Psalms 55
1 Unto the end, in verses, understanding for David. Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication:
For the Leader; with string-music. Maschil of David. Give ear, O God, to my prayer; and hide not Thyself from my supplication.
2 Be attentive to me and hear me. I am grieved in my exercise; and am troubled,
Attend unto me, and hear me; I am distraught in my complaint, and will moan;
3 At the voice of the enemy, and at the tribulation of the sinner. For they have cast iniquities upon me: and in wrath they were troublesome to me.
Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked; for they cast mischief upon me, and in anger they persecute me.
4 My heart is troubled within me: and the fear of death is fallen upon me.
My heart doth writhe within me; and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling are come upon me: and darkness hath covered me.
Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
6 And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest?
And I said: 'Oh that I had wings like a dove! then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7 Lo, I have gone far off flying away; and I abode in the wilderness.
Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. (Selah)
8 I waited for him that hath saved me from pusillanimity of spirit, and a storm.
I would haste me to a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest.'
9 Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongue; for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night shall iniquity surround it upon its walls: and in the midst thereof are labour,
Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; iniquity also and mischief are in the midst of it.
11 And injustice. And usury and deceit have not departed from its streets.
Wickedness is in the midst thereof; oppression and guile depart not from her broad place.
12 For if my enemy had reviled me, I would verily have borne with it. And if he that hated me had spoken great things against me, I would perhaps have hidden myself from him.
For it was not an enemy that taunted me, then I could have borne it; neither was it mine adversary that did magnify himself against me, then I would have hid myself from him.
13 But thou a man of one mind, my guide, and my familiar,
But it was thou, a man mine equal, my companion, and my familiar friend;
14 Who didst take sweetmeats together with me: in the house of God we walked with consent.
We took sweet counsel together, in the house of God we walked with the throng.
15 Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into hell. For there is wickedness in their dwellings: in the midst of them. (Sheol h7585)
May He incite death against them, let them go down alive into the nether-world; for evil is in their dwelling, and within them. (Sheol h7585)
16 But I have cried to God: and the Lord will save me.
As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
17 Evening and morning, and at noon I will speak and declare: and he shall hear my voice.
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I complain, and moan; and He hath heard my voice.
18 He shall redeem my soul in peace from them that draw near to me: for among many they were with me.
He hath redeemed my soul in peace so that none came nigh me; for they were many that strove with me.
19 God shall hear, and the Eternal shall humble them. For there is no change with them, and they have not feared God:
God shall hear, and humble them, even He that is enthroned of old, (Selah) such as have no changes, and fear not God.
20 He hath stretched forth his hand to repay. They have defiled his covenant,
He hath put forth his hands against them that were at peace with him; he hath profaned his covenant.
21 They are divided by the wrath Of his countenance, and his heart hath drawn near. His words are smoother than oil, and the same are darts.
Smoother than cream were the speeches of his mouth, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet were they keen-edged swords.
22 Cast thy care upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall not suffer the just to waver for ever.
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He will sustain thee; He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
23 But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee, O Lord.
But Thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the nethermost pit; men of blood and deceit shall not live out half their days; but as for me, I will trust in Thee.
