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Psalm 54-56
New King James Version
Psalm 54-56
New King James Version
Answered Prayer for Deliverance from Adversaries
To the Chief Musician. With [a]stringed instruments. A [b]Contemplation of David (A)when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding with us?”
54 Save me, O God, by Your name,
And vindicate me by Your strength.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen up against me,
And oppressors have sought after my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah
4 Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is with those who [c]uphold my life.
5 He will repay my enemies for their evil.
[d]Cut them off in Your [e]truth.
6 I will freely sacrifice to You;
I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7 For He has delivered me out of all trouble;
(B)And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.
Trust in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends
To the Chief Musician. With [f]stringed instruments. A [g]Contemplation of David.
55 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and hear me;
I (C)am[h] restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked;
(D)For they bring down trouble upon me,
And in wrath they hate me.
4 (E)My heart is severely pained within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,
And horror has overwhelmed me.
6 So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 Indeed, I would wander far off,
And remain in the wilderness. Selah
8 I would hasten my escape
From the windy storm and tempest.”
9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their [i]tongues,
For I have seen (F)violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around it on its walls;
(G)Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.
11 Destruction is in its midst;
(H)Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.
12 (I)For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;
Then I could bear it.
Nor is it one who hates me who has (J)exalted himself against me;
Then I could hide from him.
13 But it was you, a man my equal,
(K)My companion and my acquaintance.
14 We took sweet counsel together,
And (L)walked to the house of God in the throng.
15 Let death seize them;
Let them (M)go down alive into [j]hell,
For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.
16 As for me, I will call upon God,
And the Lord shall save me.
17 (N)Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
For (O)there were many against me.
19 God will hear, and afflict them,
(P)Even He who abides from of old. Selah
Because they do not change,
Therefore they do not fear God.
20 He has (Q)put forth his hands against those who (R)were at peace with him;
He has broken his [k]covenant.
21 (S)The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
But war was in his heart;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.
22 (T)Cast your burden on the Lord,
And (U)He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be [l]moved.
23 But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;
(V)Bloodthirsty and deceitful men (W)shall not live out half their days;
But I will trust in You.
Prayer for Relief from Tormentors
To the Chief Musician. Set to [m]“The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David when the (X)Philistines captured him in Gath.
56 Be (Y)merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up;
Fighting all day he oppresses me.
2 My enemies would (Z)hound me all day,
For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.
3 Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
4 In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
(AA)I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?
5 All day they twist my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather together,
They hide, they mark my steps,
When they lie in wait for my life.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity?
In anger cast down the peoples, O God!
8 You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
(AB)Are they not in Your book?
9 When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because (AC)God is for me.
10 In God (I will praise His word),
In the Lord (I will praise His word),
11 In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God;
I will render praises to You,
13 (AD)For You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the (AE)light of the living?
Footnotes
- Psalm 54:1 Heb. neginoth
- Psalm 54:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 54:4 sustain my soul
- Psalm 54:5 Destroy them
- Psalm 54:5 Or faithfulness
- Psalm 55:1 Heb. neginoth
- Psalm 55:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 55:2 wander
- Psalm 55:9 speech, their counsel
- Psalm 55:15 Or Sheol
- Psalm 55:20 treaty
- Psalm 55:22 shaken
- Psalm 56:1 Heb. Jonath Elem Rechokim
Psalm 54-56
New International Version
Psalm 54-56
New International Version
Psalm 54[a]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[b] of David. When the Ziphites(A) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”
1 Save me(B), O God, by your name;(C)
vindicate me by your might.(D)
2 Hear my prayer, O God;(E)
listen to the words of my mouth.
3 Arrogant foes are attacking me;(F)
ruthless people(G) are trying to kill me(H)—
people without regard for God.[c](I)
6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering(N) to you;
I will praise(O) your name, Lord, for it is good.(P)
7 You have delivered me(Q) from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.(R)
Psalm 55[d]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[e] of David.
1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;(S)
2 hear me and answer me.(T)
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught(U)
3 because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me(V)
and assail(W) me in their anger.(X)
4 My heart is in anguish(Y) within me;
the terrors(Z) of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling(AA) have beset me;
horror(AB) has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;[f](AC)
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,(AD)
far from the tempest and storm.(AE)”
9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,(AF)
for I see violence and strife(AG) in the city.(AH)
10 Day and night they prowl(AI) about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces(AJ) are at work in the city;
threats and lies(AK) never leave its streets.
12 If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,(AL)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship(AM)
at the house of God,(AN)
as we walked about
among the worshipers.
