Psalm 55:3-68:18

English Standard Version

⁴ My heart is in anguish within me;
    ^(B)the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
⁵ Fear and trembling come upon me,
    and ^(C)horror ^(D)overwhelms me.
⁶ And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest;
^7 (E)yes, I would wander far away;
    I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
⁸ I would hurry to find a shelter
    from ^(F)the raging wind and tempest.”

⁹ Destroy, O Lord, ^(G)divide their tongues;
    for I see ^(H)violence and strife in the city.
¹⁰ Day and night they go around it
    on its walls,
and ^(I)iniquity and trouble are within it;
¹¹     ruin is in its midst;
^(J)oppression and fraud
    do not depart from its marketplace.

¹² For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who ^(K)deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
^13 (L)But it is you, a man, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
¹⁴ We used to take sweet counsel together;
    within God's house we walked in ^(M)the throng.
¹⁵ Let death steal over them;
    let them go down to Sheol ^(N)alive;
    for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

¹⁶ But I call to God,
    and the Lord will save me.
^17 (O)Evening and ^(P)morning and at ^(Q)noon
    I ^(R)utter my complaint and moan,
    and he hears my voice.
¹⁸ He redeems my soul in safety
    from the battle that I wage,
    for ^(S)many are arrayed against me.
¹⁹ God will give ear and humble them,
    he who is ^(T)enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not ^(U)change
    and do not fear God.

²⁰ My companion^{[a] (V)}stretched out his hand against his friends;
    he violated his covenant.
²¹ His ^(W)speech was ^(X)smooth as butter,
    yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
    yet they were ^(Y)drawn swords.

^22 (Z)Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
^(AA)he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.

²³ But you, O God, ^(AB)will cast them down
    into ^(AC)the pit of destruction;
men of ^(AD)blood and treachery
    shall not ^(AE)live out half their days.
But I will ^(AF)trust in you.

⁵ All day long they injure my cause;^[c]
    all their thoughts are against me for evil.
⁶ They ^(AM)stir up strife, they ^(AN)lurk;
    they ^(AO)watch my steps,
    as they have waited for my life.
⁷ For their crime will they escape?
    ^(AP)In wrath ^(AQ)cast down the peoples, O God!

⁸ You have kept count of my tossings;^{[d]
    (AR)}put my tears in your bottle.
    ^(AS)Are they not in your book?
⁹ Then my enemies will turn back
    ^(AT)in the day when I call.
    This I know, that^{[e] (AU)}God is for me.
¹⁰ In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise,
¹¹ in God I trust; ^(AV)I shall not be afraid.
    What can man do to me?

¹² I must perform my ^(AW)vows to you, O God;
    I will ^(AX)render thank offerings to you.
^13 (AY)For you have delivered my soul from death,
    yes, my feet from falling,
^(AZ)that I may walk before God
    ^(BA)in the light of life.

⁴ My soul is in the midst of ^(BN)lions;
    I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose ^(BO)teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose ^(BP)tongues are sharp swords.

^5 (BQ)Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!

⁶ They set ^(BR)a net for my steps;
    my soul was ^(BS)bowed down.
They ^(BT)dug a pit in my way,
    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah
^7 (BU)My heart is ^(BV)steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
^{8     (BW)}Awake, ^(BX)my glory!^[g]
Awake, ^(BY)O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!
⁹ I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
    I will sing praises to you among the nations.
¹⁰ For your ^(BZ)steadfast love is great to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.

^11 (CA)Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
    Let your glory be over all the earth!

³ The wicked are ^(CE)estranged from the womb;
    they go astray from birth, speaking lies.
^4 (CF)They have venom like the venom of a serpent,
    like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
⁵ so that it ^(CG)does not hear the voice of charmers
    or of the cunning enchanter.

⁶ O God, ^(CH)break the teeth in their mouths;
    tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
⁷ Let them ^(CI)vanish like water that runs away;
    when he ^(CJ)aims his arrows, let them be blunted.
⁸ Let them be like the snail ^(CK)that dissolves into slime,
    like ^(CL)the stillborn child who never sees the sun.
⁹ Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of ^(CM)thorns,
    whether green or ablaze, may he ^(CN)sweep them away!^[j]

^10 (CO)The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
    he will ^(CP)bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
¹¹ Mankind will say, “Surely there is ^(CQ)a reward for the righteous;
    surely there is a God who ^(CR)judges on earth.”

³ For behold, they ^(DA)lie in wait for my life;
    fierce men ^(DB)stir up strife against me.
^(DC)For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,
⁴     for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.
^(DD)Awake, come to meet me, and see!
⁵     You, ^(DE)Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel.
Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;
    spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah

⁶ Each evening they ^(DF)come back,
    howling like dogs
    and prowling about the city.
⁷ There they are, ^(DG)bellowing with their mouths
    with ^(DH)swords in their lips—
    for ^(DI)“Who,” they think,^[l] “will hear us?”

