Psalm 55-60

New American Standard Bible

Prayer for the Destruction of the Treacherous.

For the music director; on stringed instruments. A ^[a]Maskil of David.

55 ^(A)Listen to my prayer, God;
And ^(B)do not hide Yourself from my pleading.
²Give Your ^(C)attention to me and answer me;
I am restless in my ^(D)complaint and ^[b]^(E)severely distracted,
³Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the ^(F)pressure of the wicked;
For they ^(G)bring down ^[c]trouble upon me
And in anger they ^(H)hold a grudge against me.

⁴My ^(I)heart is in anguish within me,
And the terrors of ^(J)death have fallen upon me.
⁵Fear and ^(K)trembling come upon me,
And ^[d]^(L)horror has ^[e]overwhelmed me.
⁶I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and ^[f]^(M)be at rest.
⁷Behold, I would flee far away,
I would ^(N)spend my nights in the wilderness. Selah
⁸I would hurry to my place of refuge
From the ^(O)stormy wind and heavy gale.”

⁹Confuse them, Lord, ^(P)divide their tongues,
For I have seen ^(Q)violence and strife in the city.
¹⁰Day and night they go around her upon her walls,
And evil and harm are in her midst.
¹¹^(R)Destruction is in her midst;
^(S)Oppression and deceit do not depart from her ^[g]streets.

¹²For it is ^(T)not an enemy who taunts me,
Then I could endure it;
Nor is it one who hates me who ^(U)has exalted himself against me,
Then I could hide myself from him.
¹³But it is you, a man ^[h]my equal,
My ^(V)companion and my ^(W)confidant;
¹⁴We who had sweet ^[i]fellowship together,
^(X)Walked in the house of God among the commotion.
¹⁵May ^[j]death come ^(Y)deceitfully upon them;
May they ^(Z)go down alive to ^[k]Sheol,
For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.

¹⁶As for me, I shall ^(AA)call upon God,
And the Lord will save me.
¹⁷^(AB)Evening and ^(AC)morning and at ^(AD)noon, I will complain and moan,
And He will hear my voice.
¹⁸He will ^(AE)redeem my soul in peace ^[l]from the battle which is against me,
For they are ^(AF)many who are aggressive toward me.
¹⁹God will ^(AG)hear and humiliate them—
Even the one ^(AH)who ^[m]sits enthroned from ancient times— Selah
With whom there ^[n]is no change,
And who ^(AI)do not fear God.
²⁰He has put forth his hands against ^(AJ)those who were at peace with him;
He has ^[o]^(AK)violated his covenant.
²¹His ^[p]speech was ^(AL)smoother than butter,
But his heart was war;
His words were ^(AM)softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn ^(AN)swords.

²²^(AO)Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
^(AP)He will never allow the righteous to ^[q]^(AQ)be shaken.
²³But You, God, will bring them down to the ^(AR)pit of destruction;
^(AS)Men of bloodshed and deceit will ^(AT)not live out half their days.
But I will ^(AU)trust in You.

Pleading for Help and Grateful Trust in God.

For the music director; according to ^[r]Jonath elem rehokim. A ^[s]Mikhtam of David, ^[t]when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

56 Be gracious to me, God, for a man has ^[u]^(AV)trampled upon me;
^[v]Fighting all day long he ^(AW)oppresses me.
²My enemies have ^(AX)trampled upon me all day long,
For ^[w]they are many who ^(AY)fight proudly against me.
³^[x]When I am ^(AZ)afraid,
^[y]I will ^(BA)put my trust in You.
⁴^(BB)In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid.
^(BC)What can mere ^[z]mortals do to me?
⁵All day long they ^(BD)distort my words;
All their ^[aa]^(BE)thoughts are against me for evil.
⁶They ^[ab]^(BF)attack, they lurk,
They ^(BG)watch my ^[ac]steps,
As they have ^(BH)waited to take my ^[ad]life.
⁷Because of their wickedness, will there be an ^(BI)escape for them?
In anger ^(BJ)make the peoples fall down, God!

