Psalm 53-55

New International Version

Psalm 53^[a]^(A)

For the director of music. According to mahalath.^[b] A maskil^[c] of David.

¹The fool^(B) says in his heart,
“There is no God.”^(C)
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.

²God looks down from heaven^(D)
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,^(E)
    any who seek God.^(F)
³Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
    there is no one who does good,
    not even one.^(G)

⁴Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;
    they never call on God.
⁵But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
    where there was nothing to dread.^(H)
God scattered the bones^(I) of those who attacked you;^(J)
    you put them to shame,^(K) for God despised them.^(L)

⁶Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Psalm 54^[d]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil^[e] of David. When the Ziphites^(M) had gone to Saul and said, “Is not David hiding among us?”

¹Save me^(N), O God, by your name;^(O)
vindicate me by your might.^(P)
²Hear my prayer, O God;^(Q)
listen to the words of my mouth.

³Arrogant foes are attacking me;^(R)
ruthless people^(S) are trying to kill me^(T)—
people without regard for God.^[f]^(U)

⁴Surely God is my help;^(V)
the Lord is the one who sustains me.^(W)

⁵Let evil recoil^(X) on those who slander me;
in your faithfulness^(Y) destroy them.

⁶I will sacrifice a freewill offering^(Z) to you;
I will praise^(AA) your name, Lord, for it is good.^(AB)
⁷You have delivered me^(AC) from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.^(AD)

Psalm 55^[g]

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

¹Listen to my prayer, O God,
    do not ignore my plea;^(AE)
²    hear me and answer me.^(AF)
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught^(AG)
³    because of what my enemy is saying,
    because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me^(AH)
    and assail^(AI) me in their anger.^(AJ)

⁴My heart is in anguish^(AK) within me;
    the terrors^(AL) of death have fallen on me.
⁵Fear and trembling^(AM) have beset me;
    horror^(AN) 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;^[i]^(AO)
⁸I would hurry to my place of shelter,^(AP)
    far from the tempest and storm.^(AQ)”

⁹Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,^(AR)
    for I see violence and strife^(AS) in the city.^(AT)
¹⁰Day and night they prowl^(AU) about on its walls;
    malice and abuse are within it.
¹¹Destructive forces^(AV) are at work in the city;
    threats and lies^(AW) 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,^(AX)
¹⁴with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship^(AY)
    at the house of God,^(AZ)
as we walked about
    among the worshipers.

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

¹⁶As for me, I call to God,
    and the Lord saves me.
¹⁷Evening,^(BC) morning^(BD) and noon^(BE)
    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,^(BF)
    who does not change—
he will hear^(BG) them and humble them,
    because they have no fear of God.^(BH)

²⁰My companion attacks his friends;^(BI)
    he violates his covenant.^(BJ)
²¹His talk is smooth as butter,^(BK)
    yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,^(BL)
    yet they are drawn swords.^(BM)

²²Cast your cares on the Lord
    and he will sustain you;^(BN)
he will never let
    the righteous be shaken.^(BO)
²³But you, God, will bring down the wicked
    into the pit^(BP) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful^(BQ)
    will not live out half their days.^(BR)

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

Footnotes

Psalm 53:1 In Hebrew texts 53:1-6 is numbered 53:2-7.
Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a musical term
Psalm 53:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 54:1 In Hebrew texts 54:1-7 is numbered 54:3-9.
Psalm 54:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 54:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
Psalm 55:1 In Hebrew texts 55:1-23 is numbered 55:2-24.
Psalm 55:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 55:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and in the middle of verse 19.