Psalms 54-56

Psalm 54

¹To the Overseer with stringed instruments. -- An instruction, by David, in the coming in of the Ziphim, and they say to Saul, ‘Is not David hiding himself with us?' O God, by Thy name save me, and by Thy might judge me.

²O God, hear my prayer, Give ear to the sayings of my mouth,

³For strangers have risen up against me And terrible ones have sought my soul, They have not set God before them. Selah.

⁴Lo, God is a helper to me, The Lord is with those supporting my soul,

⁵Turn back doth the evil thing to mine enemies, In Thy truth cut them off.

⁶With a free will-offering I sacrifice to Thee, I thank Thy name, O Jehovah, for it is good,

⁷For, from all adversity He delivered me, And on mine enemies hath mine eye looked!

Psalm 55

¹To the Overseer with stringed instruments. -- An instruction, by David. Give ear, O God, to my prayer, And hide not from my supplication.

²Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise,

³Because 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.

⁴My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me.

⁵Fear and trembling come in to me, And horror doth cover me.

⁶And I say, ‘Who doth give to me a pinion as a dove? I fly away and rest,

⁷Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. Selah.

⁸I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.

⁹Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city.

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

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

¹²For 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

²³And 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!

Psalm 56

¹To 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,

²Mine enemies have swallowed up all the day, For many are fighting against me, O most High,

³The day I am afraid I am confident toward Thee.

⁴In God I praise His word, in God I have trusted, I fear not what flesh doth to me.

⁵All the day they wrest my words, Concerning me all their thoughts are for evil,

⁶They assemble, they hide, they watch my heels, When they have expected my soul.

⁷By iniquity they escape, In anger the peoples put down, O God.

⁸My wandering Thou hast counted, Thou -- place Thou my tear in Thy bottle, Are they not in Thy book?

⁹Then turn back do mine enemies in the day I call. This I have known, that God is for me.

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

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

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

¹³For 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!