Psalms 55
1 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.
For the leader. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David. Listen, God, to my prayer. Don’t hide yourself from my pleading.
2 Attend unto me, and answer me: I wander about in my plaint, and I moan aloud,
Hear me, and answer; for bitter is my lament.
3 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.
I am wild with the noise of the foe, with the clamor of the ungodly; for they hurl disaster upon me, and attack me with fury.
4 My heart is writhing within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
My heart shudders within me, terrors of deaths press on me,
5 Fear and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
fear and trembling attack me, and horror wraps me round.
6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away, and be at rest;
O for the wings of a dove: I would fly away and rest.
7 Behold, I would flee afar off, I would lodge in the wilderness; (Selah)
I would wander far away, find refuge in the wilderness. (Selah)
8 I would hasten my escape from the stormy wind, from the tempest.
I would find myself a shelter from raging wind and tempest.
9 Swallow [them] up, Lord; divide their tongue: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Confuse them, Lord, upset their plans; for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; and iniquity and mischief are in the midst of it.
By day and by night they make their rounds on the city walls, while within is crime and trouble,
11 Perversities are in the midst thereof; and oppression and deceit depart not from its streets.
within is ruin. Her market-place is never free of deceit and tyranny.
12 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;
The taunts were not those of a foe that I could have borne; the disdain was not that of an enemy I could have shunned them:
13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, mine intimate, my familiar friend. ...
but it was you, my equal, my dear and familiar friend.
14 We who held sweet intercourse together. To the house of God we walked amid the throng.
We used to be so close, together we walked in God’s house with the crowd.
15 Let death seize upon them, let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwellings, in their midst. (Sheol h7585)
May death suddenly take them, may they go down to Sheol alive, for evil lives in their homes and their hearts. (Sheol h7585)
16 As for me, unto God will I call; and Jehovah will save me.
But I will call on God, the Lord will save me.
17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and moan aloud; and he will hear my voice.
Evening and morning and noon I lament and moan. He will hear my voice;
18 He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me: for there were many about me.
though I am attacked by many he will rescue me, unharmed from the war.
19 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.
God, who sits on his ancient throne will hear and will humble them, for they never change, they never fear God. (Selah)
20 He hath put forth his hands against such as are at peace with him; he hath profaned his covenant.
My friend turned against me, betrayed his word.
21 Smooth were the milky [words] of his mouth, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords.
His mouth was smoother than butter, but war filled his heart. His words were softer than oil, but sharper than swords.
22 Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: he will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you. He will never let the righteous be shaken.
23 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.
But you, God, will hurl them down to the deepest pit. Bloody and treacherous people will not live out half their days; but I will trust you.
