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Psalm 55 in Hebrew and English

24 verses, about 2 minutes to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The text of the psalm

לַמְנַצֵּחַ בִּנְגִינֹת מַשְׂכִּיל לְדָוִֽד׃

For the Leader; with string-music. Maschil of David.

הַאֲזִינָה אֱלֹהִים תְּפִלָּתִי וְאַל־תִּתְעַלַּם מִתְּחִנָּתִֽי׃

Give ear, O God, to my prayer; And hide not Thyself from my supplication.

הַקְשִׁיבָה לִּי וַעֲנֵנִי אָרִיד בְּשִׂיחִי וְאָהִֽימָה׃

Attend unto me, and hear me; I am distraught in my complaint, and will moan;

מִקּוֹל אוֹיֵב מִפְּנֵי עָקַת רָשָׁע כִּי־יָמִיטוּ עָלַי אָוֶן וּבְאַף יִשְׂטְמֽוּנִי׃

Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked; For they cast mischief upon me, and in anger they persecute me.

לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי וְאֵימוֹת מָוֶת נָפְלוּ עָלָֽי׃

My heart doth writhe within me; and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

יִרְאָה וָרַעַד יָבֹא בִי וַתְּכַסֵּנִי פַּלָּצֽוּת׃

Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

וָאֹמַר מִי־יִתֶּן־לִּי אֵבֶר כַּיּוֹנָה אָעוּפָה וְאֶשְׁכֹּֽנָה׃

And I said: 'Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then would I fly away, and be at rest.

הִנֵּה אַרְחִיק נְדֹד אָלִין בַּמִּדְבָּר סֶֽלָה׃

Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah

אָחִישָׁה מִפְלָט לִי מֵרוּחַ סֹעָה מִסָּֽעַר׃

I would haste me to a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest.'

בַּלַּע אֲדֹנָי פַּלַּג לְשׁוֹנָם כִּי־רָאִיתִי חָמָס וְרִיב בָּעִֽיר׃

Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongue; For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה יְסוֹבְבֻהָ עַל־חוֹמֹתֶיהָ וְאָוֶן וְעָמָל בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃

Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; iniquity also and mischief are in the midst of it.

הַוּוֹת בְּקִרְבָּהּ וְלֹא־יָמִישׁ מֵרְחֹבָהּ תֹּךְ וּמִרְמָֽה׃

Wickedness is in the midst thereof; oppression and guile depart not from her broad place.

כִּי לֹא־אוֹיֵב יְחָרְפֵנִי וְאֶשָּׂא לֹא־מְשַׂנְאִי עָלַי הִגְדִּיל וְאֶסָּתֵר מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

For it was not an enemy that taunted me, Then I could have borne it; Neither was it mine adversary that did magnify himself against me, Then I would have hid myself from him.

וְאַתָּה אֱנוֹשׁ כְּעֶרְכִּי אַלּוּפִי וּמְיֻדָּֽעִי׃

But it was thou, a man mine equal, My companion, and my familiar friend;

אֲשֶׁר יַחְדָּו נַמְתִּיק סוֹד בְּבֵית אֱלֹהִים נְהַלֵּךְ בְּרָֽגֶשׁ׃

We took sweet counsel together, In the house of God we walked with the throng.

יַשִּׁי מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ יֵרְדוּ שְׁאוֹל חַיִּים כִּי־רָעוֹת בִּמְגוּרָם בְּקִרְבָּֽם׃

May He incite death against them, Let them go down alive into the nether-world; For evil is in their dwelling, and within them.

אֲנִי אֶל־אֱלֹהִים אֶקְרָא וַיהוָה יוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי׃

As for me, I will call upon God; And the LORD shall save me.

עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְצָהֳרַיִם אָשִׂיחָה וְאֶהֱמֶה וַיִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִֽי׃

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I complain, and moan; And He hath heard my voice.

פָּדָה בְשָׁלוֹם נַפְשִׁי מִקֲּרָב־לִי כִּי־בְרַבִּים הָיוּ עִמָּדִֽי׃

He hath redeemed my soul in peace so that none came nigh me; For they were many that strove with me.

יִשְׁמַע אֵל וְיַעֲנֵם וְיֹשֵׁב קֶדֶם סֶלָה אֲשֶׁר אֵין חֲלִיפוֹת לָמוֹ וְלֹא יָרְאוּ אֱלֹהִֽים׃

God shall hear, and humble them, even He that is enthroned of old, Selah, such as have no changes, and fear not God.

שָׁלַח יָדָיו בִּשְׁלֹמָיו חִלֵּל בְּרִיתֽוֹ׃

He hath put forth his hands against them that were at peace with him; He hath profaned his covenant.

חָלְקוּ מַחְמָאֹת פִּיו וּקֲרָב־לִבּוֹ רַכּוּ דְבָרָיו מִשֶּׁמֶן וְהֵמָּה פְתִחֽוֹת׃

Smoother than cream were the speeches of his mouth, But his heart was war; His words were softer than oil, Yet were they keen-edged swords.

הַשְׁלֵךְ עַל־יְהוָה יְהָבְךָ וְהוּא יְכַלְכְּלֶךָ לֹא־יִתֵּן לְעוֹלָם מוֹט לַצַּדִּֽיק׃

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He will sustain thee; He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.

וְאַתָּה אֱלֹהִים תּוֹרִדֵם לִבְאֵר שַׁחַת אַנְשֵׁי דָמִים וּמִרְמָה לֹא־יֶחֱצוּ יְמֵיהֶם וַאֲנִי אֶבְטַח־בָּֽךְ׃

But Thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the nethermost pit; Men of blood and deceit shall not live out half their days; But as for me, I will trust in Thee.

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, compared with a second edition letter by letter. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this psalm is read

  • The second of the five books of Psalms
  • Read in the monthly cycle on day 10 of the Hebrew month
  • Read in the weekly cycle on Tuesday
  • Its heading names David
  • 24 verses, 193 words, about 2 minutes to read

Psalms that are read with this one

All 150 psalms and today's reading·Prayers by the time they are said

Questions about this psalm

How many verses does Psalm 55 have?

Psalm 55 has 24 verses and 193 words.

On which day is Psalm 55 read in the monthly and weekly cycles?

In the monthly cycle it is read on day 10 of the Hebrew month, and in the weekly cycle on Tuesday.

Whose name is in the heading of Psalm 55?

The heading names David.

How long does it take to read Psalm 55?

About 2 minutes, at a steady pace.