Psalm 5
New International Version
Psalm 5[a]
For the director of music. For pipes. A psalm of David.
1 Listen(A) to my words, Lord,
consider my lament.(B)
2 Hear my cry for help,(C)
my King and my God,(D)
for to you I pray.
3 In the morning,(E) Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.(F)
4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
with you, evil people(G) are not welcome.
5 The arrogant(H) cannot stand(I)
in your presence.
You hate(J) all who do wrong;
6 you destroy those who tell lies.(K)
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
you, Lord, detest.
7 But I, by your great love,
can come into your house;
in reverence(L) I bow down(M)
toward your holy temple.(N)
8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness(O)
because of my enemies—
make your way straight(P) before me.
9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;(Q)
with their tongues they tell lies.(R)
10 Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,(S)
for they have rebelled(T) against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.(U)
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name(V) may rejoice in you.(W)
Footnotes
- Psalm 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1-12 is numbered 5:2-13.
Psalm 5
The Message
5 1-3 Listen, God! Please, pay attention!
Can you make sense of these ramblings,
my groans and cries?
King-God, I need your help.
Every morning
you’ll hear me at it again.
Every morning
I lay out the pieces of my life
on your altar
and watch for fire to descend.
4-6 You don’t socialize with Wicked,
or invite Evil over as your houseguest.
Hot-Air-Boaster collapses in front of you;
you shake your head over Mischief-Maker.
God destroys Lie-Speaker;
Blood-Thirsty and Truth-Bender disgust you.
7-8 And here I am, your invited guest—
it’s incredible!
I enter your house; here I am,
prostrate in your inner sanctum,
Waiting for directions
to get me safely through enemy lines.
9-10 Every word they speak is a land mine;
their lungs breathe out poison gas.
Their throats are gaping graves,
their tongues slick as mudslides.
Pile on the guilt, God!
Let their so-called wisdom wreck them.
Kick them out! They’ve had their chance.
11-12 But you’ll welcome us with open arms
when we run for cover to you.
Let the party last all night!
Stand guard over our celebration.
You are famous, God, for welcoming God-seekers,
for decking us out in delight.
Psalm 5
Contemporary English Version
(A psalm by David for the music leader. Use flutes.)
A Prayer for Help
1 Listen, Lord, as I pray!
Pay attention when I groan.[a]
2 You are my King and my God.
Answer my cry for help
because I pray to you.
3 Each morning you listen
to my prayer,
as I bring my requests[b] to you
and wait for your reply.
4 You are not the kind of God
who is pleased with evil.
Sinners can't stay with you.
5 No one who boasts can stand
in your presence, Lord,
and you hate evil people.
6 You destroy every liar,
and you despise violence
and deceit.
7 Because of your great mercy,
I come to your house, Lord,
and I am filled with wonder
as I bow down to worship
at your holy temple.
8 You do what is right,
and I ask you to guide me.
Make your teaching clear
because of my enemies.
9 (A) Nothing they say is true!
They just want to destroy.
Their words are deceitful
like a hidden pit,
and their tongues are good
only for telling lies.
10 Punish them, God,
and let their own plans
bring their downfall.
Get rid of them!
They keep committing crimes
and turning against you.
11 Let all who run to you
for protection
always sing joyful songs.
Provide shelter for those
who truly love you
and let them rejoice.
12 Our Lord, you bless those
who live right,
and you shield them
with your kindness.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.