Psalms 55
1 Unto the end. In verses, the understanding of David. Listen to my prayer, O God, and despise not my supplication.
“For the leader of the music. To be sung on stringed instruments. A psalm of David.” Give ear to my prayer, O God! Hide not thyself from my supplication!
2 Be attentive to me, and heed me. I have been grieved in my training, and I have been disturbed
Attend unto me, and hear me! I wander about mourning and wailing,
3 at the voice of the adversary and at the tribulation of the sinner. For they have diverted iniquities toward me, and they have been harassing me with rage.
On account of the clamors of the enemy, On account of the violence of the wicked. For they bring evil upon me, And in wrath set themselves against me.
4 My heart has become disturbed within me, and the dread of death has fallen over me.
My heart trembleth in my bosom, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling have overwhelmed me, and darkness has buried me.
Fear and trembling have seized me, And horror hath overwhelmed me.
6 And I said, “Who will give me wings like the dove, so that I may fly away and take rest?”
Then I say, O that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7 Behold, I have fled far away, and I linger in solitude.
Behold, I would wander far away, And take up my abode in a wilderness. (Pause)
8 I waited for him who saved me from a weak-minded spirit and from a tempest.
I would hasten away to a shelter From the rushing wind and tempest.
9 Cast them down, O Lord, and divide their tongues. For I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.
Confound, O Lord! divide their counsels! For I behold violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night, iniquity will surround it upon its walls, and hardship is in its midst,
Day and night do these go about its walls; In the midst of it are iniquity and mischief.
11 with injustice. And usury and deceit have not fallen away from its streets.
Wickedness is in the midst of it; Oppression and fraud depart not from its streets.
12 For if my enemy had spoken evil about me, certainly, I would have sustained it. And if he who hated me had been speaking great things against me, I would perhaps have hidden myself from him.
It was not an enemy that reviled me, Then I could have borne it; Nor one that hated me, who rose up against me; From him I could have hid myself.
13 Truly, you are a man of one mind: my leader and my acquaintance,
But it was thou, a man my equal, My friend, and my acquaintance.
14 who took sweet food together with me. In the house of God, we walked side-by-side.
We held sweet converse together, And walked to the house of God in company.
15 Let death come upon them, and let them descend alive into Hellfire. For there is wickedness in their dwellings, in their midst. (Sheol h7585)
May sudden death seize upon them! May they go down to the underworld alive! For wickedness is in their dwellings, in the midst of them. (Sheol h7585)
16 But I have cried out to God, and the Lord will save me.
As for me, I will call upon God, And Jehovah will save me.
17 Evening and morning and midday, I will discourse and announce, and he will heed my voice.
At evening, at morn, and at noon I mourn and sigh, And he will hear my voice.
18 He will redeem my soul in peace from those who draw near to me. For, among the many, they were with me.
He will deliver me in peace from my conflict; For many have risen up against me.
19 God will hear, and He who is before time will humble them. For there is no change with them, and they have not feared God.
God will hear me, and bring them down, —He that hath been judge of old. (Pause) Because they have no changes, Therefore they fear not God.
20 He has stretched forth his hand in retribution. They have contaminated his covenant.
They lift up their hands against their friend, And break their covenant with him.
21 They were divided by the wrath of his countenance, and his heart has drawn near. His words are smoother than oil, and they are arrows.
Their speech was softer than butter, But war was in their heart; Their words were smoother than oil, Yet were they drawn swords.
22 Cast your cares upon the Lord, and he will nurture you. He will not allow the just to be tossed about forever.
“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he will sustain thee; He will never suffer the righteous to fall!”
23 Truly, O God, you will lead them away into the well of death. Bloody and deceitful men will not divide their days in half. But I will hope in you, O Lord.
Yea, thou, O God! wilt bring them down into the lowest pit! Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in thee!
