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 stringed instruments. A maskil of David. Listen, God, to my prayer. Don’t hide yourself from my pleading.
2 Be attentive to me and hear me. I am grieved in my exercise; and am troubled,
Hear me, and answer; for bitter is my lament.
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.
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 troubled within me: and the fear of death is fallen upon me.
My heart shudders within me, terrors of deaths press on me,
5 Fear and trembling are come upon me: and darkness hath covered me.
fear and trembling attack me, and horror wraps me round.
6 And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest?
O for the wings of a dove: I would fly away and rest.
7 Lo, I have gone far off flying away; and I abode in the wilderness.
I would wander far away, find refuge in the wilderness. (Selah)
8 I waited for him that hath saved me from pusillanimity of spirit, and a storm.
I would find myself a shelter from raging wind and tempest.
9 Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.
Confuse them, Lord, upset their plans; for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night shall iniquity surround it upon its walls: and in the midst thereof are labour,
By day and by night they make their rounds on the city walls, while within is crime and trouble,
11 And injustice. And usury and deceit have not departed from its streets.
within is ruin. Her market-place is never free of deceit and tyranny.
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.
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 thou a man of one mind, my guide, and my familiar,
but it was you, my equal, my dear and familiar friend.
14 Who didst take sweetmeats together with me: in the house of God we walked with consent.
We used to be so close, together we walked in God’s house with the crowd.
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 death suddenly take them, may they go down to Sheol alive, for evil lives in their homes and their hearts. (Sheol h7585)
16 But I have cried to God: and the Lord will save me.
But I will call on God, the Lord will save me.
17 Evening and morning, and at noon I will speak and declare: and he shall hear my voice.
Evening and morning and noon I lament and moan. He will hear my voice;
18 He shall redeem my soul in peace from them that draw near to me: for among many they were with me.
though I am attacked by many he will rescue me, unharmed from the war.
19 God shall hear, and the Eternal shall humble them. For there is no change with them, and they have not feared 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 stretched forth his hand to repay. They have defiled his covenant,
My friend turned against me, betrayed his word.
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.
His mouth was smoother than butter, but war filled his heart. His words were softer than oil, but sharper than swords.
22 Cast thy care upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall not suffer the just to waver for ever.
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you. He will never let the righteous be shaken.
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 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.