15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;(AO)
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,(AP)
for evil finds lodging among them.
16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening,(AQ) morning(AR) and noon(AS)
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,(AT)
who does not change—
he will hear(AU) them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.(AV)
20 My companion attacks his friends;(AW)
he violates his covenant.(AX)
21 His talk is smooth as butter,(AY)
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,(AZ)
yet they are drawn swords.(BA)
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;(BB)
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.(BC)
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit(BD) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful(BE)
will not live out half their days.(BF)
But as for me, I trust in you.(BG)
Psalm 56[g]
For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[h] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.
1 Be merciful to me,(BH) my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(BI)
all day long they press their attack.(BJ)
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;(BK)
in their pride many are attacking me.(BL)
3 When I am afraid,(BM) I put my trust in you.(BN)
4 In God, whose word I praise—(BO)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(BP)
What can mere mortals do to me?(BQ)
5 All day long they twist my words;(BR)
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire,(BS) they lurk,
they watch my steps,(BT)
hoping to take my life.(BU)
7 Because of their wickedness do not[i] let them escape;(BV)
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(BW)
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll[j](BX)—
are they not in your record?(BY)
9 Then my enemies will turn back(BZ)
when I call for help.(CA)
By this I will know that God is for me.(CB)
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
Footnotes
- Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
- Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- 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 56:1 In Hebrew texts 56:1-13 is numbered 56:2-14.
- Psalm 56:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 56:7 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not.
- Psalm 56:8 Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin
Romans 3
New King James Version
Romans 3
New King James Version
God’s Judgment Defended
3 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because (A)to them were committed the [a]oracles of God. 3 For what if (B)some did not believe? (C)Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 (D)Certainly not! Indeed, let (E)God be [b]true but (F)every man a liar. As it is written:
(G)“That You may be justified in Your words,
And may overcome when You are judged.”
5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (H)(I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then (I)how will God judge the world?
7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, (J)“Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their [c]condemnation is just.
All Have Sinned(K)
9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that (L)they are all under sin.
10 As it is written:
(M)“There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “Their(N) throat is an open [d]tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
(O)“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose(P) mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their(Q) feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There(R) is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever (S)the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that (T)every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become [e]guilty before God. 20 Therefore (U)by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
God’s Righteousness Through Faith
21 But now (V)the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, (W)being witnessed by the Law (X)and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all [f]and on all who believe. For (Y)there is no difference; 23 for (Z)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified [g]freely (AA)by His grace (AB)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth (AC)as a [h]propitiation (AD)by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over (AE)the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Boasting Excluded
27 (AF)Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude (AG)that a man is [i]justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since (AH)there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.
Footnotes
- Romans 3:2 sayings, Scriptures
- Romans 3:4 Found true
- Romans 3:8 Lit. judgment
- Romans 3:13 grave
- Romans 3:19 accountable
- Romans 3:22 NU omits and on all
- Romans 3:24 without any cost
- Romans 3:25 mercy seat
- Romans 3:28 declared righteous
Romans 3
New International Version
Romans 3
New International Version
God’s Faithfulness
3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way!(A) First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.(B)
3 What if some were unfaithful?(C) Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness?(D) 4 Not at all! Let God be true,(E) and every human being a liar.(F) As it is written:
5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly,(H) what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.)(I) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world?(J) 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory,(K) why am I still condemned as a sinner?”(L) 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”?(M) Their condemnation is just!
No One Is Righteous
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage?(N) Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.(O) 10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”[b](P)
13 “Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”[c](Q)
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d](R)
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e](S)
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f](T)
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g](U)
19 Now we know that whatever the law says,(V) it says to those who are under the law,(W) so that every mouth may be silenced(X) and the whole world held accountable to God.(Y) 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law;(Z) rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.(AA)
Righteousness Through Faith
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God(AB) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.(AC) 22 This righteousness(AD) is given through faith(AE) in[h] Jesus Christ(AF) to all who believe.(AG) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,(AH) 23 for all have sinned(AI) and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified(AJ) freely by his grace(AK) through the redemption(AL) that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i](AM) through the shedding of his blood(AN)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished(AO)— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting?(AP) It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.(AQ) 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,(AR) 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.(AS) 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Footnotes
- Romans 3:4 Psalm 51:4
- Romans 3:12 Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3; Eccles. 7:20
- Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:9
- Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:3
- Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7 (see Septuagint)
- Romans 3:17 Isaiah 59:7,8
- Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:1
- Romans 3:22 Or through the faithfulness of
- Romans 3:25 The Greek for sacrifice of atonement refers to the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant (see Lev. 16:15,16).
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.