Psalms 55
1 For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. Maschil of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God; And hide not thyself from my supplication.
To the chief music-maker, on Neginoth. Maschil. Of David. Give hearing to my prayer, O God; and let not your ear be shut against my request.
2 Attend unto me, and answer me: I am restless in my complaint, and moan,
Give thought to me, and let my prayer be answered: I have been made low in sorrow;
3 Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they cast iniquity upon me, And in anger they persecute me.
I am troubled because of the voice of the cruel ones, because of the loud cry of the evil-doers; for they put a weight of evil on me, and they are cruel in their hate for me.
4 My heart is sore pained within me: And the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
My heart is deeply wounded, and the fear of death has come on me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, And horror hath overwhelmed me.
Fear and shaking have come over me, with deep fear I am covered.
6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then would I fly away, and be at rest.
And I said, If only I had wings like a dove! for then I would go in flight from here and be at rest.
7 Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. (Selah)
I would go wandering far away, living in the waste land. (Selah)
8 I would haste me to a shelter From the stormy wind and tempest.
I would quickly take cover from the driving storm and from the violent wind.
9 Destroy, O Lord, [and] divide their tongue; For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Send destruction on them, O Lord, make a division of tongues among them: for I have seen fighting and violent acts in the town.
10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: Iniquity also and mischief are in the midst of it.
By day and night they go round the town, on the walls; trouble and sorrow are in the heart of it.
11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: Oppression and guile depart not from its streets.
Evil is there; cruel rule and deceit are ever in the streets.
12 For 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:
For it was not my hater who said evil of me; that would have been no grief to me; it was not one outside the number of my friends who made himself strong against me, or I would have kept myself from him in a secret place;
13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, My companion, and my familiar friend.
But it was you, my equal, my guide, my well-loved friend.
14 We took sweet counsel together; We walked in the house of God with the throng.
We had loving talk together, and went to the house of God in company.
15 Let death come suddenly upon them, Let them go down alive into Sheol; For wickedness is in their dwelling, in the midst of them. (Sheol h7585)
Let the hand of death come on them suddenly, and let them go down living into the underworld; because evil is in their houses and in their hearts. (Sheol h7585)
16 As for me, I will call upon God; And Jehovah will save me.
As for me, I will make my prayer to God, and he will be my saviour.
17 Evening, and morning, and at noonday, will I complain, and moan; And he will hear my voice.
In the evening and in the morning and in the middle of the day I will make my prayer with sounds of grief; and my voice will come to his ears.
18 He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me; For they were many [that strove] with me.
He has taken my soul away from the attack which was made against me, and given it peace; for great numbers were against me.
19 God will hear, and answer them, Even he that abideth of old, (Selah) [The men] who have no changes, And who fear not God.
God will give thought to me; he who from early times is strong will send pain and trouble on them. (Selah) Because they are unchanged, they have no fear of God.
20 He hath put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him: He hath profaned his covenant.
He has put out his hand against those who were at peace with him; he has not kept his agreement.
21 His mouth was smooth as butter, But his heart was war: His words were softer than oil, Yet were they drawn swords.
The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, but they were sharp swords.
22 Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Put your cares on the Lord, and he will be your support; he will not let the upright man be moved.
23 But thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; But I will trust in thee.
But you, O God, will send them down into the underworld; the cruel and the false will be cut off before half their days are ended; but I will have faith in you.
