Psalms 55
1 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea.
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 to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught
Give thought to me, and let my prayer be answered: I have been made low in sorrow;
3 at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they release disaster upon me and revile me in their anger.
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 murmurs within me, and the terrors of death assail me.
My heart is deeply wounded, and the fear of death has come on me.
5 Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me.
Fear and shaking have come over me, with deep fear I am covered.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find 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 How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain.
I would go wandering far away, living in the waste land. (Selah)
8 I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”
I would quickly take cover from the driving storm and from the violent wind.
9 O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see 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 encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within.
By day and night they go round the town, on the walls; trouble and sorrow are in the heart of it.
11 Destruction is within; oppression and deceit never leave the streets.
Evil is there; cruel rule and deceit are ever in the streets.
12 For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide.
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 is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend.
But it was you, my equal, my guide, my well-loved friend.
14 We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God.
We had loving talk together, and went to the house of God in company.
15 Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes. (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 But I call to God, and the LORD saves me.
As for me, I will make my prayer to God, and he will be my saviour.
17 Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears 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 redeems my soul in peace from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose 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 humiliate them— the One enthroned for the ages— (Selah) because they do not change and they have no fear of 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 My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.
He has put out his hand against those who were at peace with him; he has not kept his agreement.
21 His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.
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 your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.
Put your cares on the Lord, and he will be your support; he will not let the upright man be moved.
23 But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.
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.
