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 yourself from my supplication.

2 Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my (meditation) and make a noise,

Attend to me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;

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 on me, and in wrath they hate me.

4 My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me.

My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen on me.

5 Fear and trembling come to me, And horror covers me.

Fearfulness and trembling are come on 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, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.

7 Behold, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. (Selah)

See, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. (Selah)

8 I hurry escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.

I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.

9 Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city.

Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: 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 on the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the middle of it.

11 Mischiefs [are] in its midst. Fraud and deceit do not depart from its street.

Wickedness is in the middle thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her 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 that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify 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 you, a man my equal, my guide, and my acquaintance.

14 When together we sweeten counsel, We walk into the house of God in company.

We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in company.

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 on them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. (Sheol h7585)

16 I call to God, and YHWH saves me.

As for me, I will call on God; and the LORD shall 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 cry aloud: and he shall 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 delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.

19 God hears and afflicts them, And He sits of old. (Selah) Because they have no changes, and do not fear God,

God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that stays of old. (Selah) Because they have no changes, therefore they 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 be at peace with him: he has broken 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].

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were 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 your burden on the LORD, and he shall sustain you: he shall 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!

But you, O God, shall bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in you.