Mazmur 34:14

34:14 Turn away from evil and do what is right! ¹ 

Strive for peace and promote it! ² 

Mazmur 35:20

35:20 For they do not try to make peace with others, ³ 

but plan ways to deceive those who are unsuspecting. ⁴ 

Mazmur 55:20

55:20 He ⁵  attacks ⁶  his friends; ⁷ 

he breaks his solemn promises to them. ⁸ 

[34:14]  ¹ tn Or “do good.”

[34:14]  ² tn Heb “seek peace and pursue it.”

[35:20]  ³ tn Heb “for they do not speak peace.”

[35:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “but against the quiet ones of the land words of deceit they plan.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 20 highlight their characteristic behavior.

[55:20]  ⁵ sn He. This must refer to the psalmist’s former friend, who was addressed previously in vv. 12-14.

[55:20]  ⁶ tn Heb “stretches out his hand against.”

[55:20]  ⁷ tc The form should probably be emended to an active participle (שֹׁלְמָיו, sholÿmayv) from the verbal root שָׁלַם (shalam, “be in a covenant of peace with”). Perhaps the translation “his friends” suggests too intimate a relationship. Another option is to translate, “he attacks those who made agreements with him.”

[55:20]  ⁸ tn Heb “he violates his covenant.”