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Psalm 54

A prayer of a just man under persecution from the wicked. It agrees to Christ persecuted by the Jews, and betrayed by Judas.

Does this psalm differ from what you were expecting? Don't be confused. There are two systems for arranging the psalms: the Septuagint and the Masoretic. We use the Septuagint system here. In the Masoretic system, which is used in most modern Bible translations, this psalm is called Psalm 55, and the previous psalm is known as Psalm 54.

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 Unto the end, in verses, understanding for David.

2 Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication:
3 Be attentive to me and hear me. I am grieved in my exercise; and am troubled,
4 At the voice of the enemy, and at the tribulation of the sinner. For they have cast iniquities upon me: and in wrath they were troublesome to me.
5 My heart is troubled within me: and the fear of death is fallen upon me.
6 Fear and trembling are come upon me: and darkness hath covered me.
7 And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest?
8 Lo, I have gone far off flying away; and I abode in the wilderness.
9 I waited for him that hath saved me from pusillanimity of spirit, and a storm.
10 Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.
11 Day and night shall iniquity surround it upon its walls: and in the midst thereof are labour,
12 And injustice. And usury and deceit have not departed from its streets.
13 For if my enemy had reviled me, I would verily have borne with it. And if he that hated me had spoken great things against me, I would perhaps have hidden my self from him.
14 But thou a man of one mind, my guide, and my familiar,
15 Who didst take sweetmeats together with me: in the house of God we walked with consent.
16 Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into hell. For there is wickedness in their dwellings: in the midst of them. Let death, etc... This, and such like imprecations which occur in the psalms, are delivered prophetically; that is, by way of foretelling the punishments which shall fall upon the wicked from divine justice, and approving the righteous ways of God: but not by way of ill will, or uncharitable curses, which the law of God disallows.
17 But I have cried to God: and the Lord will save me.
18 Evening and morning, and at noon I will speak and declare: and he shall hear my voice.
19 He shall redeem my soul in peace from them that draw near to me: for among many they were with me. Among many, etc... That is, they that drew near to attack me were many in company all combined to fight against me.
20 God shall hear, and the Eternal shall humble them. For there is no change with them, and they have not feared God:
21 He hath stretched forth his hand to repay. They have defiled his covenant,
22 They are divided by the wrath of his countenance, and his heart hath drawn near. His words are smoother than oil, and the same are darts. They are divided, etc... Dispersed, scattered, and brought to nothing, by the wrath of God; who looks with indignation on their wicked and deceitful ways.
23 Cast thy care upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall not suffer the just to waver for ever.
24 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee, O Lord.

Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 In finem, in carminibus. Intellectus David.

2 Exaudi, Deus, orationem meam,
et ne despexeris deprecationem meam:
3 intende mihi, et exaudi me.
Contristatus sum in exercitatione mea,
et conturbatus sum
4 a voce inimici, et a tribulatione peccatoris.
Quoniam declinaverunt in me iniquitates,
et in ira molesti erant mihi.
5 Cor meum conturbatum est in me,
et formido mortis cecidit super me.
6 Timor et tremor venerunt super me,
et contexerunt me tenebræ.
7 Et dixi: Quis dabit mihi pennas sicut columbæ,
et volabo, et requiescam?
8 Ecce elongavi fugiens,
et mansi in solitudine.
9 Exspectabam eum qui salvum me fecit
a pusillanimitate spiritus, et tempestate.
10 Præcipita, Domine; divide linguas eorum:
quoniam vidi iniquitatem et contradictionem in civitate.
11 Die ac nocte circumdabit eam super muros ejus iniquitas;
et labor in medio ejus,
12 et injustitia:
et non defecit de plateis ejus usura et dolus.
13 Quoniam si inimicus meus maledixisset mihi,
sustinuissem utique.
Et si is qui oderat me super me magna locutus fuisset,
abscondissem me forsitan ab eo.
14 Tu vero homo unanimis,
dux meus, et notus meus:
15 qui simul mecum dulces capiebas cibos;
in domo Dei ambulavimus cum consensu.
16 Veniat mors super illos,
et descendant in infernum viventes:
quoniam nequitiæ in habitaculis eorum, in medio eorum.
17 Ego autem ad Deum clamavi,
et Dominus salvabit me.
18 Vespere, et mane, et meridie, narrabo, et annuntiabo;
et exaudiet vocem meam.
19 Redimet in pace animam meam ab his qui appropinquant mihi:
quoniam inter multos erant mecum.
20 Exaudiet Deus, et humiliabit illos,
qui est ante sæcula.
Non enim est illis commutatio,
et non timuerunt Deum.
21 Extendit manum suam in retribuendo;
contaminaverunt testamentum ejus:
22 divisi sunt ab ira vultus ejus,
et appropinquavit cor illius.
Molliti sunt sermones ejus super oleum;
et ipsi sunt jacula.
23 Jacta super Dominum curam tuam, et ipse te enutriet;
non dabit in æternum fluctuationem justo.
24 Tu vero, Deus, deduces eos in puteum interitus.
Viri sanguinum et dolosi non dimidiabunt dies suos;
ego autem sperabo in te, Domine.

Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition