Psalm 55 (Tehillim 55) in Hebrew and English
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Text (469) 608-9944Psalm 55
David’s Maskil in distress over his enemies and a companion who betrayed him: he longs for the wings of a dove, calls upon God, and casts his burden upon Hashem.
Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, where the heading is verse 1. In most English Bibles the heading has no number, so each verse here is one higher than there (verse 2 here is verse 1 there).
55:1To the chief Musician on Neginot, Maskil, A Psalm of David.
אלַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִֽד׃
55:2Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not Yourself from my supplication.
בהַאֲזִ֣ינָה אֱ֭לֹהִים תְּפִלָּתִ֑י וְאַל־תִּ֝תְעַלַּ֗ם מִתְּחִנָּתִֽי׃
55:3Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
גהַקְשִׁ֣יבָה לִּ֣י וַעֲנֵ֑נִי אָרִ֖יד בְּשִׂיחִ֣י וְאָהִֽימָה׃
55:4Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
דמִקּ֤וֹל אוֹיֵ֗ב מִפְּנֵ֣י עָקַ֣ת רָשָׁ֑ע כִּי־יָמִ֥יטוּ עָלַ֥י אָ֝֗וֶן וּבְאַ֥ף יִשְׂטְמֽוּנִי׃
55:5My heart is greatly pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
הלִ֭בִּי יָחִ֣יל בְּקִרְבִּ֑י וְאֵימ֥וֹת מָ֝֗וֶת נָפְל֥וּ עָלָֽי׃
55:6Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.
ויִרְאָ֣ה וָ֭רַעַד יָ֣בֹא בִ֑י וַ֝תְּכַסֵּ֗נִי פַּלָּצֽוּת׃
55:7And I said, “Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
זוָאֹמַ֗ר מִֽי־יִתֶּן־לִּ֣י אֵ֭בֶר כַּיּוֹנָ֗ה אָע֥וּפָה וְאֶשְׁכֹּֽנָה׃
55:8Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
חהִ֭נֵּה אַרְחִ֣יק נְדֹ֑ד אָלִ֖ין בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר סֶֽלָה׃
55:9I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.”
טאָחִ֣ישָׁה מִפְלָ֣ט לִ֑י מֵר֖וּחַ סֹעָ֣ה מִסָּֽעַר׃
55:10Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
יבַּלַּ֣ע אֲ֭דֹנָי פַּלַּ֣ג לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם כִּֽי־רָאִ֨יתִי חָמָ֖ס וְרִ֣יב בָּעִֽיר׃
55:11Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
יאיוֹמָ֤ם וָלַ֗יְלָה יְסוֹבְבֻ֥הָ עַל־חוֹמֹתֶ֑יהָ וְאָ֖וֶן וְעָמָ֣ל בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃
55:12Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
יבהַוּ֥וֹת בְּקִרְבָּ֑הּ וְֽלֹא־יָמִ֥ישׁ מֵ֝רְחֹבָ֗הּ תֹּ֣ךְ וּמִרְמָֽה׃
55:13For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
יגכִּ֤י לֹֽא־אוֹיֵ֥ב יְחָֽרְפֵ֗נִי וְאֶ֫שָּׂ֥א לֹֽא־מְ֭שַׂנְאִי עָלַ֣י הִגְדִּ֑יל וְאֶסָּתֵ֥ר מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
55:14But it was you, a man my equal, my guide, and my acquaintance.
ידוְאַתָּ֣ה אֱנ֣וֹשׁ כְּעֶרְכִּ֑י אַ֝לּוּפִ֗י וּמְיֻדָּֽעִי׃
55:15We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
טואֲשֶׁ֣ר יַ֭חְדָּו נַמְתִּ֣יק ס֑וֹד בְּבֵ֥ית אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים נְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בְּרָֽגֶשׁ׃
55:16Let death seize upon them, and let them go down living into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
טזיַשִּׁ֤י מָ֨וֶת (כתיב ישימות) עָלֵ֗ימוֹ יֵרְד֣וּ שְׁא֣וֹל חַיִּ֑ים כִּֽי־רָע֖וֹת בִּמְגוּרָ֣ם בְּקִרְבָּֽם׃
55:17As for me, I will call upon God; and Hashem shall save me.
יזאֲ֭נִי אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֶקְרָ֑א וַ֝יהוָ֗ה יוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי׃
55:18Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.
יחעֶ֤רֶב וָבֹ֣קֶר וְ֭צָהֳרַיִם אָשִׂ֣יחָה וְאֶהֱמֶ֑ה וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע קוֹלִֽי׃
55:19He has delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
יטפָּ֘דָ֤ה בְשָׁל֣וֹם נַ֭פְשִׁי מִקֲּרָב־לִ֑י כִּֽי־בְ֝רַבִּ֗ים הָי֥וּ עִמָּדִֽי׃
55:20God shall hear, and afflict them, even He that abides of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.
כיִשְׁמַ֤ע ׀ אֵ֨ל ׀ וְֽיַעֲנֵם֮ וְיֹ֤שֵׁ֥ב קֶ֗דֶם סֶ֥לָה אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֵ֣ין חֲלִיפ֣וֹת לָ֑מוֹ וְלֹ֖א יָרְא֣וּ אֱלֹהִֽים׃
55:21He has put forth his hands against such as are at peace with him: he has broken his covenant.
כאשָׁלַ֣ח יָ֭דָיו בִּשְׁלֹמָ֗יו חִלֵּ֥ל בְּרִיתֽוֹ׃
55:22The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
כבחָלְק֤וּ ׀ מַחְמָאֹ֣ת פִּיו֮ וּֽקֲרָב־לִ֫בּ֥וֹ רַכּ֖וּ דְבָרָ֥יו מִשֶּׁ֗מֶן וְהֵ֣מָּה פְתִחֽוֹת׃
55:23Cast your burden upon Hashem, and He shall sustain you: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
כגהַשְׁלֵ֤ךְ עַל־יְהוָ֨ה ׀ יְהָבְךָ֮ וְה֪וּא יְכַ֫לְכְּלֶ֥ךָ לֹא־יִתֵּ֖ן לְעוֹלָ֥ם מ֗וֹט לַצַּדִּֽיק׃
55:24But You, O God, shall bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in You.
כדוְאַתָּ֤ה אֱלֹהִ֨ים ׀ תּוֹרִדֵ֬ם ׀ לִבְאֵ֬ר שַׁ֗חַת אַנְשֵׁ֤י דָמִ֣ים וּ֭מִרְמָה לֹא־יֶחֱצ֣וּ יְמֵיהֶ֑ם וַ֝אֲנִ֗י אֶבְטַח־בָּֽךְ׃
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Sources & method
- Hebrew text
- The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. The Divine Name is printed as it appears in the codex.
- English translation
- The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the familiar English name in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Tziyon (Zion)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem,” the short form יָהּ is “Yah,” and הַלְלוּ־יָהּ is “Hallelujah”; “God” (Elohim) and “Lord” (Adonai) are unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
- Verse numbers
- Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In the Hebrew a psalm’s heading (“A Psalm of David…”) is part of the text and is counted as verse 1, or verses 1–2, so in psalms with a heading the verse numbers are often one or two higher than in English Bibles. Where that happens, a note under the summary says so.
- Quiz
- Written by Benei Avraham for young readers (about 11 and up). Every answer is in the psalm on this page. Answers and scores are kept only in this browser (local storage) and can be cleared with Start over.
- Hebrew font
- SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.