54:1 For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song ²  by David. It was written when the Ziphites came and informed Saul: “David is hiding with us.” ³ 

O God, deliver me by your name! ⁴ 

Vindicate me ⁵  by your power!

54:2 O God, listen to my prayer!

Pay attention to what I say! ⁶ 

54:3 For foreigners ⁷  attack me; ⁸ 

ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life. ⁹  (Selah)

54:4 Look, God is my deliverer! ¹⁰ 

The Lord is among those who support me. ¹¹ 

54:5 May those who wait to ambush me ¹²  be repaid for their evil! ¹³ 

As a demonstration of your faithfulness, ¹⁴  destroy them!

54:6 With a freewill offering I will sacrifice ¹⁵  to you!

I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good!

54:7 Surely ¹⁶  he rescues me from all trouble, ¹⁷ 

and I triumph over my enemies. ¹⁸ 

55:1 For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song ²⁰  by David.

Listen, O God, to my prayer!

Do not ignore ²¹  my appeal for mercy!

55:2 Pay attention to me and answer me!

I am so upset ²²  and distressed, ²³  I am beside myself, ²⁴ 

55:3 because of what the enemy says, ²⁵ 

and because of how the wicked ²⁶  pressure me, ²⁷ 

for they hurl trouble ²⁸  down upon me ²⁹ 

and angrily attack me.

55:4 My heart beats violently ³⁰  within me;

the horrors of death overcome me. ³¹ 

55:5 Fear and panic overpower me; ³² 

terror overwhelms ³³  me.

55:6 I say, ³⁴  “I wish I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and settle in a safe place!

55:7 Look, I will escape to a distant place;

I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)

55:8 I will hurry off to a place that is safe

from the strong wind ³⁵  and the gale.”

55:9 Confuse them, ³⁶  O Lord!

Frustrate their plans! ³⁷ 

For I see violence and conflict in the city.

55:10 Day and night they walk around on its walls, ³⁸ 

while wickedness and destruction ³⁹  are within it.

55:11 Disaster is within it;

violence ⁴⁰  and deceit do not depart from its public square.

55:12 Indeed, ⁴¹  it is not an enemy who insults me,

or else I could bear it;

it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me, ⁴² 

or else I could hide from him.

55:13 But it is you, ⁴³  a man like me, ⁴⁴ 

my close friend in whom I confided. ⁴⁵ 

55:14 We would share personal thoughts with each other; ⁴⁶ 

in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.

55:15 May death destroy them! ⁴⁷ 

May they go down alive into Sheol! ⁴⁸ 

For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.

55:16 As for me, I will call out to God,

and the Lord will deliver me.

55:17 During the evening, morning, and noontime

I will lament and moan, ⁴⁹ 

and he will hear ⁵⁰  me. ⁵¹ 

55:18 He will rescue ⁵²  me and protect me from those who attack me, ⁵³ 

even though ⁵⁴  they greatly outnumber me. ⁵⁵ 

55:19 God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago,

will hear and humiliate them. ⁵⁶  (Selah)

They refuse to change,

and do not fear God. ⁵⁷ 

55:20 He ⁵⁸  attacks ⁵⁹  his friends; ⁶⁰ 

he breaks his solemn promises to them. ⁶¹ 

55:21 His words are as smooth as butter, ⁶² 

but he harbors animosity in his heart. ⁶³ 

His words seem softer than oil,

but they are really like sharp swords. ⁶⁴ 

55:22 Throw your burden ⁶⁵  upon the Lord,

and he will sustain you. ⁶⁶ 

He will never allow the godly to be upended. ⁶⁷ 

55:23 But you, O God, will bring them ⁶⁸  down to the deep Pit. ⁶⁹ 

Violent and deceitful people ⁷⁰  will not live even half a normal lifespan. ⁷¹ 

But as for me, I trust in you.

