psalm 55:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 55:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and in the middle of verse 19.

Psalm 74

New International Version

Psalm 74

A maskil^[a] of Asaph.

¹O God, why have you rejected^(A) us forever?^(B)
    Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?^(C)
²Remember the nation you purchased^(D) long ago,^(E)
    the people of your inheritance,^(F) whom you redeemed^(G)—
    Mount Zion,^(H) where you dwelt.^(I)
³Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,^(J)
    all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.

⁴Your foes roared^(K) in the place where you met with us;
    they set up their standards^(L) as signs.
⁵They behaved like men wielding axes
    to cut through a thicket of trees.^(M)
⁶They smashed all the carved^(N) paneling
    with their axes and hatchets.
⁷They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
    they defiled^(O) the dwelling place^(P) of your Name.^(Q)
⁸They said in their hearts, “We will crush^(R) them completely!”
    They burned^(S) every place where God was worshiped in the land.

⁹We are given no signs from God;^(T)
    no prophets^(U) are left,
    and none of us knows how long this will be.
¹⁰How long^(V) will the enemy mock^(W) you, God?
    Will the foe revile^(X) your name forever?
¹¹Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?^(Y)
    Take it from the folds of your garment^(Z) and destroy them!

¹²But God is my King^(AA) from long ago;
he brings salvation^(AB) on the earth.

¹³It was you who split open the sea^(AC) by your power;
    you broke the heads of the monster^(AD) in the waters.
¹⁴It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan^(AE)
    and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.^(AF)
¹⁵It was you who opened up springs^(AG) and streams;
    you dried up^(AH) the ever-flowing rivers.
¹⁶The day is yours, and yours also the night;
    you established the sun and moon.^(AI)
¹⁷It was you who set all the boundaries^(AJ) of the earth;
    you made both summer and winter.^(AK)

¹⁸Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
    how foolish people^(AL) have reviled your name.
¹⁹Do not hand over the life of your dove^(AM) to wild beasts;
    do not forget the lives of your afflicted^(AN) people forever.
²⁰Have regard for your covenant,^(AO)
    because haunts of violence fill the dark places^(AP) of the land.
²¹Do not let the oppressed^(AQ) retreat in disgrace;
    may the poor and needy^(AR) praise your name.
²²Rise up,^(AS) O God, and defend your cause;
    remember how fools^(AT) mock you all day long.
²³Do not ignore the clamor^(AU) of your adversaries,^(AV)
    the uproar^(AW) of your enemies,^(AX) which rises continually.