< Psalms 55 >
1 TO THE OVERSEER. WITH STRINGED INSTRUMENTS. AN INSTRUCTION OF DAVID. Give ear, O God, [to] my prayer, And do not hide from my supplication.
Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not thyself from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my (meditation) and make a noise,
Attend to me, and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and moan,
3 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.
because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they cast iniquity upon me, and in anger they persecute me.
4 My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me.
My heart is greatly pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling come to me, And horror covers me.
Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.
6 And I say, “Who gives to me a pinion as a dove?” I fly away and rest,
And I said, O that I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away, and be at rest.
7 Behold, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. (Selah)
Lo, then I would wander far off. I would lodge in the wilderness. (Selah)
8 I hurry escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.
I would hasten myself to a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest.
9 Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city.
Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongue, for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10 By day and by night they go around it, on its walls. Both iniquity and perverseness [are] in its midst,
Day and night they go about it, upon the walls of it. Iniquity and mischief also are in the midst of it.
11 Mischiefs [are] in its midst. Fraud and deceit do not depart from its street.
Wickedness is in the midst of it. Oppression and deceit depart not from its streets.
12 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.
For it was not an enemy who reproached me. Then I could have borne it. Neither was it he who hated me that magnified himself against me. Then I would have hid myself from him.
13 But you, a man—as my equal, My familiar friend, and my acquaintance.
But it was thou, a man my equal, my companion, and my familiar friend.
14 When together we sweeten counsel, We walk into the house of God in company.
We took sweet counsel together. We walked in the house of God with the throng.
15 Desolations [are] on them, They go down [to] Sheol—alive, For wickedness [is] in their dwelling, in their midst. (Sheol )
Let death come suddenly upon them. Let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwelling, in the midst of them. (Sheol )
16 I call to God, and YHWH saves me.
As for me, I will call upon God, and Jehovah will save me.
17 Evening, and morning, and noon, I meditate, and make a noise, and He hears my voice,
Evening, and morning, and at noonday, I will complain and moan. And he will hear my voice.
18 He has ransomed my soul in peace From him who is near to me, For with the multitude they were with me.
He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, for there were many by me.
19 God hears and afflicts them, And He sits of old. (Selah) Because they have no changes, and do not fear God,
God will hear, and respond to them, (even he who abides of old), (Selah) men who have no changes, and who fear not God.
20 He has sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He has defiled his covenant.
He has put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him. He has profaned his covenant.
21 His mouth has been sweeter than honey, And his heart [is] war! His words have been softer than oil, And they [are] drawn [swords].
His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.
22 Cast on YHWH that which He has given you, And He sustains you, He does not permit the moving of the righteous forever.
(Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee. He will never allow the righteous man to be moved.)
23 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!
But thou, O God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days, but I will trust in thee.