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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Psalm 55 NIV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/psalms/55.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/psalms/55-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NIV</a> > Psalm 55</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../psalms/54.htm" title="Psalm 54">◄</a> Psalm 55 <a href="../psalms/56.htm" title="Psalm 56">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New International Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/niv/esv/psalms/55.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="psalmhdg">Psalm 55 <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="In Hebrew texts 55:1-23 is numbered 55:2-24.">a</a></sup></span></p> <p class="hebrewtitle">For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A <span class="emphasis">maskil</span> <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Title: Probably a literary or musical term">b</a></sup></span> of David.</p><div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Listen to my prayer, O God,</p><p class="line2">do not ignore my plea;</p> <p class="line2"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>hear me and answer me.</p><p class="line1">My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught</p> <p class="line2"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>because of what my enemy is saying,</p><p class="line2">because of the threats of the wicked;</p><p class="line1">for they bring down suffering on me</p><p class="line2">and assail me in their anger.</p></div> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>My heart is in anguish within me;</p><p class="line2">the terrors of death have fallen on me.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Fear and trembling have beset me;</p><p class="line2">horror has overwhelmed me.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!</p><p class="line2">I would fly away and be at rest.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>I would flee far away</p><p class="line2">and stay in the desert; <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and in the middle of verse 19.">c</a></sup></span> </p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>I would hurry to my place of shelter,</p><p class="line2">far from the tempest and storm.”</p></div> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,</p><p class="line2">for I see violence and strife in the city.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>Day and night they prowl about on its walls;</p><p class="line2">malice and abuse are within it.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>Destructive forces are at work in the city;</p><p class="line2">threats and lies never leave its streets.</p></div> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>If an enemy were insulting me,</p><p class="line2">I could endure it;</p><p class="line1">if a foe were rising against me,</p><p class="line2">I could hide.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>But it is you, a man like myself,</p><p class="line2">my companion, my close friend,</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship</p><p class="line2">at the house of God,</p><p class="line1">as we walked about</p><p class="line2">among the worshipers.</p></div> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Let death take my enemies by surprise;</p><p class="line2">let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,</p><p class="line2">for evil finds lodging among them.</p></div> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>As for me, I call to God,</p><p class="line2">and the <span class="name">Lord</span> saves me.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>Evening, morning and noon</p><p class="line2">I cry out in distress,</p><p class="line2">and he hears my voice.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>He rescues me unharmed</p><p class="line2">from the battle waged against me,</p><p class="line2">even though many oppose me.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>God, who is enthroned from of old,</p><p class="line2">who does not change—</p><p class="line1">he will hear them and humble them,</p><p class="line2">because they have no fear of God.</p></div> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>My companion attacks his friends;</p><p class="line2">he violates his covenant.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>His talk is smooth as butter,</p><p class="line2">yet war is in his heart;</p><p class="line1">his words are more soothing than oil,</p><p class="line2">yet they are drawn swords.</p></div> <div class="stanza"><p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>Cast your cares on the <span class="name">Lord</span></p><p class="line2">and he will sustain you;</p><p class="line1">he will never let</p><p class="line2">the righteous be shaken.</p> <p class="line1"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/55-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>But you, God, will bring down the wicked</p><p class="line2">into the pit of decay;</p><p class="line1">the bloodthirsty and deceitful</p><p class="line2">will not live out half their days.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line1">But as for me, I trust in you.</p></div><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><A name="footnotes"></a><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">1</span> <span class="footnotebot">In Hebrew texts 55:1-23 is numbered 55:2-24.</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">1</span> <span class="footnotebot">Title: Probably a literary or musical term</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">c</span> <span class="fnverse">7</span> <span class="footnotebot">The Hebrew has <i>Selah</i> (a word of uncertain meaning) here and in the middle of verse 19.</span><br><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><p class="ntext"><a href="http://niv.scripturetext.com/version.htm">New International Version</a> (NIV)</p><p 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