56:1 For the music director; according to the yonath-elem-rechovim style; ⁷³  a prayer ⁷⁴  of David, written when the Philistines captured him in Gath. ⁷⁵ 

Have mercy on me, O God, for men are attacking me! ⁷⁶ 

All day long hostile enemies ⁷⁷  are tormenting me. ⁷⁸ 

56:2 Those who anticipate my defeat ⁷⁹  attack me all day long.

Indeed, ⁸⁰  many are fighting against me, O Exalted One. ⁸¹ 

56:3 When ⁸²  I am afraid,

I trust in you.

56:4 In God – I boast in his promise ⁸³  –

in God I trust, I am not afraid.

What can mere men ⁸⁴  do to me? ⁸⁵ 

56:5 All day long they cause me trouble; ⁸⁶ 

they make a habit of plotting my demise. ⁸⁷ 

56:6 They stalk ⁸⁸  and lurk; ⁸⁹ 

they watch my every step, ⁹⁰ 

as ⁹¹  they prepare to take my life. ⁹² 

56:7 Because they are bent on violence, do not let them escape! ⁹³ 

In your anger ⁹⁴  bring down the nations, ⁹⁵  O God!

56:8 You keep track of my misery. ⁹⁶ 

Put my tears in your leather container! ⁹⁷ 

Are they not recorded in your scroll? ⁹⁸ 

56:9 My enemies will turn back when I cry out to you for help; ⁹⁹ 

I know that God is on my side. ¹⁰⁰ 

56:10 In God – I boast in his promise ¹⁰¹  –

in the Lord – I boast in his promise ¹⁰²  –

56:11 in God I trust, I am not afraid.

What can mere men ¹⁰³  do to me? ¹⁰⁴ 

56:12 I am obligated to fulfill the vows I made to you, O God; ¹⁰⁵ 

I will give you the thank-offerings you deserve, ¹⁰⁶ 

56:13 when you deliver ¹⁰⁷  my life from death.

You keep my feet from stumbling, ¹⁰⁸ 

so that I might serve ¹⁰⁹  God as I enjoy life. ¹¹⁰ 

57:1 For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; ¹¹²  a prayer ¹¹³  of David, written when he fled from Saul into the cave. ¹¹⁴ 

Have mercy on me, O God! Have mercy on me!

For in you I have taken shelter. ¹¹⁵ 

In the shadow of your wings ¹¹⁶  I take shelter

until trouble passes.

57:2 I cry out for help to the sovereign God, ¹¹⁷ 

to the God who vindicates ¹¹⁸  me.

57:3 May he send help from heaven and deliver me ¹¹⁹ 

from my enemies who hurl insults! ¹²⁰  (Selah)

May God send his loyal love and faithfulness!

57:4 I am surrounded by lions;

I lie down ¹²¹  among those who want to devour me; ¹²² 

men whose teeth are spears and arrows,

whose tongues are a sharp sword. ¹²³ 

57:5 Rise up ¹²⁴  above the sky, O God!

May your splendor cover the whole earth! ¹²⁵ 

57:6 They have prepared a net to trap me; ¹²⁶ 

I am discouraged. ¹²⁷ 

They have dug a pit for me. ¹²⁸ 

They will fall ¹²⁹  into it! (Selah)

57:7 I am determined, ¹³⁰  O God! I am determined!

I will sing and praise you!

57:8 Awake, my soul! ¹³¹ 

Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!

I will wake up at dawn! ¹³² 

57:9 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Master!

I will sing praises to you before foreigners! ¹³³ 

57:10 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, ¹³⁴ 

and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.

57:11 Rise up ¹³⁵  above the sky, O God!

May your splendor cover the whole earth! ¹³⁶ 

58:1 For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; ¹³⁸  a prayer ¹³⁹  of David.

Do you rulers really pronounce just decisions? ¹⁴⁰ 

Do you judge people ¹⁴¹  fairly?

