Psalm 54
New American Standard Bible
Prayer for Defense against Enemies.
For the music director; on stringed instruments. A [a]Maskil of David, [b]when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Is David not keeping himself hidden among us?”
54 Save me, God, by (A)Your name,
And [c]vindicate me by (B)Your power.
2 (C)Hear my prayer, God;
(D)Listen to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have (E)risen against me
And (F)violent men have (G)sought my [d]life;
They have (H)not set God before them. Selah
4 Behold, (I)God is my helper;
The Lord is [e]the (J)sustainer of my soul.
5 [f]He will (K)pay back the evil to my enemies;
[g](L)Destroy them (M)in Your [h]faithfulness.
6 [i](N)Willingly I will sacrifice to You;
I will (O)praise Your name, Lord, for it is good.
7 For [j]He has (P)saved me from all [k]trouble,
And my eye has (Q)looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.
Footnotes
- Psalm 54 Title Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
- Psalm 54 Title 1 Sam 23:19; 26:1
- Psalm 54:1 Lit judge
- Psalm 54:3 Or soul
- Psalm 54:4 Lit as those who sustain
- Psalm 54:5 LXX; MT The evil will return
- Psalm 54:5 Or Put to silence
- Psalm 54:5 Or truth
- Psalm 54:6 Or With a voluntary offering
- Psalm 54:7 Or it; i.e., His name
- Psalm 54:7 Or distress
Psalm 54
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 54
Prayer for Vindication
To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “David is in hiding among us.”
1 Save me, O God, by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.(A)
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.(B)
3 For the insolent have risen against me;
the ruthless seek my life;
they do not set God before them. Selah(C)
4 But surely, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of[a] my life.(D)
5 He will repay my enemies for their evil.
In your faithfulness, put an end to them.(E)
6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.(F)
7 For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.(G)
Footnotes
- 54.4 Gk Syr Jerome: Heb is of those who uphold or is with those who uphold
Psalm 54
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
54 Unto the end, in verses, understanding for David.
2 Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication:
3 Be attentive to me and hear me. I am grieved in my exercise; and am troubled,
4 At the voice of the enemy, and at the tribulation of the sinner. For they have cast iniquities upon me: and in wrath they were troublesome to me.
5 My heart is troubled within me: and the fear of death is fallen upon me.
6 Fear and trembling are come upon me: and darkness hath covered me.
7 And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest?
8 Lo, I have gone far off flying away; and I abode in the wilderness.
9 I waited for him that hath saved me from pusillanimity of spirit, and a storm.
10 Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.
11 Day and night shall iniquity surround it upon its walls: and in the midst thereof are labour,
12 And injustice. And usury and deceit have not departed from its streets.
13 For if my enemy had reviled me, I would verily have borne with it. And if he that hated me had spoken great things against me, I would perhaps have hidden myself from him.
14 But thou a man of one mind, my guide, and my familiar,
15 Who didst take sweetmeats together with me: in the house of God we walked with consent.
16 Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into hell. For there is wickedness in their dwellings: in the midst of them.
17 But I have cried to God: and the Lord will save me.
18 Evening and morning, and at noon I will speak and declare: and he shall hear my voice.
19 He shall redeem my soul in peace from them that draw near to me: for among many they were with me.
20 God shall hear, and the Eternal shall humble them. For there is no change with them, and they have not feared God:
21 He hath stretched forth his hand to repay. They have defiled his covenant,
22 They are divided by the wrath Of his countenance, and his heart hath drawn near. His words are smoother than oil, and the same are darts.
23 Cast thy care upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall not suffer the just to waver for ever.
24 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee, O Lord.
Psalm 54
The Message
54 1-2 God, for your sake, help me!
Use your influence to clear me.
Listen, God—I’m desperate.
Don’t be too busy to hear me.
3 Outlaws are out to get me,
hit men are trying to kill me.
Nothing will stop them;
God means nothing to them.
4-5 Oh, look! God’s right here helping!
God’s on my side,
Evil is looping back on my enemies.
Don’t let up! Finish them off!
6-7 I’m ready now to worship, so ready.
I thank you, God—you’re so good.
You got me out of every scrape,
and I saw my enemies get it.
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