Psalm 54

Expanded Bible

A Prayer for Help

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A ·maskil [skillful psalm; meditation] of David when the Ziphites went to Saul and said, “·We think David is [^LIs not David…?] hiding among ·our people [^Lus; 1 Sam. 23:13–29; 26:1].”

54 God, ·save [give victory to] me ·because of who you are [^Lby your name].
    By your ·strength [^Lname] ·show that I am innocent [contend for me].
²Hear my prayer, God;
    ·listen [^Lgive ear] to ·what I say [^Lthe speech of my mouth].
³Strangers ·turn [^Lrise up] against me,
    and ·cruel people want to kill me [^Lviolent people seek my life].
They do not ·care about God [think about God; ^Lset God before them]. ·Selah [Interlude]

⁴·See [^TBehold], God ·will help me [^Lis my helper];
the Lord ·will support me [^Lis with/or among those who uphold me].
⁵Let ·my enemies be punished with their own evil [^Levil return to my enemies].
·Destroy [Put an end to] them because ·you are loyal to me [^Lof your faithfulness].

⁶I will ·offer a sacrifice as a special gift [sacrifice a freewill offering] to you.
I will ·thank [praise] ·you [^Lyour name], Lord, because you are good.
⁷You have ·saved [rescued] me from all my ·troubles [distress],
and ·I have seen my enemies defeated [^Lmy eyes have looked on my enemies].

1 Samuel 23:19-25

Expanded Bible

¹⁹The people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and told him, “David is hiding in our land. He’s at the ·hideouts [strongholds] of Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, ·south of [in the southern part of] Jeshimon. ²⁰Now, our king, come down ·anytime you want [whenever you’re ready]. It’s our duty to hand David over to you.”

²¹Saul answered, “The Lord bless you for ·helping [^Lshowing concern for; having compassion on] me. ²²Go and ·learn more about him [make sure]. ·Find out [Investigate] where he is staying and who has seen him there. I have heard that he is ·clever [very cunning/crafty]. ²³Find all the hiding places he uses, and come back ·and tell me everything [when you are sure; with definite information]. Then I’ll go with you. If David is in the ·area [land], I will ·track him down [search him out] among all the ·families [clans; or thousands] in Judah.”

²⁴So they went back to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Maon^[a] in the ·desert [wilderness] area south of Jeshimon. ²⁵Saul and his men went to look for David, but David heard about it and went down to ·a [the great] rock and stayed in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Maon. When Saul heard that, he ·followed [pursued] David into the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Maon.