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.
To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments: an instruction. Of David. 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 unto me, and answer me: I wander about in my plaint, and I moan aloud,
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 writhing within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling come to me, And horror covers me.
Fear and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
6 And I say, “Who gives to me a pinion as a dove?” I fly away and rest,
And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away, and be at rest;
7 Behold, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. (Selah)
Behold, I would flee afar off, I would lodge in the wilderness; (Selah)
8 I hurry escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.
I would hasten my escape from the stormy wind, from the tempest.
9 Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city.
Swallow [them] up, 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 thereof; and iniquity and mischief are in the midst of it.
11 Mischiefs [are] in its midst. Fraud and deceit do not depart from its street.
Perversities are in the midst thereof; and 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 is not an enemy that hath reproached me — then could I have borne it; neither is it he that hateth me that hath magnified [himself] against me — then would I have hidden myself from him;
13 But you, a man—as my equal, My familiar friend, and my acquaintance.
But it was thou, a man mine equal, mine intimate, my familiar friend. ...
14 When together we sweeten counsel, We walk into the house of God in company.
We who held sweet intercourse together. To the house of God we walked amid the throng.
15 Desolations [are] on them, They go down [to] Sheol—alive, For wickedness [is] in their dwelling, in their midst. (Sheol h7585)
Let death seize upon them, let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwellings, in their midst. (Sheol h7585)
16 I call to God, and YHWH saves me.
As for me, unto God will I call; 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 noon, will I pray and moan aloud; 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 hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me: for there were many about 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 afflict them: he that is seated of old, (Selah) ...because there is no change in them, and they fear not God.
20 He has sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He has defiled his covenant.
He hath put forth his hands against such as are at peace with him; he hath 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].
Smooth were the milky [words] of his mouth, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet are they 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 suffer the righteous 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!
And thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. But as for me, I will confide in thee.