⁸You ^(BK)have taken account of my ^[ae]miseries;
Put my ^(BL)tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in ^(BM)Your book?
⁹Then my enemies will ^(BN)turn back ^(BO)on the day when I call;
This I know, ^[af]that ^(BP)God is for me.
¹⁰In God, whose word I praise,
In the Lord, whose word I praise,
¹¹In God I have put my ^[ag]trust, I shall not be afraid.
What can mankind do to me?
¹²Your ^(BQ)vows are binding upon me, God;
I will render thanksgiving offerings to You.
¹³For You have ^(BR)saved my soul from death,
^[ah]Indeed ^(BS)my feet from stumbling,
So that I may ^(BT)walk before God
In the ^(BU)light of the ^[ai]living.

Prayer for Rescue from Persecutors.

For the music director; set to ^[aj]Al-tashheth. A ^[ak]Mikhtam of David, ^[al]when he fled from Saul in the cave.

57 Be gracious to me, God, be gracious to me,
For my soul ^(BV)takes refuge in You;
And in the ^(BW)shadow of Your wings I will take refuge
Until destruction ^(BX)passes by.
²I will cry to God Most High,
To God who ^(BY)accomplishes all things for me.
³He will ^(BZ)send from heaven and save me;
He rebukes the one who ^[am]^(CA)tramples upon me. Selah
God will send His ^[an]^(CB)favor and His truth.

⁴My soul is among ^(CC)lions;
I must lie among those who devour,
Among sons of mankind whose ^(CD)teeth are spears and arrows,
And their ^(CE)tongue is a sharp sword.
⁵^(CF)Be exalted above the heavens, God;
May Your glory be above all the earth.
⁶They have prepared a ^(CG)net for my steps;
My soul is ^(CH)bowed down;
They ^(CI)dug a pit before me;
They themselves have ^(CJ)fallen into the midst of it. Selah

⁷^(CK)My ^(CL)heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!
⁸Awake, ^(CM)my glory!
Awake, ^(CN)harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
⁹^(CO)I will praise You, Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the ^[ao]nations.
¹⁰For Your ^(CP)goodness is great to the heavens
And Your ^[ap]truth to the clouds.
¹¹^(CQ)Be exalted above the heavens, God;
May Your glory be above all the earth.

Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked.

For the music director; set to ^[aq]Al-tashheth. A ^[ar]Mikhtam of David.

58 Do you indeed ^[as]speak righteousness, you ^[at]gods?
Do you ^(CR)judge ^[au]fairly, you sons of mankind?
²No, in heart you ^(CS)practice injustice;
On earth you ^(CT)clear a way for the violence of your hands.
³The wicked have turned away ^(CU)from the womb;
These who speak lies ^(CV)go astray from ^[av]birth.
⁴They have venom like the ^(CW)venom of a serpent;
Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear,
⁵So that it ^(CX)does not hear the voice of ^[aw]^(CY)charmers,
Or a skillful caster of spells.

⁶God, ^(CZ)shatter their teeth in their mouth;
Break out the fangs of the young lions, Lord.
⁷May they ^(DA)flow away like water that runs off;
When he ^[ax]^(DB)aims his arrows, may they be as ^[ay]headless shafts.
⁸May they be like a snail which goes along in slime,
Like the ^(DC)miscarriage of a woman that never sees the sun.
⁹Before your ^(DD)pots can feel the fire of thorns
He will ^(DE)sweep them away with a whirlwind, the ^[az]green and the burning alike.

¹⁰The ^(DF)righteous will rejoice when he ^(DG)sees vengeance;
He will ^(DH)wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
¹¹And people will say, “There certainly is ^[ba]^(DI)a reward for the righteous;
There certainly is a God who ^(DJ)judges on the earth!”

Prayer for Rescue from Enemies.

For the music director; set to ^[bb]Al-tashheth. A ^[bc]Mikhtam of David, ^[bd]when Saul sent men and they watched the house in order to kill him.

