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?”

Save me(B), O God, by your name;(C)
    vindicate me by your might.(D)
Hear my prayer, O God;(E)
    listen to the words of my mouth.

Arrogant foes are attacking me;(F)
    ruthless people(G) are trying to kill me(H)
    people without regard for God.[c](I)

Surely God is my help;(J)
    the Lord is the one who sustains me.(K)

Let evil recoil(L) on those who slander me;
    in your faithfulness(M) destroy them.

I will sacrifice a freewill offering(N) to you;
    I will praise(O) your name, Lord, for it is good.(P)
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.

Listen to my prayer, O God,
    do not ignore my plea;(S)
    hear me and answer me.(T)
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught(U)
    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)

My heart is in anguish(Y) within me;
    the terrors(Z) of death have fallen on me.
Fear and trembling(AA) have beset me;
    horror(AB) has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest.
I would flee far away
    and stay in the desert;[f](AC)
I would hurry to my place of shelter,(AD)
    far from the tempest and storm.(AE)

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.

Be merciful to me,(BH) my God,
    for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(BI)
    all day long they press their attack.(BJ)
My adversaries pursue me all day long;(BK)
    in their pride many are attacking me.(BL)

When I am afraid,(BM) I put my trust in you.(BN)
    In God, whose word I praise—(BO)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(BP)
    What can mere mortals do to me?(BQ)

All day long they twist my words;(BR)
    all their schemes are for my ruin.
They conspire,(BS) they lurk,
    they watch my steps,(BT)
    hoping to take my life.(BU)
Because of their wickedness do not[i] let them escape;(BV)
    in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(BW)

Record my misery;
    list my tears on your scroll[j](BX)
    are they not in your record?(BY)
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?

12 I am under vows(CC) to you, my God;
    I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death(CD)
    and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.(CE)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
  2. Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  4. Psalm 55:1 In Hebrew texts 55:1-23 is numbered 55:2-24.
  5. Psalm 55:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  6. Psalm 55:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and in the middle of verse 19.
  7. Psalm 56:1 In Hebrew texts 56:1-13 is numbered 56:2-14.
  8. Psalm 56:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  9. Psalm 56:7 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not.
  10. Psalm 56:8 Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin

54 Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.

Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.

For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.

Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.

I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O Lord; for it is good.

For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.

55 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.

Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;

Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.

My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.

Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.

I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.

Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.

11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into 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 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.

19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.

20 He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.

21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

23 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.

56 Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.

Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.

What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.

They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.

Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.

Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.

10 In God will I praise his word: in the Lord will I praise his word.

11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.

13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?