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.
For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. Maschil 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 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 sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling come to me, And horror covers me.
Fearfulness 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! then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7 Behold, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. (Selah)
Lo, then would I 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 haste me 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, [and] 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 upon the walls thereof: iniquity also and mischief 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 thereof: oppression 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 thou, a man mine 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 h7585)
Let death come suddenly upon them, let them go down alive into the pit: for wickedness is in their dwelling, in the midst of them. (Sheol h7585)
16 I call to God, and YHWH saves me.
As for me, I will call upon 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 noonday, will I complain, and moan: 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 hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for they were many [that strove] 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 answer them, even he that abideth of old, (Selah) [the 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 hath put forth his hands against such as were 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].
His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war: 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 thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: 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 thou, O God, shalt 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.