⁸ But you, O Lord, ^(DJ)laugh at them;
    you hold all the nations in derision.
⁹ O my Strength, I will watch for you,
    for you, O God, are ^(DK)my fortress.
^10 (DL)My God in his steadfast love^{[m] (DM)}will meet me;
    God will let me ^(DN)look in triumph on my enemies.

¹¹ Kill them not, lest my people forget;
    make them totter^[n] by your power and ^(DO)bring them down,
    O Lord, our ^(DP)shield!
¹² For ^(DQ)the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,
    let them be trapped in their pride.
For the cursing and lies that they utter,
^{13     (DR)}consume them in wrath;
    consume them till they are no more,
that they may ^(DS)know that God rules over Jacob
    to ^(DT)the ends of the earth. Selah

^14 (DU)Each evening they come back,
    howling like dogs
    and prowling about the city.
¹⁵ They ^(DV)wander about for food
    and growl if they do not get their fill.

¹⁶ But I will sing of your strength;
    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me ^(DW)a fortress
    and ^(DX)a refuge in ^(DY)the day of my distress.
¹⁷ O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
    for you, O God, ^(DZ)are my fortress,
    ^(EA)the God who shows me steadfast love.

⁴ You have set up ^(EM)a banner for those who fear you,
    that they may flee to it ^(EN)from the bow.^[p] Selah
^5 (EO)That your ^(EP)beloved ones may be delivered,
    give salvation by your right hand and answer us!

⁶ God has spoken ^(EQ)in his holiness:^[q]
    “With exultation ^(ER)I will divide up ^(ES)Shechem
    and portion out the Vale of ^(ET)Succoth.
^7 (EU)Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
    ^(EV)Ephraim is ^(EW)my helmet;
    Judah is my ^(EX)scepter.
^8 (EY)Moab is my washbasin;
    upon Edom I ^(EZ)cast my shoe;
    over ^(FA)Philistia I shout in triumph.”^[r]

⁹ Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    ^(FB)Who will lead me to Edom?
¹⁰ Have you not ^(FC)rejected us, O God?
    You ^(FD)do not go forth, O God, with our armies.
¹¹ Oh, grant us help against the foe,
    for ^(FE)vain is the salvation of man!
¹² With God we shall ^(FF)do valiantly;
    it is he who will ^(FG)tread down our foes.

⁴ Let me ^(FN)dwell in your tent forever!
    Let me take refuge under ^(FO)the shelter of your wings! Selah
⁵ For you, O God, have heard my vows;
    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

^6 (FP)Prolong ^(FQ)the life of the king;
    may his years endure to all generations!
⁷ May he be enthroned forever before God;
    appoint ^(FR)steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

⁸ So will I ever sing praises to your name,
    as I ^(FS)perform my vows day after day.

³ How long will all of you attack a man
    to batter him,
    like ^(FZ)a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
⁴ They only plan to thrust him down from his ^(GA)high position.
    They take pleasure in falsehood.
^(GB)They bless with their mouths,
    but inwardly they curse. Selah

⁵ For God alone, O ^(GC)my soul, wait in silence,
    for my hope is from him.
^6 (GD)He only is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
⁷ On God rests my ^(GE)salvation and my glory;
    my mighty rock, ^(GF)my refuge is God.

^8 (GG)Trust in him at all times, O people;
    ^(GH)pour out your heart before him;
    God is ^(GI)a refuge for us. Selah

^9 (GJ)Those of low estate are but a breath;
    those of high estate ^(GK)are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
    ^(GL)they are together lighter than a breath.
¹⁰ Put no trust in extortion;
    ^(GM)set no vain hopes on robbery;
    ^(GN)if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

^11 (GO)Once God has spoken;
    ^(GP)twice have I heard this:
that ^(GQ)power belongs to God,
¹²     and that to you, O Lord, ^(GR)belongs steadfast love.
For you will ^(GS)render to a man
    according to his work.

⁵ My soul will be ^(HC)satisfied as with fat and rich food,
    and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
⁶ when I remember you ^(HD)upon my bed,
    and meditate on you in ^(HE)the watches of the night;
⁷ for you have been my help,
    and in ^(HF)the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
⁸ My soul ^(HG)clings to you;
    your right hand ^(HH)upholds me.

⁹ But those who seek to destroy my life
    ^(HI)shall go down into ^(HJ)the depths of the earth;
¹⁰ they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
    they shall be a portion for jackals.
¹¹ But ^(HK)the king shall rejoice in God;
    all who ^(HL)swear by him shall exult,
    ^(HM)for the mouths of ^(HN)liars will be stopped.

