Psalm 55-57

Common English Bible

⁴ My heart pounds in my chest
    because death’s terrors have reached me.
⁵ Fear and trembling have come upon me;
    I’m shaking all over.
⁶ I say to myself,
    I wish I had wings like a dove!
    I’d fly away and rest.
⁷     I’d run so far away!
    I’d live in the desert. Selah
⁸     I’d hurry to my hideout,
    far from the rushing wind and storm.

⁹ Baffle them, my Lord!
    Confuse their language
    because I see violence and conflict in the city.
¹⁰ Day and night they make their rounds on its walls,
    and evil and misery live inside it.
¹¹ Disaster lives inside it;
    oppression and fraud never leave the town square.

¹² It’s not an enemy that is insulting me—
    I could handle that.
It’s not someone who hates me
    who is exalted over me—
    I could hide from them.
¹³ No. It’s you, my equal,
    my close companion, my good friend!
¹⁴ It was so pleasant when
    together we entered God’s house with the crowd.

¹⁵ Let death devastate my enemies;
    let them go to the grave^[b] alive
        because evil lives with them—
        even inside them!
¹⁶ But I call out to God,
    and the Lord will rescue me.
¹⁷ At evening, morning, and midday
    I complain and moan
    so that God will hear my voice.
¹⁸ He saves me,^[c] unharmed, from my struggle,
    though there are many who are out to get me.
¹⁹ God, who is enthroned from ancient days,
    will hear and humble them Selah
        because they don’t change
        and they don’t worship God.

²⁰ My friend attacked his allies,
    breaking his covenant.
²¹ Though his talk is smoother than butter,
        war is in his heart;
    though his words are more silky than oil,
        they are really drawn swords:
²² “Cast your burden on the Lord—
    he will support you!
    God will never let the righteous be shaken!”

²³ But you, God, bring the wicked
    down to the deepest pit.
    Let bloodthirsty and treacherous people
    not live out even half their days.
        But me? I trust in you!

⁵ All day long they frustrate my pursuits;
    all their thoughts are evil against me.
⁶ They get together and set an ambush—
    they are watching my steps,
    hoping for my death.
⁷ Don’t rescue them for any reason!
    In wrath bring down the people, God!

⁸ You yourself have kept track of my misery.
    Put my tears into your bottle—
    aren’t they on your scroll already?
⁹ Then my enemies will retreat when I cry out.
    I know this because God is mine.
¹⁰     God: whose word I praise.
        The Lord: whose word I praise.
¹¹ I trust in God; I won’t be afraid.
    What can anyone do to me?

¹² I will fulfill my promises to you, God.
    I will present thanksgiving offerings to you
¹³     because you have saved my life from death,
    saved my feet from stumbling
        so that I can walk before God in the light of life.

⁴ My life is in the middle of a pack of lions.
    I lie down among those who devour humans.
        Their teeth are spears and arrows;
        their tongues are sharpened swords.
⁵ Exalt yourself, God, higher than heaven!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!
⁶ They laid a net for my feet to bring me down;
    they dug a pit for me,
    but they fell into it instead! Selah

⁷ My heart is unwavering, God—
    my heart is unwavering.
I will sing and make music.
⁸     Wake up, my glory!
    Wake up, harp and lyre!
    I will wake the dawn itself!
⁹ I will give thanks to you,
my Lord,
    among all the peoples;
I will make music to you among the nations
¹⁰     because your faithful love
        is as high as heaven;
    your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
¹¹ Exalt yourself, God, higher than heaven!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!