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Psalm 55-57
Darby Translation
Psalm 55-57
Darby Translation
To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments: an instruction. Of David.
55 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
2 Attend unto me, and answer me: I wander about in my plaint, and I moan aloud,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy; because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in anger they persecute me.
4 My heart is writhing within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away, and be at rest;
7 Behold, I would flee afar off, I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah;
8 I would hasten my escape from the stormy wind, from the tempest.
9 Swallow [them] up, Lord; divide their tongue: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; and iniquity and mischief are in the midst of it.
11 Perversities are in the midst thereof; and oppression and deceit depart not from its streets.
12 For it is not an enemy that hath reproached me—then could I have borne it; neither is it he that hateth me that hath magnified [himself] against me—then would I have hidden myself from him;
13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, mine intimate, my familiar friend. …
14 We who held sweet intercourse together. To the house of God we walked amid the throng.
15 Let death seize upon them, let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwellings, in their midst.
16 As for me, unto God will I call; and Jehovah will save me.
17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and moan aloud; and he will hear my voice.
18 He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me: for there were many about me.
19 God will hear, and afflict them: he that is seated of old, (Selah) … because there is no change in them, and they fear not God.
20 He hath put forth his hands against such as are at peace with him; he hath profaned his covenant.
21 Smooth were the milky [words] of his mouth, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords.
22 Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and *he* will sustain thee: he will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
23 And thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. But as for me, I will confide in thee.
To the chief Musician. On Jonathelem-rechokim. Of David. Michtam; when the Philistines took him in Gath.
56 Be gracious unto me, O God; for man would swallow me up: all the day long fighting he oppresseth me.
2 Mine enemies would swallow [me] up all the day long; for they are many that fight against me haughtily.
3 In the day that I am afraid, I will confide in thee.
4 In God will I praise his word, in God I put my confidence: I will not fear; what can flesh do unto me?
5 All the day long they wrest my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves; they mark my steps, because they wait for my soul.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God.
8 *Thou* countest my wanderings; put my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
9 Then shall mine enemies return backward in the day when I call: this I know, for God is for me.
10 In God will I praise [his] word; in Jehovah will I praise [his] word.
11 In God have I put my confidence: I will not fear; what can man do unto me?
12 Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render thanks unto thee.
13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death; [wilt thou] not [keep] my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
To the chief Musician. 'Destroy not.' Of David. Michtam; when he fled from Saul in the cave.
57 Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me; for my soul taketh refuge in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings do I take refuge, until the calamities be overpast.
2 I will call unto God, the Most High; unto God that performeth [all] for me.
3 He will send from the heavens and save me; he hath covered with reproach him that would swallow me up. Selah. God hath sent forth his loving-kindness and his truth.
4 My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down [among] them that breathe out flames, the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5 Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let thy glory be above all the earth!
6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down: they have digged a pit before me; they are fallen into the midst thereof. Selah.
7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing, yea, I will sing psalms.
8 Awake, my glory; awake, lute and harp: I will wake the dawn.
9 I will give thee thanks among the peoples, O Lord; of thee will I sing psalms among the nations:
10 For thy loving-kindness is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
11 Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let thy glory be above all the earth!
Psalm 55-57
New International Version
Psalm 55-57
New International Version
Psalm 55[a]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[b] of David.
1 Listen 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)
4 My heart is in anguish(G) within me;
the terrors(H) of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling(I) have beset me;
horror(J) 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;[c](K)
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,(L)
far from the tempest and storm.(M)”
9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,(N)
for I see violence and strife(O) in the city.(P)
10 Day and night they prowl(Q) about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces(R) are at work in the city;
threats and lies(S) 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,(T)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship(U)
at the house of God,(V)
as we walked about
among the worshipers.
15 Let 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.
16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening,(Y) morning(Z) and noon(AA)
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,(AB)
who does not change—
he will hear(AC) them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.(AD)
20 My companion attacks his friends;(AE)
he violates his covenant.(AF)
21 His 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)
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;(AJ)
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.(AK)
23 But 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)
Psalm 56[d]
For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[e] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.
1 Be merciful to me,(AP) my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(AQ)
all day long they press their attack.(AR)
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;(AS)
in their pride many are attacking me.(AT)
3 When I am afraid,(AU) I put my trust in you.(AV)
4 In God, whose word I praise—(AW)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(AX)
What can mere mortals do to me?(AY)
5 All day long they twist my words;(AZ)
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire,(BA) they lurk,
they watch my steps,(BB)
hoping to take my life.(BC)
7 Because of their wickedness do not[f] let them escape;(BD)
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(BE)
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll[g](BF)—
are they not in your record?(BG)
9 Then my enemies will turn back(BH)
when I call for help.(BI)
By this I will know that God is for me.(BJ)
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(BK) to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death(BL)
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.(BM)
Psalm 57[h](BN)
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[i] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.(BO)
1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.(BP)
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings(BQ)
until the disaster has passed.(BR)
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.(BS)
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,(BT)
rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[j](BU)
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.(BV)
4 I am in the midst of lions;(BW)
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.(BX)
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.(BY)
6 They spread a net for my feet(BZ)—
I was bowed down(CA) in distress.
They dug a pit(CB) in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.(CC)
7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;(CD)
I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!(CE)
I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.(CF)
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 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
- Psalm 57:1 In Hebrew texts 57:1-11 is numbered 57:2-12.
- Psalm 57:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 57:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
Darby Translation (DARBY)
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