58:2 No! ¹⁴²  You plan how to do what is unjust; ¹⁴³ 

you deal out violence in the earth. ¹⁴⁴ 

58:3 The wicked turn aside from birth; ¹⁴⁵ 

liars go astray as soon as they are born. ¹⁴⁶ 

58:4 Their venom is like that of a snake, ¹⁴⁷ 

like a deaf serpent ¹⁴⁸  that does not hear, ¹⁴⁹ 

58:5 that does not respond to ¹⁵⁰  the magicians,

or to a skilled snake-charmer.

58:6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths!

Smash the jawbones of the lions, O Lord!

58:7 Let them disappear ¹⁵¹  like water that flows away! ¹⁵² 

Let them wither like grass! ¹⁵³ 

58:8 Let them be ¹⁵⁴  like a snail that melts away as it moves along! ¹⁵⁵ 

Let them be like ¹⁵⁶  stillborn babies ¹⁵⁷  that never see the sun!

58:9 Before the kindling is even placed under your pots, ¹⁵⁸ 

he ¹⁵⁹  will sweep it away along with both the raw and cooked meat. ¹⁶⁰ 

58:10 The godly ¹⁶¹  will rejoice when they see vengeance carried out;

they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.

58:11 Then ¹⁶²  observers ¹⁶³  will say,

“Yes indeed, the godly are rewarded! ¹⁶⁴ 

Yes indeed, there is a God who judges ¹⁶⁵  in the earth!”

59:1 For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; ¹⁶⁷  a prayer ¹⁶⁸  of David, written when Saul sent men to surround his house and murder him. ¹⁶⁹ 

Deliver me from my enemies, my God!

Protect me ¹⁷⁰  from those who attack me! ¹⁷¹ 

59:2 Deliver me from evildoers! ¹⁷² 

Rescue me from violent men! ¹⁷³ 

59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; ¹⁷⁴ 

powerful men stalk ¹⁷⁵  me,

but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. ¹⁷⁶ 

59:4 Though I have done nothing wrong, ¹⁷⁷  they are anxious to attack. ¹⁷⁸ 

Spring into action and help me! Take notice of me! ¹⁷⁹ 

59:5 You, O Lord God, the invincible warrior, ¹⁸⁰  the God of Israel,

rouse yourself and punish ¹⁸¹  all the nations!

Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers! (Selah)

59:6 They return in the evening;

they growl ¹⁸²  like a dog

and prowl around outside ¹⁸³  the city.

59:7 Look, they hurl insults at me

and openly threaten to kill me, ¹⁸⁴ 

for they say, ¹⁸⁵ 

“Who hears?”

59:8 But you, O Lord, laugh in disgust at them; ¹⁸⁶ 

you taunt ¹⁸⁷  all the nations.

59:9 You are my source of strength! I will wait for you! ¹⁸⁸ 

For God is my refuge. ¹⁸⁹ 

59:10 The God who loves me will help me; ¹⁹⁰ 

God will enable me to triumph over ¹⁹¹  my enemies. ¹⁹² 

59:11 Do not strike them dead suddenly,

because then my people might forget the lesson. ¹⁹³ 

Use your power to make them homeless vagabonds and then bring them down,

O Lord who shields us! ¹⁹⁴ 

59:12 They speak sinful words. ¹⁹⁵ 

So let them be trapped by their own pride

and by the curses and lies they speak!

59:13 Angrily wipe them out! Wipe them out so they vanish!

Let them know that God rules

in Jacob and to the ends of the earth! (Selah)

59:14 They return in the evening;

they growl ¹⁹⁶  like a dog

and prowl around outside ¹⁹⁷  the city.

59:15 They wander around looking for something to eat;

they refuse to sleep until they are full. ¹⁹⁸ 

59:16 As for me, I will sing about your strength;

I will praise your loyal love in the morning.

