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55 To the Overseer with stringed instruments. -- An instruction, by David. Give ear, O God, [to] my prayer, And hide not from my supplication.

Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise,

Because of the voice of an enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked, For they cause sorrow to move against me, And in anger they hate me.

My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me.

Fear and trembling come in to me, And horror doth cover me.

And I say, `Who doth give to me a pinion as a dove? I fly away and rest,

Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. Selah.

I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.

Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city.

10 By day and by night they go round it, on its walls. Both iniquity and perverseness [are] in its midst,

11 Mischiefs [are] in its midst. Fraud and deceit depart not from its street.

12 For an enemy reproacheth me not, or I bear [it], He who is hating me Hath not magnified himself against me, Or I hide from him.

13 But thou, a man -- as mine equal, My familiar friend, and mine acquaintance.

14 When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we walk in company.

15 Desolations [are] upon them, They go down [to] Sheol -- alive, For wickedness [is] in their dwelling, in their midst.

16 I -- to God I call, and Jehovah saveth me.

17 Evening, and morning, and noon, I meditate, and make a noise, and He heareth my voice,

18 He hath ransomed in peace my soul From him who is near to me, For with the multitude they were with me.

19 God doth hear and afflict them, And He sitteth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, and fear not God,

20 He hath sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He hath polluted his covenant.

21 Sweeter than honey hath been his mouth, And his heart [is] war! Softer have been his words than oil, And they [are] drawn [swords].

22 Cast on Jehovah that which He hath given thee, And He doth sustain thee, He doth not suffer for ever the moving of the righteous.

23 And Thou, O God, dost bring them down To a pit of destruction, Men of blood and deceit reach not to half their days, And I -- I do trust in Thee!

56 To the Overseer. -- `On the Dumb Dove far off.' -- A secret treasure of David, in the Philistines' taking hold of him in Gath. Favour me, O God, for man swallowed me up, All the day fighting he oppresseth me,

Mine enemies have swallowed up all the day, For many [are] fighting against me, O most High,

The day I am afraid I am confident toward Thee.

In God I praise His word, in God I have trusted, I fear not what flesh doth to me.

All the day they wrest my words, Concerning me all their thoughts [are] for evil,

They assemble, they hide, they watch my heels, When they have expected my soul.

By iniquity they escape, In anger the peoples put down, O God.

My wandering Thou hast counted, Thou -- place Thou my tear in Thy bottle, Are they not in Thy book?

Then turn back do mine enemies in the day I call. This I have known, that God [is] for me.

10 In God I praise the word, In Jehovah I praise the word.

11 In God I trusted, I fear not what man doth to me,

12 On me, O God, [are] Thy vows, I repay thank-offerings to Thee.

13 For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, Dost Thou not my feet from falling? To walk habitually before God in the light of the living!

57 To the Overseer. -- `Destroy not.' -- A secret treasure of David, in his fleeing from the face of Saul into a cave. Favour me, O God, favour me, For in Thee is my soul trusting, And in the shadow of Thy wings I trust, Until the calamities pass over.

I call to God Most High, To God [who] is perfecting for me.

He sendeth from the heaven, and saveth me, He reproached -- who is panting after me. Selah. God sendeth forth His kindness and His truth.

My soul [is] in the midst of lions, I lie down [among] flames -- sons of men, Their teeth [are] a spear and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.

Be Thou exalted above the heavens, O God, Above all the earth Thine honour.

A net they have prepared for my steps, Bowed down hath my soul, They have digged before me a pit, They have fallen into its midst. Selah.

Prepared is my heart, O God, Prepared is my heart, I sing and praise.

Awake, mine honour, awake, psaltery and harp, I awake the morning dawn.

I thank Thee among the peoples, O Lord, I praise Thee among the nations.

10 For great unto the heavens [is] Thy kindness, And unto the clouds Thy truth.

11 Be thou exalted above the heavens, O God. Above all the earth Thine honour!

58 To the Overseer. -- `Destroy not.' -- A secret treasure, by David. Is it true, O dumb one, righteously ye speak? Uprightly ye judge, O sons of men?

