Psalms 55
1 “To the chief musician on Neginoth, a Maskil of David.” Give ear, O God, to my prayer, and hide not thyself from my supplication.
TO THE OVERSEER. WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. AN INSTRUCTION OF DAVID. Give ear, O God, [to] my prayer, And do not hide from my supplication.
2 Listen unto me, and answer me: I mourn in my grief, and moan;
Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my (meditation) and make a noise,
3 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.
Because of the voice of an enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked, For they cause sorrow to move against me, And in anger they hate me.
4 My heart is sorely pained within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and shuddering hath covered me.
Fear and trembling come to me, And horror covers me.
6 And I said, Oh that some one would give me wings like a dove! I would fly away and dwell [quietly].
And I say, “Who gives to me a pinion as a dove?” I fly away and rest,
7 Lo, I would flee far away, I would spend my night in the wilderness. (Selah)
Behold, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. (Selah)
8 I would prepare hastily a refuge for me from the sweeping wind [and] from storm.
I hurry escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.
9 Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongue; for I have seen violence and strife in the city;
Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city.
10 Day and night do these encompass it upon her walls: and wrong and trouble are in her midst.
By day and by night they go around it, on its walls. Both iniquity and perverseness [are] in its midst,
11 Mischief is in her midst: guile and deceit depart not from her streets.
Mischiefs [are] in its midst. Fraud and deceit do not depart from its street.
12 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;
For an enemy does not reproach me, or I bear [it], He who is hating me Has not magnified himself against me, Or I hide from him.
13 But it is thou, a man my equal, my guide, and my acquaintance;
But you, a man—as my equal, My familiar friend, and my acquaintance.
14 So that we took sweet secret counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in tumultuous company.
When together we sweeten counsel, We walk into the house of God in company.
15 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)
Desolations [are] on them, They go down [to] Sheol—alive, For wickedness [is] in their dwelling, in their midst. (Sheol h7585)
16 I, however, will call on God: and the Lord will save me.
I call to God, and YHWH saves me.
17 At evening and morning and noon will I make my complaint and moan: and he heareth my voice.—
Evening, and morning, and noon, I meditate, and make a noise, and He hears my voice,
18 He delivereth my soul in peace from the battle against me; for in multitudes are they [contending] with me.
He has ransomed my soul in peace From him who is near to me, For with the multitude they were with me.
19 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.
God hears and afflicts them, And He sits of old. (Selah) Because they have no changes, and do not fear God,
20 He stretcheth out his hands against those at peace with him: he violateth his covenant.
He has sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He has defiled his covenant.
21 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.
His mouth has been sweeter than honey, And his heart [is] war! His words have been softer than oil, And they [are] drawn [swords].
22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain thee: he will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
Cast on YHWH that which He has given you, And He sustains you, He does not permit the moving of the righteous forever.
23 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.
And You, O God, bring them down To a pit of destruction, Men of blood and deceit do not reach to half their days, And I trust in You!
