Psalms 54:3

For foreigners ¹  attack me; ²  ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life. ³  (Selah)

Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men seek my life—men without regard for God. Selah

For strangers have risen against me And violent men have sought my life; They have not set God before them. Selah.

For strangers are attacking me; violent men are trying to kill me. They care nothing for God. Interlude

Outlaws are out to get me, hit men are trying to kill me. Nothing will stop them; God means nothing to them.

For men who are going after me have come out against me, violent men are purposing to take my soul; they have not put God before their eyes. (Selah.)

For the insolent have risen against me, the ruthless seek my life; they do not set God before them. Selah

For strangers have risen up against me, And oppressors have sought after my life; They have not set God before them. Selah

For foreigners ¹  attack me; ²  ruthless men, who do not respect God, seek my life. ³  (Selah)

¹ tc Many medieval Hebrew mss read זֵדִים (zedim, “proud ones”) rather than זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”). (No matter which reading one chooses as original, dalet-resh confusion accounts for the existence of the variant.) The term זֵדִים (“proud ones”) occurs in parallelism with עָרִיצִים (’aritsim, “violent ones”) in Ps 86:14 and Isa 13:11. However, זָרִים (zarim, “foreigners”) is parallel to עָרִיצִים (’aritsim, “violent ones”) in Isa 25:5; 29:5; Ezek 28:7; 31:12.

² tn Heb “rise against me.”

³ tn Heb “and ruthless ones seek my life, they do not set God in front of them.”