Even in heart ye work iniquities, In the land the violence of your hands ye ponder.

The wicked have been estranged from the womb, They have erred from the belly, speaking lies.

Their poison [is] as poison of a serpent, As a deaf asp shutting its ear,

Which hearkeneth not to the voice of whisperers, A charmer of charms most skilful.

O God, break their teeth in their mouth, The jaw-teeth of young lions break down, O Jehovah.

They are melted as waters, They go up and down for themselves, His arrow proceedeth as they cut themselves off.

As a snail that melteth he goeth on, [As] an untimely birth of a woman, They have not seen the sun.

Before your pots discern the bramble, As well the raw as the heated He whirleth away.

10 The righteous rejoiceth that he hath seen vengeance, His steps he washeth in the blood of the wicked.

11 And man saith: `Surely fruit [is] for the righteous: Surely there is a God judging in the earth!'

59 To the Overseer. -- `Destroy not,' by David. -- A secret treasure, in Saul's sending, and they watch the house to put him to death. Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God, From my withstanders set me on high.

Deliver me from workers of iniquity, And from men of blood save me.

For, lo, they laid wait for my soul, Assembled against me are strong ones, Not my transgression nor my sin, O Jehovah.

Without punishment they run and prepare themselves, Stir up to meet me, and see.

And Thou, Jehovah, God of Hosts, God of Israel, Awake to inspect all the nations. Favour not any treacherous dealers of iniquity. Selah.

They turn back at evening, They make a noise like a dog, And go round about the city.

Lo, they belch out with their mouths, Swords [are] in their lips, for `Who heareth?'

And Thou, O Jehovah dost laugh at them, Thou dost mock at all the nations.

O my Strength, unto Thee I take heed, For God [is] my tower -- the God of my kindness.

10 God doth go before me, He causeth me to look on mine enemies.

11 Slay them not, lest my people forget, Shake them by Thy strength, And bring them down, O Lord our shield.

12 The sin of their mouth [is] a word of their lips, And they are captured in their pride, And from the curse and lying they recount.

13 Consume in fury, consume and they are not, And they know that God is ruling in Jacob, To the ends of the earth. Selah.

14 And they turn back at evening, They make a noise like a dog, And they go round about the city.

15 They -- they wander for food, If they are not satisfied -- then they murmur.

16 And I -- I sing [of] Thy strength, And I sing at morn [of] Thy kindness, For thou hast been a tower to me, And a refuge for me in a day of adversity.

17 O my Strength, unto Thee I sing praise, For God [is] my tower, the God of my kindness!

60 To the Overseer. -- `Concerning the Lily of Testimony,' a secret treasure of David, to teach, in his striving with Aram-Naharaim, and with Aram-Zobah, and Joab turneth back and smiteth Edom in the valley of Salt -- twelve thousand. O God, Thou hadst cast us off, Thou hadst broken us -- hadst been angry! -- Thou dost turn back to us.

Thou hast caused the land to tremble, Thou hast broken it, Heal its breaches, for it hath moved.

Thou hast shewn Thy people a hard thing, Thou hast caused us to drink wine of trembling.

Thou hast given to those fearing thee an ensign. To be lifted up as an ensign Because of truth. Selah.

That Thy beloved ones may be drawn out, Save [with] Thy right hand, and answer us.

God hath spoken in His holiness: I exult -- I apportion Shechem, And the valley of Succoth I measure,

Mine [is] Gilead, and mine [is] Manasseh, And Ephraim [is] the strength of my head, Judah [is] my lawgiver,

Moab [is] my pot for washing, over Edom I cast my shoe, Shout, concerning me, O Philistia.

Who doth bring me [to] a city of bulwarks? Who hath led me unto Edom?