For you are my refuge ¹⁹⁹ 

and my place of shelter when I face trouble. ²⁰⁰ 

59:17 You are my source of strength! I will sing praises to you! ²⁰¹ 

For God is my refuge, ²⁰²  the God who loves me. ²⁰³ 

60:1 For the music director; according to the shushan-eduth style; ²⁰⁵  a prayer ²⁰⁶  of David written to instruct others. ²⁰⁷  It was written when he fought against Aram Naharaim and Aram-Zobah. That was when Joab turned back and struck down ²⁰⁸  12,000 Edomites ²⁰⁹  in the Valley of Salt. ²¹⁰ 

O God, you have rejected us. ²¹¹ 

You suddenly turned on us in your anger. ²¹² 

Please restore us! ²¹³ 

60:2 You made the earth quake; you split it open. ²¹⁴ 

Repair its breaches, for it is ready to fall. ²¹⁵ 

60:3 You have made your people experience hard times; ²¹⁶ 

you have made us drink intoxicating wine. ²¹⁷ 

60:4 You have given your loyal followers ²¹⁸  a rallying flag,

so that they might seek safety from the bow. ²¹⁹  (Selah)

60:5 Deliver by your power ²²⁰  and answer me, ²²¹ 

so that the ones you love may be safe. ²²² 

60:6 God has spoken in his sanctuary: ²²³ 

“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem;

the Valley of Succoth I will measure off. ²²⁴ 

60:7 Gilead belongs to me,

as does Manasseh! ²²⁵ 

Ephraim is my helmet, ²²⁶ 

Judah my royal scepter. ²²⁷ 

60:8 Moab is my washbasin. ²²⁸ 

I will make Edom serve me. ²²⁹ 

I will shout in triumph over Philistia.” ²³⁰ 

60:9 Who will lead me into the fortified city?

Who will bring me to Edom? ²³¹ 

60:10 Have you not rejected us, O God?

O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.

60:11 Give us help against the enemy,

for any help men might offer is futile. ²³² 

60:12 By God’s power we will conquer; ²³³ 

he will trample down ²³⁴  our enemies.

61:1 For the music director; to be played on a stringed instrument; written by David.

O God, hear my cry for help!

Pay attention to my prayer!

61:2 From the most remote place on earth ²³⁶ 

I call out to you in my despair. ²³⁷ 

Lead me ²³⁸  up to an inaccessible rocky summit! ²³⁹ 

61:3 Indeed, ²⁴⁰  you are ²⁴¹  my shelter,

a strong tower that protects me from the enemy. ²⁴² 

61:4 I will be a permanent guest in your home; ²⁴³ 

I will find shelter in the protection of your wings. ²⁴⁴  (Selah)

61:5 For you, O God, hear my vows;

you grant me the reward that belongs to your loyal followers. ²⁴⁵ 

61:6 Give the king long life!

Make his lifetime span several generations! ²⁴⁶ 

61:7 May he reign ²⁴⁷  forever before God!

Decree that your loyal love and faithfulness should protect him. ²⁴⁸ 

61:8 Then I will sing praises to your name continually, ²⁴⁹ 

as I fulfill ²⁵⁰  my vows day after day.

62:1 For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of David.

For God alone I patiently wait; ²⁵² 

he is the one who delivers me. ²⁵³ 

62:2 He alone is my protector ²⁵⁴  and deliverer.

He is my refuge; ²⁵⁵  I will not be upended. ²⁵⁶ 

62:3 How long will you threaten ²⁵⁷  a man?

All of you are murderers, ²⁵⁸ 

as dangerous as a leaning wall or an unstable fence. ²⁵⁹ 

62:4 They ²⁶⁰  spend all their time planning how to bring him ²⁶¹  down. ²⁶² 

They love to use deceit; ²⁶³ 

they pronounce blessings with their mouths,

but inwardly they utter curses. ²⁶⁴  (Selah)

62:5 Patiently wait for God alone, my soul! ²⁶⁵ 

For he is the one who gives me confidence. ²⁶⁶ 

62:6 He alone is my protector ²⁶⁷  and deliverer.

