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Psalm 55-57
New Life Version
Psalm 55-57
New Life Version
Prayer of a Man Hurt by a Friend
55 Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not hide Yourself from what I ask. 2 Hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I have no peace, 3 because of the voice of those who hate me and the power of the sinful. For they bring trouble upon me, and in anger they keep on having bad thoughts against me.
4 My heart is in pain within me. The fears of death have come upon me. 5 I have begun shaking with fear. Fear has power over me. 6 And I say, “If only I had wings like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest. 7 Yes, I would go far away. I would live in the desert. 8 I would hurry to my safe place, away from the wild wind and storm.”
9 Mix them up, O Lord. Divide their tongues. For I have seen fighting and trouble in the city. 10 They go around on its walls day and night. Sin and wrong-doing are within it. 11 Destroying powers are in the city. Trouble and lies never leave its streets.
12 I would be able to take it if one who hates me were putting me to shame. I could hide from him. It is not one who hates me who has put himself up against me. 13 But it is you, a man like myself, one who has gone with me, my close friend. 14 We shared together. And we walked with the people in the house of God. 15 Let death take them by surprise. Let them go down alive to the grave. For sin is with them where they live. 16 As for me, I will call on God and the Lord will save me. 17 I will cry out and complain in the evening and morning and noon, and He will hear my voice. 18 He will save my soul in peace from those who make war against me. For there are many who fight me. 19 God sits on His throne forever. And He will hear them and bring trouble upon them, because there has been no change in them. They do not fear God. 20 He goes against those who were at peace with him. He has broken his agreement. 21 What he says is smoother than butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are raised swords.
22 Give all your cares to the Lord and He will give you strength. He will never let those who are right with Him be shaken. 23 But You, O God, will bring the sinful down into the hole that destroys. Men who kill and lie will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.
Prayer of Trust in God
56 Show me Your loving-kindness, O God, for man has walked on me. All day long the one who tries to keep me down fights with me. 2 All day long those who hate me have walked on me. For there are many who fight against me with pride. 3 When I am afraid, I will trust in You. 4 I praise the Word of God. I have put my trust in God. I will not be afraid. What can only a man do to me? 5 All day long they change my words to say what I did not say. They are always thinking of ways to hurt me. 6 They go after me as in a fight. They hide themselves. They watch my steps, as they have waited to take my life. 7 Because they are bad, do not let them get away. Bring down the people in Your anger, O God.
8 You have seen how many places I have gone. Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book? 9 Then those who hate me will turn back when I call. I know that God is for me. 10 I praise the Word of God. I praise the Word of the Lord. 11 In God I have put my trust. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? 12 I am under an agreement with You, O God. I will give You gifts of thanks. 13 For You have set my soul free from death. You have kept my feet from falling, so I may walk with God in the light of life.
Prayer for Help
57 Show me loving-kindness, O God, show me loving-kindness. For my soul goes to You to be safe. And I will be safe in the shadow of Your wings until the trouble has passed. 2 I will cry to God Most High, to God Who finishes all things for me. 3 He will send from heaven and save me. He will put to shame him who is breaking me under his feet. God will send His loving-kindness and His truth.
4 My soul is among lions. I must lie among the sons of men who breathe fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and whose tongues are a sharp sword. 5 Be lifted up above the heavens, O God. Let Your shining-greatness be above all the earth. 6 They have set a net for my steps. My soul is brought down. They dug a deep hole in front of me. But they themselves have fallen into it.
7 My heart will not be moved, O God. My heart cannot be moved. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises! 8 Awake, my shining-greatness. Awake, harps. I will awake early in the morning. 9 O Lord, I will give thanks to You among the people. I will sing praises to You among the nations. 10 For Your loving-kindness is great to the heavens, and Your truth to the clouds. 11 Be lifted up above the heavens, O God. Let Your shining-greatness be above all the earth.
Psalm 55-57
New International Version
Psalm 55-57
New International Version
Psalm 55[a]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil[b] of David.
1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;(A)
2 hear me and answer me.(B)
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught(C)
3 because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me(D)
and assail(E) me in their anger.(F)
4 My heart is in anguish(G) within me;
the terrors(H) of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling(I) have beset me;
horror(J) has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;[c](K)
8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,(L)
far from the tempest and storm.(M)”
9 Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,(N)
for I see violence and strife(O) in the city.(P)
10 Day and night they prowl(Q) about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.
11 Destructive forces(R) are at work in the city;
threats and lies(S) never leave its streets.
12 If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
13 But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,(T)
14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship(U)
at the house of God,(V)
as we walked about
among the worshipers.
15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;(W)
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,(X)
for evil finds lodging among them.
16 As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Evening,(Y) morning(Z) and noon(AA)
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.
18 He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old,(AB)
who does not change—
he will hear(AC) them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.(AD)
20 My companion attacks his friends;(AE)
he violates his covenant.(AF)
21 His talk is smooth as butter,(AG)
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,(AH)
yet they are drawn swords.(AI)
22 Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;(AJ)
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.(AK)
23 But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit(AL) of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful(AM)
will not live out half their days.(AN)
But as for me, I trust in you.(AO)
Psalm 56[d]
For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[e] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.
1 Be merciful to me,(AP) my God,
for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(AQ)
all day long they press their attack.(AR)
2 My adversaries pursue me all day long;(AS)
in their pride many are attacking me.(AT)
3 When I am afraid,(AU) I put my trust in you.(AV)
4 In God, whose word I praise—(AW)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(AX)
What can mere mortals do to me?(AY)
5 All day long they twist my words;(AZ)
all their schemes are for my ruin.
6 They conspire,(BA) they lurk,
they watch my steps,(BB)
hoping to take my life.(BC)
7 Because of their wickedness do not[f] let them escape;(BD)
in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(BE)
8 Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll[g](BF)—
are they not in your record?(BG)
9 Then my enemies will turn back(BH)
when I call for help.(BI)
By this I will know that God is for me.(BJ)
10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 I am under vows(BK) to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death(BL)
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.(BM)
Psalm 57[h](BN)
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[i] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.(BO)
1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.(BP)
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings(BQ)
until the disaster has passed.(BR)
2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who vindicates me.(BS)
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,(BT)
rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[j](BU)
God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.(BV)
4 I am in the midst of lions;(BW)
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.(BX)
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.(BY)
6 They spread a net for my feet(BZ)—
I was bowed down(CA) in distress.
They dug a pit(CB) in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.(CC)
7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;(CD)
I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!(CE)
I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.(CF)
Footnotes
- 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.
- Psalm 56:1 In Hebrew texts 56:1-13 is numbered 56:2-14.
- Psalm 56:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 56:7 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not.
- Psalm 56:8 Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin
- Psalm 57:1 In Hebrew texts 57:1-11 is numbered 57:2-12.
- Psalm 57:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 57:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 6.
New Life Version (NLV)
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.