59 ^(DK)Rescue me from my enemies, my God;
^[be]^(DL)Set me securely on high away from those who rise up against me.
²Rescue me from ^(DM)those who practice injustice,
And save me from ^(DN)men of bloodshed.
³For behold, they ^(DO)have ^[bf]set an ambush for my ^[bg]life;
^[bh]Fierce men ^(DP)attack me,
^(DQ)Not for my wrongdoing nor for my sin, Lord,
⁴^[bi]^(DR)For no guilt of mine, they run and take their stand against me.
^(DS)Stir Yourself to ^[bj]help me, and see!
⁵You, ^(DT)Lord God of armies, the God of Israel,
Awake to ^[bk]^(DU)punish all the nations;
^(DV)Do not be gracious to any who deal treacherously in wrongdoing. Selah
⁶They ^(DW)return at evening, they howl like a ^(DX)dog,
And prowl around the city.
⁷Behold, they ^(DY)gush forth with their mouths;
^(DZ)Swords are in their lips,
For, they say, “^(EA)Who hears?”
⁸But You, Lord, ^(EB)laugh at them;
You ^(EC)scoff at all the nations.

⁹Because of ^[bl]his ^(ED)strength I will watch for You,
For God is my ^(EE)refuge.
¹⁰^[bm]My God ^(EF)in His faithfulness will meet me;
God will let me ^(EG)look triumphantly upon my enemies.
¹¹Do not kill them, ^(EH)or my people will forget;
^[bn]^(EI)Scatter them by Your power and bring them down,
Lord, ^(EJ)our shield.
¹²^[bo]On account of the ^(EK)sin of their mouths and the words of their lips,
May they even be ^(EL)caught in their pride,
And on account of ^(EM)curses and lies which they tell.
¹³^[bp]^(EN)Destroy them in wrath, ^[bq]destroy them so that they will no longer exist;
So that people may ^(EO)know that God ^[br]rules in Jacob,
To the ends of the earth. Selah
¹⁴They ^(EP)return at evening, they howl like a dog,
And prowl around the city.
¹⁵They ^(EQ)wander about ^[bs]for food
And ^[bt]murmur if they are not satisfied.

¹⁶But as for me, I will ^(ER)sing of Your strength;
Yes, I will ^(ES)joyfully sing of Your faithfulness in the ^(ET)morning,
For You have been my ^(EU)refuge
And a ^(EV)place of refuge on the day of my distress.
¹⁷^(EW)My strength, I will sing praises to You;
For God is my ^(EX)refuge, the ^[bu]God who shows me favor.

Grieving over Defeat in Battle, and Prayer for Help.

For the music director; according to ^[bv]Shushan Eduth. A ^[bw]Mikhtam of David, to teach; ^[bx]when he fought with Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned, and killed twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt.

60 God, ^(EY)You have rejected us. You have ^[by]^(EZ)broken us;
You have been ^(FA)angry; ^(FB)restore us!
²You have made the ^[bz]^(FC)land quake, You have split it open;
^(FD)Heal its cracks, for it sways.
³You have ^[ca]^(FE)made Your people experience hardship;
You have given us ^[cb]wine to ^(FF)drink that makes us stagger.
⁴You have given a ^(FG)banner to those who fear You,
That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah
⁵^(FH)That Your ^(FI)beloved may be rescued,
^(FJ)Save us with Your right hand, and answer ^[cc]us!

⁶God has spoken in His ^[cd]^(FK)holiness:
“I will triumph, I will divide up ^(FL)Shechem, and measure out the Valley of ^(FM)Succoth.
⁷^(FN)Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
^(FO)Ephraim also is the ^[ce]helmet of My head;
Judah is My ^(FP)scepter.
⁸^(FQ)Moab is My washbowl;
I will throw My sandal over ^(FR)Edom;
Shout loud, ^(FS)Philistia, because of Me!”

⁹Who will bring me into the besieged city?
Who ^[cf]will lead me to Edom?
¹⁰Have You Yourself not ^(FT)rejected us, God?
And ^(FU)will You not go out with our armies, God?
¹¹Oh give us help against the enemy,
For ^(FV)rescue ^[cg]by man is worthless.
¹²^[ch]Through God we will ^(FW)do valiantly,
And it is He who will ^(FX)trample down our enemies.

