Psalm 54–56

Psalm 54^a

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil^b of David. When the Ziphites^d had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

¹Save me^e, O God, by your name;^f

vindicate me by your might.^g

²Hear my prayer, O God;^h

listen to the words of my mouth.

³Arrogant foes are attacking me;ⁱ

ruthless people^j are trying to kill me^k—

people without regard for God.^cl

⁴Surely God is my help;^m

the Lord is the one who sustains me.ⁿ

⁵Let evil recoil^o on those who slander me;

in your faithfulness^p destroy them.

⁶I will sacrifice a freewill offering^q to you;

I will praise^r your name, Lord, for it is good.^s

⁷You have delivered me^t from all my troubles,

and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.^u

Psalm 55^a

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil^b of David.

¹Listen to my prayer, O God,

do not ignore my plea;^v

²hear me and answer me.^w

My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught^x

³because of what my enemy is saying,

because of the threats of the wicked;

for they bring down suffering on me^y

and assail^z me in their anger.^a

⁴My heart is in anguish^b within me;

the terrors^c of death have fallen on me.

⁵Fear and trembling^d have beset me;

horror^e has overwhelmed me.

⁶I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest.

⁷I would flee far away

and stay in the desert;^cf

⁸I would hurry to my place of shelter,^g

far from the tempest and storm.^h”

⁹Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,ⁱ

for I see violence and strife^j in the city.^k

¹⁰Day and night they prowl^l about on its walls;

malice and abuse are within it.

¹¹Destructive forces^m are at work in the city;

threats and liesⁿ never leave its streets.

¹²If an enemy were insulting me,

I could endure it;

if a foe were rising against me,

I could hide.

¹³But it is you, a man like myself,

my companion, my close friend,^o

¹⁴with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship^p

at the house of God,^q

as we walked about

among the worshipers.

¹⁵Let death take my enemies by surprise;^r

let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,^s

for evil finds lodging among them.

¹⁶As for me, I call to God,

and the Lord saves me.

¹⁷Evening,^t morning^u and noon^v

I cry out in distress,

and he hears my voice.

¹⁸He rescues me unharmed

from the battle waged against me,

even though many oppose me.

¹⁹God, who is enthroned from of old,^w

who does not change—

he will hear^x them and humble them,

because they have no fear of God.^y

²⁰My companion attacks his friends;^z

he violates his covenant.^a

²¹His talk is smooth as butter,^b

yet war is in his heart;

his words are more soothing than oil,^c

yet they are drawn swords.^d

²²Cast your cares on the Lord

and he will sustain you;^e

he will never let

the righteous be shaken.^f

²³But you, God, will bring down the wicked

into the pit^g of decay;

the bloodthirsty and deceitful^h

will not live out half their days.ⁱ

But as for me, I trust in you.^j

Psalm 56^a

For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.^b When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

¹Be merciful to me,^k my God,

for my enemies are in hot pursuit;^l

all day long they press their attack.^m

²My adversaries pursue me all day long;ⁿ

in their pride many are attacking me.^o

³When I am afraid,^p I put my trust in you.^q

⁴In God, whose word I praise—^r

in God I trust and am not afraid.^s

What can mere mortals do to me?^t

⁵All day long they twist my words;^u

all their schemes are for my ruin.

⁶They conspire,^v they lurk,

they watch my steps,^w

hoping to take my life.^x

⁷Because of their wickedness do not^c let them escape;^y

in your anger, God, bring the nations down.^z

⁸Record my misery;

list my tears on your scroll^da—

are they not in your record?^b

⁹Then my enemies will turn back^c

when I call for help.^d

By this I will know that God is for me.^e

¹⁰In God, whose word I praise,

in the Lord, whose word I praise—

¹¹in God I trust and am not afraid.

What can man do to me?

¹²I am under vows^f to you, my God;

I will present my thank offerings to you.

¹³For you have delivered me from death^g

and my feet from stumbling,

that I may walk before God

in the light of life.^h