Psalm 54-55

New International Version

Psalm 54^[a]

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

¹Save me^(B), O God, by your name;^(C)
vindicate me by your might.^(D)
²Hear my prayer, O God;^(E)
listen to the words of my mouth.

³Arrogant foes are attacking me;^(F)
ruthless people^(G) are trying to kill me^(H)—
people without regard for God.^[c]^(I)

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

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

⁶I will sacrifice a freewill offering^(N) to you;
I will praise^(O) your name, Lord, for it is good.^(P)
⁷You have delivered me^(Q) from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.^(R)

Psalm 55^[d]

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

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

⁴My heart is in anguish^(Y) within me;
    the terrors^(Z) of death have fallen on me.
⁵Fear and trembling^(AA) have beset me;
    horror^(AB) 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;^[f]^(AC)
⁸I would hurry to my place of shelter,^(AD)
    far from the tempest and storm.^(AE)”

⁹Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,^(AF)
    for I see violence and strife^(AG) in the city.^(AH)
¹⁰Day and night they prowl^(AI) about on its walls;
    malice and abuse are within it.
¹¹Destructive forces^(AJ) are at work in the city;
    threats and lies^(AK) 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,^(AL)
¹⁴with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship^(AM)
    at the house of God,^(AN)
as we walked about
    among the worshipers.

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

¹⁶As for me, I call to God,
    and the Lord saves me.
¹⁷Evening,^(AQ) morning^(AR) and noon^(AS)
    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,^(AT)
    who does not change—
he will hear^(AU) them and humble them,
    because they have no fear of God.^(AV)

²⁰My companion attacks his friends;^(AW)
    he violates his covenant.^(AX)
²¹His talk is smooth as butter,^(AY)
    yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,^(AZ)
    yet they are drawn swords.^(BA)

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

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

Footnotes

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.