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Psalm 55
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)

#### Footnotes

1. Psalm 55:1 In Hebrew texts 55:1-23 is numbered 55:2-24.
2. Psalm 55:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
3. Psalm 55:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and in the middle of verse 19.

#### Cross references

1. Psalm 55:1 : Ps 27:9; La 3:56
2. Psalm 55:2 : Ps 4:1
3. Psalm 55:2 : 1Sa 1:15-16; Ps 77:3; 86:6-7; 142:2
4. Psalm 55:3 : S 2Sa 16:6-8; Ps 17:9; 143:3
5. Psalm 55:3 : S Ps 44:16
6. Psalm 55:3 : Ps 71:11
7. Psalm 55:4 : S Ps 6:3
8. Psalm 55:4 : S Job 18:11
9. Psalm 55:5 : S Job 4:14; S 2Co 7:15
10. Psalm 55:5 : Dt 28:67; Isa 21:4; Jer 46:5; 49:5; Eze 7:18
11. Psalm 55:7 : 1Sa 23:14
12. Psalm 55:8 : Ps 31:20
13. Psalm 55:8 : Ps 77:18; Isa 4:6; 25:4; 28:2; 29:6; 32:2
14. Psalm 55:9 : Ge 11:9; Ac 2:4
15. Psalm 55:9 : Ps 11:5; Isa 59:6; Jer 6:7; Eze 7:11; Hab 1:3
16. Psalm 55:9 : Ge 4:17
17. Psalm 55:10 : 1Pe 5:8
18. Psalm 55:11 : Ps 5:9
19. Psalm 55:11 : Ps 10:7
20. Psalm 55:13 : S 2Sa 15:12
21. Psalm 55:14 : Ac 1:16-17
22. Psalm 55:14 : Ps 42:4
23. Psalm 55:15 : Ps 64:7; Pr 6:15; Isa 29:5; 47:9, 11; 1Th 5:3
24. Psalm 55:15 : S Ps 49:14
25. Psalm 55:17 : Ps 141:2; Ac 3:1; 10:3, 30
26. Psalm 55:17 : Ps 5:3; 88:13; 92:2
27. Psalm 55:17 : Ac 10:9
28. Psalm 55:19 : S Ex 15:18; Dt 33:27; Ps 29:10
29. Psalm 55:19 : Ps 78:59
30. Psalm 55:19 : Ps 36:1; 64:4
31. Psalm 55:20 : Ps 7:4
32. Psalm 55:20 : S Ps 41:9
33. Psalm 55:21 : Ps 12:2
34. Psalm 55:21 : Pr 5:3; 6:24
35. Psalm 55:21 : Ps 57:4; 59:7; 64:3; Pr 12:18; Rev 1:16
36. Psalm 55:22 : S Ps 18:35; Mt 6:25-34; 1Pe 5:7
37. Psalm 55:22 : Ps 15:5; 21:7; 37:24; 112:6
38. Psalm 55:23 : Ps 9:15; S 30:3; 73:18; 94:13; Isa 14:15; Eze 28:8; S Lk 8:31
39. Psalm 55:23 : Ps 5:6
40. Psalm 55:23 : S Job 15:32
41. Psalm 55:23 : Ps 11:1; 25:2; 56:3

New International Version (NIV)

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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

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