10 Is it not Thou, O God? hast Thou cast us off? And dost Thou not go forth, O God, with our hosts!

11 Give to us help from adversity, And vain [is] the deliverance of man.

12 In God we do mightily, And He treadeth down our adversaries!

Psalm 55[a]

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

Listen to my prayer, O God,
    do not ignore my plea;(A)
    hear me and answer me.(B)
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught(C)
    because of what my enemy is saying,
    because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me(D)
    and assail(E) me in their anger.(F)

My heart is in anguish(G) within me;
    the terrors(H) of death have fallen on me.
Fear and trembling(I) have beset me;
    horror(J) has overwhelmed me.
I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest.
I would flee far away
    and stay in the desert;[c](K)
I would hurry to my place of shelter,(L)
    far from the tempest and storm.(M)

Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,(N)
    for I see violence and strife(O) in the city.(P)
10 Day and night they prowl(Q) about on its walls;
    malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces(R) are at work in the city;
    threats and lies(S) never leave its streets.

12 If an enemy were insulting me,
    I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
    I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
    my companion, my close friend,(T)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship(U)
    at the house of God,(V)
as we walked about
    among the worshipers.

15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;(W)
    let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,(X)
    for evil finds lodging among them.

16 As for me, I call to God,
    and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening,(Y) morning(Z) and noon(AA)
    I cry out in distress,
    and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
    from the battle waged against me,
    even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,(AB)
    who does not change—
he will hear(AC) them and humble them,
    because they have no fear of God.(AD)

20 My companion attacks his friends;(AE)
    he violates his covenant.(AF)
21 His talk is smooth as butter,(AG)
    yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,(AH)
    yet they are drawn swords.(AI)

22 Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you;(AJ)
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken.(AK)
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
    into the pit(AL) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful(AM)
    will not live out half their days.(AN)

But as for me, I trust in you.(AO)

Psalm 56[d]

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

Be merciful to me,(AP) my God,
    for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(AQ)
    all day long they press their attack.(AR)
My adversaries pursue me all day long;(AS)
    in their pride many are attacking me.(AT)

When I am afraid,(AU) I put my trust in you.(AV)
    In God, whose word I praise—(AW)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(AX)
    What can mere mortals do to me?(AY)

All day long they twist my words;(AZ)
    all their schemes are for my ruin.
They conspire,(BA) they lurk,
    they watch my steps,(BB)
    hoping to take my life.(BC)
Because of their wickedness do not[f] let them escape;(BD)
    in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(BE)

Record my misery;
    list my tears on your scroll[g](BF)
    are they not in your record?(BG)
Then my enemies will turn back(BH)
    when I call for help.(BI)
    By this I will know that God is for me.(BJ)

10 In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can man do to me?

12 I am under vows(BK) to you, my God;
    I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death(BL)
    and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.(BM)

Psalm 57[h](BN)

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[i] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.(BO)

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
    for in you I take refuge.(BP)
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings(BQ)
    until the disaster has passed.(BR)

I cry out to God Most High,
    to God, who vindicates me.(BS)
He sends from heaven and saves me,(BT)
    rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[j](BU)
    God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.(BV)

I am in the midst of lions;(BW)
    I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose tongues are sharp swords.(BX)

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
    let your glory be over all the earth.(BY)

They spread a net for my feet(BZ)
    I was bowed down(CA) in distress.
They dug a pit(CB) in my path—
    but they have fallen into it themselves.(CC)

My heart, O God, is steadfast,
    my heart is steadfast;(CD)
    I will sing and make music.
Awake, my soul!
    Awake, harp and lyre!(CE)
    I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the skies.(CF)

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;(CG)
    let your glory be over all the earth.(CH)

Psalm 58[k]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[l]

Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(CI)
    Do you judge people with equity?
No, in your heart you devise injustice,(CJ)
    and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(CK)

Even from birth the wicked go astray;
    from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(CL)
    like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
that will not heed(CM) the tune of the charmer,(CN)
    however skillful the enchanter may be.

Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(CO)
    Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(CP)
Let them vanish like water that flows away;(CQ)
    when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(CR)
May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(CS)
    like a stillborn child(CT) that never sees the sun.

Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(CU)
    whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[m](CV)
10 The righteous will be glad(CW) when they are avenged,(CX)
    when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(CY)
11 Then people will say,
    “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(CZ)
    surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(DA)

Psalm 59[n]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[o] When Saul had sent men to watch David’s house(DB) in order to kill him.

