Psalm 54

Prayer for Deliverance

For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding among us?” (A)

God, save me by your name,
and vindicate me by your might!(B)
God, hear my prayer;
listen to the words from my mouth.(C)
For strangers rise up against me,
and violent men intend to kill me.
They do not let God guide them.[a](D)Selah

God is my helper;
the Lord is the sustainer of my life.[b](E)
He will repay my adversaries for their evil.
Because of your faithfulness, annihilate them.(F)

I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you.(G)
I will praise your name, Lord,
because it is good.(H)
For he has rescued me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked down on my enemies.(I)

Footnotes

  1. 54:3 Lit They do not set God in front of them
  2. 54:4 Or is with those who sustain my life

Psalm 54

For the music leader. With stringed instruments. A maskil[a] of David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Isn’t David hiding among us?”

54 God! Save me by your name;
    defend me by your might!
God! Hear my prayer;
    listen to the words of my mouth!

The proud have come up against me;
    violent people want me dead.
    They pay no attention to God. Selah

But look here: God is my helper;
    my Lord sustains my life.
He will bring disaster on my opponents.
    By your faithfulness, God, destroy them!

I will sacrifice to you freely;
    I will give thanks to your name, Lord,
        because it’s so good,
        and because God has delivered me
        from every distress.
    My eyes have seen my enemies’ defeat.[b]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 54:1 Perhaps instruction
  2. Psalm 54:7 Heb lacks defeat.

David’s Narrow Escape

19 Some Ziphites(A) came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Isn’t it true that David is hiding among us in the strongholds in Horesh on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon? 20 So now, whenever the king wants to come down, let him come down. As for us, we will be glad to hand him over to the king.”(B)

21 “May you be blessed by the Lord,” replied Saul, “for you have shown concern for me.(C) 22 Go and check again. Investigate[a] where he goes[b] and who has seen him there; they tell me he is extremely cunning. 23 Investigate[c] all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with accurate information, and I’ll go with you. If it turns out he really is in the region, I’ll search for him among all the clans[d] of Judah.” 24 So they went to Ziph ahead of Saul.

Now David and his men were in the wilderness near Maon(D) in the Arabah south of Jeshimon, 25 and Saul and his men went to look for him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David there.

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Footnotes

  1. 23:22 Lit Know and see
  2. 23:22 Lit watch his place where his foot will be
  3. 23:23 Lit See and know
  4. 23:23 Or thousands

19 Some Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah. “David is hiding among us in the fortresses at Horesh on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon,” they said. 20 “So whenever you want to come down, Your Majesty, do it! Leave it to us to hand him over to the king.”

21 “The Lord bless you because you have shown this kindness to me!” Saul said. 22 “Go now and get everything ready. Find out everything you can: where he stays, where he goes, who has seen him. I am told he is very shrewd. 23 Find out every hiding place he uses there and come back to me when you know for certain. I will then go with you. If David is in the area, I will hunt him down among any of Judah’s clans!” 24 So they got up and left for Ziph ahead of Saul.

Meanwhile, David and his soldiers were in the Maon wilderness in the desert plain south of Jeshimon. 25 When Saul and his troops went looking for him, David was told about it, so he went down to a certain rock there and stayed in the Maon wilderness. When Saul heard that, he went into the Maon wilderness after David.

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