Psalm 54–56

A David Psalm, When the Ziphites Reported to Saul, “David Is Hiding Out with Us”

^1–254God, for your sake, help me!

Use your influence to clear me.

Listen, God—I’m desperate.

Don’t be too busy to hear me.

³Outlaws are out to get me,

hit men are trying to kill me.

Nothing will stop them;

God means nothing to them.

^4–5Oh, look! God’s right here helping!

God’s on my side,

Evil is looping back on my enemies.

Don’t let up! Finish them off!

^6–7I’m ready now to worship, so ready.

I thank you, God—you’re so good.

You got me out of every scrape,

and I saw my enemies get it.

A David Psalm

^1–355Open your ears, God, to my prayer;

don’t pretend you don’t hear me knocking.

Come close and whisper your answer.

I really need you.

I shudder at the mean voice,

quail before the evil eye,

As they pile on the guilt,

stockpile angry slander.

^4–8My insides are turned inside out;

specters of death have me down.

I shake with fear,

I shudder from head to foot.

“Who will give me wings,” I ask—

“wings like a dove?”

Get me out of here on dove wings;

I want some peace and quiet.

I want a walk in the country,

I want a cabin in the woods.

I’m desperate for a change

from rage and stormy weather.

^9–11Come down hard, Lord—slit their tongues.

I’m appalled how they’ve split the city

Into rival gangs

prowling the alleys

Day and night spoiling for a fight,

trash piled in the streets,

Even shopkeepers gouging and cheating

in broad daylight.

^12–14This isn’t the neighborhood bully

mocking me—I could take that.

This isn’t a foreign devil spitting

invective—I could tune that out.

It’s you! We grew up together!

You! My best friend!

Those long hours of leisure as we walked

arm in arm, God a third party to our conversation.

¹⁵Haul my betrayers off alive to hell—let them

experience the horror, let them

feel every desolate detail of a damned life.

^16–19I call to God;

God will help me.

At dusk, dawn, and noon I sigh

deep sighs—he hears, he rescues.

My life is well and whole, secure

in the middle of danger

Even while thousands

are lined up against me.

God hears it all, and from his judge’s bench

puts them in their place.

But, set in their ways, they won’t change;

they pay him no mind.

^20–21And this, my best friend, betrayed his best friends;

his life betrayed his word.

All my life I’ve been charmed by his speech,

never dreaming he’d turn on me.

His words, which were music to my ears,

turned to daggers in my heart.

^22–23Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders—

he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out.

He’ll never let good people

topple into ruin.

But you, God, will throw the others

into a muddy bog,

Cut the lifespan of assassins

and traitors in half.

And I trust in you.

A David Psalm, When He Was Captured by the Philistines in Gath

^1–456Take my side, God—I’m getting kicked around,

stomped on every day.

Not a day goes by

but somebody beats me up;

They make it their duty

to beat me up.

When I get really afraid

I come to you in trust.

I’m proud to praise God;

fearless now, I trust in God.

What can mere mortals do?

^5–6They don’t let up—

they smear my reputation

and huddle to plot my collapse.

They gang up,

sneak together through the alleys

To take me by surprise,

wait their chance to get me.

⁷Pay them back in evil!

Get angry, God!

Down with these people!

⁸You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn

through the sleepless nights,

Each tear entered in your ledger,

each ache written in your book.

⁹If my enemies run away,

turn tail when I yell at them,

Then I’ll know

that God is on my side.

^10–11I’m proud to praise God,

proud to praise God.

Fearless now, I trust in God;

what can mere mortals do to me?

^12–13God, you did everything you promised,

and I’m thanking you with all my heart.

You pulled me from the brink of death,

my feet from the cliff-edge of doom.

Now I stroll at leisure with God

in the sunlit fields of life.