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Prayer for Vindication

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites went and told Saul, “David is in hiding among us.”

54 Save me, O God, by thy name,
and vindicate me by thy might.
Hear my prayer, O God;
    give ear to the words of my mouth.

For insolent men[a] have risen against me,
    ruthless men seek my life;
    they do not set God before them.Selah

Behold, God is my helper;
    the Lord is the upholder[b] of my life.
He will requite my enemies with evil;
    in thy faithfulness put an end to them.

With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to thee;
    I will give thanks to thy name, O Lord, for it is good.
For thou hast delivered me from every trouble,
    and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 54:3 Another reading is strangers
  2. Psalm 54:4 Gk Syr Jerome: Heb of or with those who uphold

David wrote this special song for the music leader. He must use stringed instruments. It was when the men of Ziph went to Saul and they said, ‘David is hiding with us.’

God keeps me safe[a]

54 God, you are great, so please help me!
    Use your power to show that I am right.
God, hear my prayer,
    and listen carefully to what I am saying.
Strangers are attacking me!
    Cruel people want to kill me.
They do not respect you, God.[b]
Selah.
But I know that God is the one who gives me help.
    My Lord takes care of me.
Pay back my enemies with their own evil.
Please do what you have promised
    and destroy them.
I choose to offer a sacrifice to thank you.
Lord, you are always good,
    so I want to praise your name.
Yes, God has saved me from all my trouble.
When I looked at my enemies,
    I see that I have won against them.[c]

Footnotes

  1. 54:1 Saul wanted to kill David. David went to Ziph to hide from Saul. Ziph was near where David's family lived. David gave help to the people of Ziph to fight their enemies. But the men of Ziph told Saul where David was.
  2. 54:3 In verses 1-3 David is asking for help because of who God is.
  3. 54:7 In verses 4-7 David has received God's help, so he praises God for who he is (his name).