Psalm 55–57

Psalm 55

¹Unto the end, for a people that is removed at a distance from the sanctuary: for David, for an inscription of a title (or pillar) when the Philistines held him in Geth.

²Have mercy on me, O God, for man hath trodden me under foot; all the day long he hath afflicted me fighting against me.

³My enemies have trodden on me all the day long; for they are many that make war against me.

⁴From the height of the day I shall fear: but I will trust in thee.

⁵In God I will praise my words, in God I have put my trust: I will not fear what flesh can do against me.

⁶All the day long they detested my words: all their thoughts were against me unto evil.

⁷They will dwell and hide themselves: they will watch my heel. As they have waited for my soul,

⁸For nothing shalt thou save them: in thy anger thou shalt break the people in pieces. O God,

⁹I have declared to thee my life: thou hast set me tears in thy sight, As also in thy promise.

¹⁰Then shall my enemies be turned back. In what day soever I shall call upon thee, behold I know thou art my God.

¹¹In God will I praise the word, in the Lord will I praise his speech. In God have I hoped, I will not fear what man can do to me.

¹²In me, O God, are vows to thee, which I will pay, praises to thee:

¹³Because thou hast delivered my soul from death, my feet from falling: that I may please in the sight of God, in the light of the living.

Psalm 56

¹Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a title, when he fled from Saul into the cave.

²Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me: for my soul trusteth in thee. And in the shadow of thy wings will I hope, until iniquity pass away.

³I will cry to God the most high; to God who hath done good to me.

⁴He hath sent from heaven and delivered me: he hath made them a reproach that trod upon me. God hath sent his mercy and his truth,

⁵And he hath delivered my soul from the midst of the young lions. I slept troubled. The sons of men, whose teeth are weapons and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

⁶Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and thy glory above all the earth.

⁷They prepared a snare for my feet; and they bowed down my soul. They dug a pit before my face, and they are fallen into it.

⁸My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready: I will sing, and rehearse a psalm.

⁹Arise, O my glory, arise psaltery and harp: I will arise early.

¹⁰I will give praise to thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing a psalm to thee among the nations.

¹¹For thy mercy is magnified even to the heavens: and thy truth unto the clouds.

¹²Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth.

Psalm 57

¹Unto the end, destroy not, for David, for an inscription of a title.

²If in very deed ye speak justice: judge right things, ye sons of men.

³For in your heart you work iniquity: your hands forge injustice in the earth.

⁴The wicked are alienated from the womb; they have gone astray from the womb: they have spoken false things.

⁵Their madness is according to the likeness of a serpent: like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ears:

⁶Which will not hear the voice of the charmers; nor of the wizard that charmeth wisely.

⁷God shall break in pieces their teeth in their mouth: the Lord shall break the grinders of the lions.

⁸They shall come to nothing, like water running down; he hath bent his bow till they be weakened.

⁹Like wax that melteth they shall be taken away: fire hath fallen on them, and they shall not see the sun.

¹⁰Before your thorns could know the brier; he swalloweth them up, as alive, in his wrath.

¹¹The just shall rejoice when he shall see the revenge: he shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner.

¹²And man shall say: If indeed there be fruit to the just: there is indeed a God that judgeth them on the earth.