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 him that excelleth on Neginoth. A Psalme of David to give instruction. Heare my prayer, O God, and hide not thy selfe from my supplication.
2 Give thought to me, and let my prayer be answered: I have been made low in sorrow;
Hearken vnto me, and answere me: I mourne in my prayer, and make a noyse,
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.
For the voyce of the enemie, and for the vexation of ye wicked, because they haue brought iniquitie vpon me, and furiously hate me.
4 My heart is deeply wounded, and the fear of death has come on me.
Mine heart trembleth within mee, and the terrours of death are fallen vpon me.
5 Fear and shaking have come over me, with deep fear I am covered.
Feare and trembling are come vpon mee, and an horrible feare hath couered 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 doue: then would I flie away and rest.
7 I would go wandering far away, living in the waste land. (Selah)
Beholde, I woulde take my flight farre off, and lodge in the wildernes. (Selah)
8 I would quickly take cover from the driving storm and from the violent wind.
Hee would make haste for my deliuerance from the stormie winde and 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.
Destroy, O Lord, and deuide their tongues: for I haue seene crueltie and strife in the citie.
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 goe about it vpon the walles thereof: both iniquitie and mischiefe are in the middes of it.
11 Evil is there; cruel rule and deceit are ever in the streets.
Wickednes is in the middes thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streetes.
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;
Surely mine enemie did not defame mee: for I could haue borne it: neither did mine aduersarie exalt himselfe against mee: for I would haue hid me from him.
13 But it was you, my equal, my guide, my well-loved friend.
But it was thou, O man, euen my companion, my guide and my familiar:
14 We had loving talk together, and went to the house of God in company.
Which delited in consulting together, and went into the House of God as companions.
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 sense vpon them: let them goe downe quicke into the graue: for wickednes is in their dwellings, euen in the middes of them. (Sheol h7585)
16 As for me, I will make my prayer to God, and he will be my saviour.
But I will call vnto God, and the Lord will saue 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.
Euening and morning, and at noone will I pray, and make a noyse, and he wil heare 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 deliuered my soule in peace from the battel, that was against me: for many were with 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 shall heare and afflict them, euen hee that reigneth of olde, (Selah) because they haue no changes, therefore they feare not God.
20 He has put out his hand against those who were at peace with him; he has not kept his agreement.
Hee layed his hande vpon such, as be at peace with him, and he brake his couenant.
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.
The wordes of his mouth were softer then butter, yet warre was in his heart: his words were more gentle then oyle, yet they were swordes.
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 vpon the Lord, and hee shall nourish thee: he wil not suffer the righteous to fall for euer.
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, shalt bring them downe into the pitte of corruption: the bloudie, and deceitfull men shall not liue halfe their dayes: but I will trust in thee.
