Psalms 55
1 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.
To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments: an instruction. Of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
2 Give thought to me, and let my prayer be answered: I have been made low in sorrow;
Attend unto me, and answer me: I wander about in my plaint, and I moan aloud,
3 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.
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.
4 My heart is deeply wounded, and the fear of death has come on me.
My heart is writhing within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5 Fear and shaking have come over me, with deep fear I am covered.
Fear and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
6 And I said, If only I had wings like a dove! for then I would go in flight from here and be at rest.
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away, and be at rest;
7 I would go wandering far away, living in the waste land. (Selah)
Behold, I would flee afar off, I would lodge in the wilderness; (Selah)
8 I would quickly take cover from the driving storm and from the violent wind.
I would hasten my escape from the stormy wind, from the tempest.
9 Send destruction on them, O Lord, make a division of tongues among them: for I have seen fighting and violent acts in the town.
Swallow [them] up, Lord; divide their tongue: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 By day and night they go round the town, on the walls; trouble and sorrow are in the heart of it.
Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; and iniquity and mischief are in the midst of it.
11 Evil is there; cruel rule and deceit are ever in the streets.
Perversities are in the midst thereof; and oppression and deceit depart not from its streets.
12 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;
For it is not an enemy that hath reproached me — then could I have borne it; neither is it he that hateth me that hath magnified [himself] against me — then would I have hidden myself from him;
13 But it was you, my equal, my guide, my well-loved friend.
But it was thou, a man mine equal, mine intimate, my familiar friend. ...
14 We had loving talk together, and went to the house of God in company.
We who held sweet intercourse together. To the house of God we walked amid the throng.
15 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)
Let death seize upon them, let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwellings, in their midst. (Sheol h7585)
16 As for me, I will make my prayer to God, and he will be my saviour.
As for me, unto God will I call; and Jehovah will save me.
17 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.
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and moan aloud; and he will hear my voice.
18 He has taken my soul away from the attack which was made against me, and given it peace; for great numbers were against me.
He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me: for there were many about me.
19 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.
God will hear, and afflict them: he that is seated of old, (Selah) ...because there is no change in them, and they fear not God.
20 He has put out his hand against those who were at peace with him; he has not kept his agreement.
He hath put forth his hands against such as are at peace with him; he hath profaned his covenant.
21 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.
Smooth were the milky [words] of his mouth, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords.
22 Put your cares on the Lord, and he will be your support; he will not let the upright man be moved.
Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: he will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
23 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.
And thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. But as for me, I will confide in thee.
