Psalms 55
1 Unto the end, in verses, understanding for David. Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication:
“To the chief musician on Neginoth, a Maskil 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,
Listen unto me, and answer me: I mourn in my grief, and 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 wrong upon me, and in wrath they attack me.
4 My heart is troubled within me: and the fear of death is fallen upon me.
My heart is sorely pained within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling are come upon me: and darkness hath covered me.
Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and shuddering hath covered 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 some one would give me wings like a dove! I would fly away and dwell [quietly].
7 Lo, I have gone far off flying away; and I abode in the wilderness.
Lo, I would flee far away, I would spend my night in the wilderness. (Selah)
8 I waited for him that hath saved me from pusillanimity of spirit, and a storm.
I would prepare hastily a refuge for me from the sweeping wind [and] from storm.
9 Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.
Destroy, O Lord, 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 do these encompass it upon her walls: and wrong and trouble are in her midst.
11 And injustice. And usury and deceit have not departed from its streets.
Mischief is in her midst: guile and deceit depart not from her streets.
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 is not an enemy that reproached me; then I could bear it: not he that hateth me hath magnified himself against me; then I would have hidden myself from him;
13 But thou a man of one mind, my guide, and my familiar,
But it is thou, a man my equal, my guide, and my acquaintance;
14 Who didst take sweetmeats together with me: in the house of God we walked with consent.
So that we took sweet secret counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in tumultuous company.
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)
Let him dispense death over them; let them go down alive into the nether world; for evil is in their dwelling, in the midst of them. (Sheol h7585)
16 But I have cried to God: and the Lord will save me.
I, however, will call on God: and the Lord will save me.
17 Evening and morning, and at noon I will speak and declare: and he shall hear my voice.
At evening and morning and noon will I make my complaint and moan: and he heareth 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 delivereth my soul in peace from the battle against me; for in multitudes are they [contending] 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 will hear, and humble them—yea, he that sitteth enthroned from the oldest time Selah—those who dread no changes, and fear not God.
20 He hath stretched forth his hand to repay. They have defiled his covenant,
He stretcheth out his hands against those at peace with him: he violateth 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.
The creamy words of his mouth are smooth, yet there is war [in] his heart; his words are softer than oil, yet are they drawn 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, thou wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: let not the men of blood and deceit live out half their days; but I will indeed trust in thee.