Deliver me from my enemies, O God;(DC)
    be my fortress against those who are attacking me.(DD)
Deliver me from evildoers(DE)
    and save me from those who are after my blood.(DF)

See how they lie in wait for me!
    Fierce men conspire(DG) against me
    for no offense or sin of mine, Lord.
I have done no wrong,(DH) yet they are ready to attack me.(DI)
    Arise to help me; look on my plight!(DJ)
You, Lord God Almighty,
    you who are the God of Israel,(DK)
rouse yourself(DL) to punish all the nations;(DM)
    show no mercy to wicked traitors.[p](DN)

They return at evening,
    snarling like dogs,(DO)
    and prowl about the city.
See what they spew from their mouths(DP)
    the words from their lips are sharp as swords,(DQ)
    and they think, “Who can hear us?”(DR)
But you laugh at them, Lord;(DS)
    you scoff at all those nations.(DT)

You are my strength,(DU) I watch for you;
    you, God, are my fortress,(DV)
10     my God on whom I can rely.

God will go before me
    and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield,[q](DW)
    or my people will forget.(DX)
In your might uproot them
    and bring them down.(DY)
12 For the sins of their mouths,(DZ)
    for the words of their lips,(EA)
    let them be caught in their pride.(EB)
For the curses and lies they utter,
13     consume them in your wrath,
    consume them till they are no more.(EC)
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
    that God rules over Jacob.(ED)

14 They return at evening,
    snarling like dogs,
    and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food(EE)
    and howl if not satisfied.
16 But I will sing(EF) of your strength,(EG)
    in the morning(EH) I will sing of your love;(EI)
for you are my fortress,(EJ)
    my refuge in times of trouble.(EK)

17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
    you, God, are my fortress,
    my God on whom I can rely.(EL)

Psalm 60[r](EM)

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lily of the Covenant.” A miktam[s] of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim[t] and Aram Zobah,[u] and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.(EN)

You have rejected us,(EO) God, and burst upon us;
    you have been angry(EP)—now restore us!(EQ)
You have shaken the land(ER) and torn it open;
    mend its fractures,(ES) for it is quaking.
You have shown your people desperate times;(ET)
    you have given us wine that makes us stagger.(EU)
But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner(EV)
    to be unfurled against the bow.[v]

Save us and help us with your right hand,(EW)
    that those you love(EX) may be delivered.
God has spoken from his sanctuary:
    “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem(EY)
    and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.(EZ)
Gilead(FA) is mine, and Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim(FB) is my helmet,
    Judah(FC) is my scepter.(FD)
Moab is my washbasin,
    on Edom I toss my sandal;
    over Philistia I shout in triumph.(FE)

Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
10 Is it not you, God, you who have now rejected us
    and no longer go out with our armies?(FF)
11 Give us aid against the enemy,
    for human help is worthless.(FG)
12 With God we will gain the victory,
    and he will trample down our enemies.(FH)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 55:1 In Hebrew texts 55:1-23 is numbered 55:2-24.
  2. Psalm 55:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 55:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and in the middle of verse 19.
  4. Psalm 56:1 In Hebrew texts 56:1-13 is numbered 56:2-14.
  5. Psalm 56:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  6. Psalm 56:7 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not.
  7. Psalm 56:8 Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin
  8. Psalm 57:1 In Hebrew texts 57:1-11 is numbered 57:2-12.
  9. Psalm 57:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  10. Psalm 57:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
  11. Psalm 58:1 In Hebrew texts 58:1-11 is numbered 58:2-12.
  12. Psalm 58:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  13. Psalm 58:9 The meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.
  14. Psalm 59:1 In Hebrew texts 59:1-17 is numbered 59:2-18.
  15. Psalm 59:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  16. Psalm 59:5 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 13.
  17. Psalm 59:11 Or sovereign
  18. Psalm 60:1 In Hebrew texts 60:1-12 is numbered 60:3-14.
  19. Psalm 60:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  20. Psalm 60:1 Title: That is, Arameans of Northwest Mesopotamia
  21. Psalm 60:1 Title: That is, Arameans of central Syria
  22. Psalm 60:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.