^7 (HY)But God shoots his arrow at them;
    they are wounded suddenly.
⁸ They are brought to ruin, with their own ^(HZ)tongues turned against them;
    all who ^(IA)see them will ^(IB)wag their heads.
⁹ Then all mankind ^(IC)fears;
    they ^(ID)tell what God has brought about
    and ponder what he has done.

¹⁰ Let ^(IE)the righteous one rejoice in the Lord
    and ^(IF)take refuge in him!
Let all ^(IG)the upright in heart exult!

⁵ By ^(IQ)awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
    O God of our salvation,
the hope of all ^(IR)the ends of the earth
    and of the farthest seas;
⁶ the one who by his strength established the mountains,
    being ^(IS)girded with might;
⁷ who ^(IT)stills the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    ^(IU)the tumult of the peoples,
⁸ so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

⁹ You visit the earth and ^(IV)water it;^[t]
    you greatly enrich it;
^(IW)the river of God is full of water;
    ^(IX)you provide their grain,
    for so you have prepared it.
¹⁰ You water its furrows abundantly,
    settling its ridges,
softening it with ^(IY)showers,
    and blessing its growth.
¹¹ You crown the year with your bounty;
    your wagon tracks ^(IZ)overflow with abundance.
^12 (JA)The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
    the hills ^(JB)gird themselves with joy,
^13 (JC)the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
    the valleys deck themselves with grain,
    they ^(JD)shout and sing together for joy.

^5 (JJ)Come and see what God has done:
    ^(JK)he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
⁶ He ^(JL)turned the sea into dry land;
    they ^(JM)passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
⁷     who rules by his might forever,
whose ^(JN)eyes keep watch on the nations—
    let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

⁸ Bless our God, O peoples;
    let the sound of his praise be heard,
⁹ who has kept our soul among the living
    and ^(JO)has not let our feet slip.
¹⁰ For you, O God, have ^(JP)tested us;
    you have tried us as silver is tried.
¹¹ You brought us into ^(JQ)the net;
    you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
¹² you let men ^(JR)ride over our heads;
    we went through fire and through ^(JS)water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

¹³ I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
    I will ^(JT)perform my vows to you,
¹⁴ that which my lips uttered
    and my mouth promised ^(JU)when I was in trouble.
¹⁵ I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
    with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah

^16 (JV)Come and hear, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
¹⁷ I cried to him with my mouth,
    and high praise was on^[u] my tongue.^[v]
18 If I had ^(JW)cherished iniquity in my heart,
    ^(JX)the Lord would not have listened.
¹⁹ But truly ^(JY)God has listened;
    he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

²⁰ Blessed be God,
    because he has not rejected my prayer
    or removed his steadfast love from me!

⁴ Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you ^(KF)judge the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
^5 (KG)Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!

⁶ The earth has ^(KH)yielded its increase;
    God, our God, shall bless us.
⁷ God shall bless us;
    let ^(KI)all the ends of the earth fear him!

⁴ Sing to God, ^(KO)sing praises to his name;
    ^(KP)lift up a song to him who ^(KQ)rides through ^(KR)the deserts;
his name is ^(KS)the Lord;
    exult before him!
^5 (KT)Father of the fatherless and ^(KU)protector of widows
    is God in his holy habitation.
⁶ God ^(KV)settles the solitary in a home;
    he ^(KW)leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
    but ^(KX)the rebellious dwell in ^(KY)a parched land.

⁷ O God, when you ^(KZ)went out before your people,
    ^(LA)when you marched through ^(LB)the wilderness, Selah
^8 (LC)the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
    before God, the One of Sinai,
    before God,^[w] the God of Israel.
^9 (LD)Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
    you restored your inheritance as it languished;
¹⁰ your flock^[x] found a dwelling in it;
    in your goodness, O God, you ^(LE)provided for the needy.

¹¹ The Lord gives ^(LF)the word;
    ^(LG)the women who announce the news are a great host:
^{12     (LH)}“The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home ^(LI)divide the spoil—
¹³     though you men lie among ^(LJ)the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
    its pinions with shimmering gold.
¹⁴ When the Almighty scatters kings there,
    let snow fall on ^(LK)Zalmon.

¹⁵ O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
    O many-peaked^[y] mountain, mountain of Bashan!
¹⁶ Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
    at the mount that God ^(LL)desired for his abode,
    yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
^17 (LM)The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
    thousands upon thousands;
    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
^18 (LN)You ascended on high,
    ^(LO)leading a host of captives in your train
    and ^(LP)receiving gifts among men,
even among ^(LQ)the rebellious, ^(LR)that the Lord God may dwell there.