Footnotes

Psalm 55 Title Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
Psalm 55:2 Another reading is I must moan
Psalm 55:3 Or wickedness
Psalm 55:5 Lit shuddering
Psalm 55:5 Lit covered
Psalm 55:6 Lit settle down
Psalm 55:11 Or plaza
Psalm 55:13 Lit according to my valuation
Psalm 55:14 Lit counsel; or intimacy
Psalm 55:15 Another reading is devastation be upon them
Psalm 55:15 I.e., the netherworld
Psalm 55:18 Or so that none may approach me
Psalm 55:19 Or remains from
Psalm 55:19 Lit are no changes
Psalm 55:20 Lit profaned
Psalm 55:21 Lit mouth
Psalm 55:22 Or totter
Psalm 56 Title Or The silent dove of those who are far off; or The dove of the distant terebinths
Psalm 56 Title Possibly Epigrammatic Poem; or Atonement Psalm
Psalm 56 Title 1 Sam 21:10, 11
Psalm 56:1 Or snapped at
Psalm 56:1 Or A fighting man
Psalm 56:2 Or many are fighting
Psalm 56:3 Lit The day
Psalm 56:3 Or I am one who puts
Psalm 56:4 Lit flesh
Psalm 56:5 Or purposes
Psalm 56:6 Or stir up strife
Psalm 56:6 Lit heels
Psalm 56:6 Lit soul
Psalm 56:8 Or wanderings
Psalm 56:9 Or because
Psalm 56:11 Or trust without fear
Psalm 56:13 Or Have You not delivered
Psalm 56:13 Or life
Psalm 57 Title Lit Do Not Destroy
Psalm 57 Title Possibly, Epigrammatic Poem; or Atonement Psalm
Psalm 57 Title 1 Sam 22:1; 24:3
Psalm 57:3 Or snaps at
Psalm 57:3 Or faithfulness
Psalm 57:9 Lit peoples
Psalm 57:10 Or faithfulness
Psalm 58 Title Lit Do Not Destroy
Psalm 58 Title Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm
Psalm 58:1 Another reading is speak righteousness in silence
Psalm 58:1 Or mighty ones; or judges
Psalm 58:1 Or mankind fairly?
Psalm 58:3 Lit the womb
Psalm 58:5 Or whisperers
Psalm 58:7 Lit bends
Psalm 58:7 Lit though they were cut off
Psalm 58:9 Lit living
Psalm 58:11 Lit fruit
Psalm 59 Title Lit Do Not Destroy
Psalm 59 Title Possibly Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm
Psalm 59 Title 1 Sam 19:11
Psalm 59:1 Or May You put me in an inaccessibly high place
Psalm 59:3 Or lain in wait
Psalm 59:3 Lit soul
Psalm 59:3 Or Strong
Psalm 59:4 Lit Without guilt
Psalm 59:4 Lit meet
Psalm 59:5 Lit visit
Psalm 59:9 LXX, some mss and some ancient versions my strength (cf. v 17)
Psalm 59:10 Many mss and some ancient versions The God of my faithfulness
Psalm 59:11 Or Make them wander
Psalm 59:12 Or The sin of their mouth is the word of their lips,
Psalm 59:13 Lit Bring to an end
Psalm 59:13 Lit Bring to an end
Psalm 59:13 Or is Ruler
Psalm 59:15 Lit to eat
Psalm 59:15 Another reading is linger all night
Psalm 59:17 Lit God of my favor
Psalm 60 Title Lit The lily of testimony
Psalm 60 Title Possibly, Epigrammatic Poem or Atonement Psalm
Psalm 60 Title 2 Sam 8:3, 13; 1 Chr 18:3, 12
Psalm 60:1 Or broken out upon us
Psalm 60:2 Or earth
Psalm 60:3 Lit caused Your people to see
Psalm 60:3 Lit wine of staggering
Psalm 60:5 Some authorities me
Psalm 60:6 Or sanctuary
Psalm 60:7 Lit protection
Psalm 60:9 Or has led
Psalm 60:11 Lit of
Psalm 60:12 Or In; or With