Psalm 55

Betrayal by a Friend

For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.

God, listen to my prayer
and do not hide from my plea for help.(A)
Pay attention to me and answer me.(B)
I am restless and in turmoil with my complaint,(C)
because of the enemy’s words,[a]
because of the pressure[b] of the wicked.
For they bring down disaster on me
and harass me in anger.(D)

My heart shudders within me;(E)
terrors of death sweep over me.
Fear and trembling grip me;
horror has overwhelmed me.(F)
I said, “If only I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and find rest.(G)
How far away I would flee;
I would stay in the wilderness.(H)Selah
I would hurry to my shelter
from the raging wind and the storm.”(I)

Lord, confuse[c] and confound their speech,[d](J)
for I see violence and strife in the city;
10 day and night they make the rounds on its walls.
Crime and trouble are within it;(K)
11 destruction is inside it;
oppression and deceit never leave its marketplace.(L)

12 Now it is not an enemy who insults me—
otherwise I could bear it;
it is not a foe who rises up against me—
otherwise I could hide from him.
13 But it is you, a man who is my peer,
my companion and good friend!(M)
14 We used to have close fellowship;
we walked with the crowd into the house of God.(N)

15 Let death take them by surprise;(O)
let them go down to Sheol alive,
because evil is in their homes and within them.(P)
16 But I call to God,
and the Lord will save me.(Q)
17 I complain and groan morning, noon, and night,(R)
and he hears my voice.(S)
18 Though many are against me,
he will redeem me from my battle unharmed.(T)
19 God, the one enthroned from long ago,(U)
will hear and will humiliate themSelah
because they do not change
and do not fear God.(V)

20 My friend(W) acts violently
against those at peace with him;(X)
he violates his covenant.(Y)
21 His buttery words are smooth,
but war is in his heart.
His words are softer than oil,
but they are drawn swords.(Z)

22 Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;(AA)
he will never allow the righteous to be shaken.(AB)

23 God, you will bring them down
to the Pit of destruction;(AC)
men of bloodshed and treachery
will not live out half their days.(AD)
But I will trust in you.(AE)

Footnotes

  1. 55:3 Lit voice
  2. 55:3 Or threat, or oppression
  3. 55:9 Or destroy
  4. 55:9 Lit and divide their tongue

A fool despises his father’s discipline,
but a person who accepts correction is sensible.(A)

The house of the righteous has great wealth,
but trouble accompanies the income of the wicked.

The lips of the wise broadcast knowledge,
but not so the heart of fools.

The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the Lord,(B)
but the prayer of the upright is his delight.(C)

The Lord detests the way of the wicked,
but he loves the one who pursues righteousness.(D)

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Resettling Jerusalem

11 Now the leaders of the people stayed in Jerusalem,(A) and the rest of the people cast lots(B) for one out of ten to come and live in Jerusalem, the holy city,(C) while the other nine-tenths remained in their towns.(D) The people blessed all the men who volunteered(E) to live in Jerusalem.

These are the heads of the province who stayed in Jerusalem(F) (but in the villages of Judah each lived on his own property in their towns(G)—the Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants(H) while some of the descendants of Judah and Benjamin settled in Jerusalem):

Judah’s(I) descendants:

Athaiah son of Uzziah, son of Zechariah, son of Amariah, son of Shephatiah, son of Mahalalel, of Perez’s descendants; and Maaseiah son of Baruch, son of Col-hozeh, son of Hazaiah, son of Adaiah, son of Joiarib, son of Zechariah, a descendant of the Shilonite. The total number of Perez’s descendants, who settled in Jerusalem, was 468 capable men.

These were Benjamin’s descendants:

Sallu son of Meshullam, son of Joed, son of Pedaiah, son of Kolaiah, son of Maaseiah, son of Ithiel, son of Jeshaiah, and after him Gabbai and Sallai: 928. Joel son of Zichri was the officer over them, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command over the city.

10 The priests:

Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jachin, and 11 Seraiah son of Hilkiah, son of Meshullam, son of Zadok, son of Meraioth, son of Ahitub, the chief official of God’s temple, 12 and their relatives who did the work at the temple: 822. Adaiah son of Jeroham, son of Pelaliah, son of Amzi, son of Zechariah, son of Pashhur, son of Malchijah 13 and his relatives, the heads of families: 242. Amashsai son of Azarel, son of Ahzai, son of Meshillemoth, son of Immer, 14 and their relatives, capable men: 128. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim, was their chief.

15 The Levites:

Shemaiah son of Hasshub, son of Azrikam, son of Hashabiah, son of Bunni; 16 and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the heads of the Levites, who supervised the work outside the house of God; 17 Mattaniah son of Mica, son of Zabdi, son of Asaph, the one[a] who began the thanksgiving in prayer;(J) Bakbukiah, second among his relatives; and Abda son of Shammua, son of Galal, son of Jeduthun.(K) 18 All the Levites in the holy city:(L) 284.

19 The gatekeepers:

Akkub, Talmon, and their relatives, who guarded the city gates: 172.

20 The rest of Israel, the priests, and the Levites were in all the villages of Judah, each on his own inherited property.(M) 21 The temple servants lived on Ophel;(N) Ziha and Gishpa supervised the temple servants.

The Levites and Priests

22 The leader of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, son of Hashabiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Mica, of the descendants of Asaph, who were singers for the service of God’s house. 23 There was, in fact, a command of the king regarding them, and an ordinance regulating the singers’(O) daily tasks. 24 Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, of the descendants of Zerah(P) son of Judah, was the king’s(Q) agent[b] in every matter concerning the people.

25 As for the farming settlements with their fields:

Some of Judah’s descendants lived in Kiriath-arba(R)

and Dibon and their surrounding villages,(S) and Jekabzeel and its settlements;

26 in Jeshua, Moladah,(T) Beth-pelet,

27 Hazar-shual, and Beer-sheba(U) and its surrounding villages;

28 in Ziklag(V) and Meconah and its surrounding villages;

29 in En-rimmon, Zorah,(W) Jarmuth,(X) and

30 Zanoah(Y) and Adullam with their settlements;

in Lachish(Z) with its fields and Azekah(AA) and its surrounding villages.

So they settled from Beer-sheba(AB) to Hinnom Valley.(AC)

31 Benjamin’s descendants:

from Geba,[c](AD) Michmash,(AE) Aija,

and Bethel(AF) and its surrounding villages,

32 Anathoth,(AG) Nob,(AH) Ananiah,

33 Hazor,(AI) Ramah,(AJ) Gittaim,(AK)

34 Hadid, Zeboim,(AL) Neballat,

35 Lod, and Ono,(AM) in Craftsmen’s Valley.

36 Some of the Judean divisions of Levites were in Benjamin.

Footnotes

  1. 11:17 Lit the head
  2. 11:24 Lit was at the king’s hand
  3. 11:31 Or descendants from Geba lived in

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