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, by David. Give ear, O God, [to] my prayer, And hide not 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 in to me, And horror doth cover 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 doth give 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)
Lo, 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 hasten 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 round 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 depart not 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 reproacheth me not, or I bear [it], He who is hating me Hath 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 thou, a man — as mine equal, My familiar friend, and mine 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, Into the house of God we walk 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] upon 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 — to God I call, and Jehovah saveth 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 heareth my voice,
18 He delivereth my soul in peace from the battle against me; for in multitudes are they [contending] with me.
He hath ransomed in peace my soul 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 doth hear and afflict them, And He sitteth of old. (Selah) Because they have no changes, and fear not God,
20 He stretcheth out his hands against those at peace with him: he violateth his covenant.
He hath sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He hath polluted 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.
Sweeter than honey hath been his mouth, And his heart [is] war! Softer have been his words 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 Jehovah that which He hath given thee, And He doth sustain thee, He doth not suffer for ever the moving of the righteous.
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 Thou, O God, dost bring them down To a pit of destruction, Men of blood and deceit reach not to half their days, And I — I do trust in Thee!