He is my refuge; ²⁶⁸  I will not be upended. ²⁶⁹ 

62:7 God delivers me and exalts me;

God is my strong protector and my shelter. ²⁷⁰ 

62:8 Trust in him at all times, you people!

Pour out your hearts before him! ²⁷¹ 

God is our shelter! (Selah)

62:9 Men are nothing but a mere breath;

human beings are unreliable. ²⁷² 

When they are weighed in the scales,

all of them together are lighter than air. ²⁷³ 

62:10 Do not trust in what you can gain by oppression! ²⁷⁴ 

Do not put false confidence in what you can gain by robbery! ²⁷⁵ 

If wealth increases, do not become attached to it! ²⁷⁶ 

62:11 God has declared one principle;

two principles I have heard: ²⁷⁷ 

God is strong, ²⁷⁸ 

62:12 and you, O Lord, demonstrate loyal love. ²⁷⁹ 

For you repay men for what they do. ²⁸⁰ 

63:1 A psalm of David, written when he was in the Judean wilderness. ²⁸² 

O God, you are my God! I long for you! ²⁸³ 

My soul thirsts ²⁸⁴  for you,

my flesh yearns for you,

in a dry and parched ²⁸⁵  land where there is no water.

63:2 Yes, ²⁸⁶  in the sanctuary I have seen you, ²⁸⁷ 

and witnessed ²⁸⁸  your power and splendor.

63:3 Because ²⁸⁹  experiencing ²⁹⁰  your loyal love is better than life itself,

my lips will praise you.

63:4 For this reason ²⁹¹  I will praise you while I live;

in your name I will lift up my hands. ²⁹² 

63:5 As if with choice meat ²⁹³  you satisfy my soul. ²⁹⁴ 

My mouth joyfully praises you, ²⁹⁵ 

63:6 whenever ²⁹⁶  I remember you on my bed,

and think about you during the nighttime hours.

63:7 For you are my deliverer; ²⁹⁷ 

under your wings ²⁹⁸  I rejoice.

63:8 My soul ²⁹⁹  pursues you; ³⁰⁰ 

your right hand upholds me.

63:9 Enemies seek to destroy my life, ³⁰¹ 

but they will descend into the depths of the earth. ³⁰² 

63:10 Each one will be handed over to the sword; ³⁰³ 

their corpses will be eaten by jackals. ³⁰⁴ 

63:11 But the king ³⁰⁵  will rejoice in God;

everyone who takes oaths in his name ³⁰⁶  will boast,

for the mouths of those who speak lies will be shut up. ³⁰⁷ 

64:1 For the music director; a psalm of David.

Listen to me, ³⁰⁹  O God, as I offer my lament!

Protect ³¹⁰  my life from the enemy’s terrifying attacks. ³¹¹ 

64:2 Hide me from the plots of evil men,

from the crowd of evildoers. ³¹² 

64:3 They ³¹³  sharpen their tongues like a sword;

they aim their arrow, a slanderous charge, ³¹⁴ 

64:4 in order to shoot down the innocent ³¹⁵  in secluded places.

They shoot at him suddenly and are unafraid of retaliation. ³¹⁶ 

64:5 They encourage one another to carry out their evil deed. ³¹⁷ 

They plan how to hide ³¹⁸  snares,

and boast, ³¹⁹  “Who will see them?” ³²⁰ 

64:6 They devise ³²¹  unjust schemes;

they disguise ³²²  a well-conceived plot. ³²³ 

Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered. ³²⁴ 

64:7 But God will shoot ³²⁵  at them;

suddenly they will be ³²⁶  wounded by an arrow. ³²⁷ 

64:8 Their slander will bring about their demise. ³²⁸ 

All who see them will shudder, ³²⁹ 

64:9 and all people will fear. ³³⁰ 

They will proclaim ³³¹  what God has done,

and reflect on his deeds.

64:10 The godly will rejoice in the Lord

and take shelter in him.

All the morally upright ³³²  will boast. ³³³