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.
For the chief musician; on stringed instruments. A maschil of David. Give ear to my prayer, God; and do not hide yourself from my plea.
2 Give thought to me, and let my prayer be answered: I have been made low in sorrow;
Pay attention to me and answer me; I have no rest in my troubles
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 my enemies, because of the oppression of the wicked; for they bring trouble on me and persecute me in anger.
4 My heart is deeply wounded, and the fear of death has come on me.
My heart trembles within me, and the terrors of death have fallen on me.
5 Fear and shaking have come over me, with deep fear I am covered.
Fearfulness and trembling have come on me, and horror has 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.
I said, “Oh, if only I had wings like a dove! Then would I fly away and be at rest.
7 I would go wandering far away, living in the waste land. (Selah)
See, then I would wander far away; I would stay in the wilderness. (Selah)
8 I would quickly take cover from the driving storm and from the violent wind.
I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind 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.
Devour them, Lord, confuse their language! 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 on its walls; iniquity and mischief are in the middle of it.
11 Evil is there; cruel rule and deceit are ever in the streets.
Wickedness is in the middle of it; oppression and deceit do not leave 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 was not an enemy who rebuked me, then I could have borne it; neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, then I would have hidden myself from him.
13 But it was you, my equal, my guide, my well-loved friend.
But it was you, a man equal to myself, my companion and my close friend.
14 We had loving talk together, and went to the house of God in company.
We had sweet fellowship together; we walked in the house of God with 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 come suddenly on them; let them go down alive to Sheol, for wickedness is where they live, right among them. (Sheol h7585)
16 As for me, I will make my prayer to God, and he will be my saviour.
As for me, I will call on God, and Yahweh 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.
In the evening, morning and at noonday I complain and moan; 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 will safely rescue my life from the battle that was against me, for those who fought against me were many.
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, the one who rules from eternity, will hear them and humiliate them. (Selah) They never change, and they do not fear God.
20 He has put out his hand against those who were at peace with him; he has not kept his agreement.
My friend has raised his hands against those who were at peace with him; he has not respected the covenant that he had.
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.
His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was hostile; his words were softer than oil, yet they were actually drawn swords.
22 Put your cares on the Lord, and he will be your support; he will not let the upright man be moved.
Place your burdens on Yahweh, and he will sustain you; he will never allow a righteous person to totter.
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.
But you, God, will bring the wicked down into the pit of destruction; bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live even half as long as others, but I will trust in you.
