< Psalms 55 >

1 God, listen to my prayer, and do not turn away from me while I am pleading with you.
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִֽד׃ הַאֲזִ֣ינָה אֱ֭לֹהִים תְּפִלָּתִ֑י וְאַל־תִּ֝תְעַלַּ֗ם מִתְּחִנָּתִֽי׃
2 Listen to me, and answer me, because I am overwhelmed by [all] my troubles.
הַקְשִׁ֣יבָה לִּ֣י וַעֲנֵ֑נִי אָרִ֖יד בְּשִׂיחִ֣י וְאָהִֽימָה׃
3 My enemies cause me to be terrified; wicked people oppress me. They cause me to have great troubles; they are angry with me, and they hate me.
מִקֹּ֤ול אֹויֵ֗ב מִפְּנֵ֣י עָקַ֣ת רָשָׁ֑ע כִּי־יָמִ֥יטוּ עָלַ֥י אָ֝֗וֶן וּבְאַ֥ף יִשְׂטְמֽוּנִי׃
4 I am terrified, and I am very much afraid that I will die.
לִ֭בִּי יָחִ֣יל בְּקִרְבִּ֑י וְאֵימֹ֥ות מָ֝֗וֶת נָפְל֥וּ עָלָֽי׃
5 I am very fearful and I tremble/shake, and I am completely terrified.
יִרְאָ֣ה וָ֭רַעַד יָ֣בֹא בִ֑י וַ֝תְּכַסֵּ֗נִי פַּלָּצֽוּת׃
6 I said, “I wish that I had wings like a dove! If I had wings, I would fly away and find a place to rest.
וָאֹמַ֗ר מִֽי־יִתֶּן־לִּ֣י אֵ֭בֶר כַּיֹּונָ֗ה אָע֥וּפָה וְאֶשְׁכֹּֽנָה׃
7 I would fly far away and live in the desert.
הִ֭נֵּה אַרְחִ֣יק נְדֹ֑ד אָלִ֖ין בַּמִּדְבָּ֣ר סֶֽלָה׃
8 I would quickly find a shelter from [my enemies] [who are like] [MET] a strong wind and rainstorm.”
אָחִ֣ישָׁה מִפְלָ֣ט לִ֑י מֵר֖וּחַ סֹעָ֣ה מִסָּֽעַר׃
9 Lord, confuse my enemies, and cause their plans to fail, because I see them acting violently and causing strife in the city [of Jerusalem].
בַּלַּ֣ע אֲ֭דֹנָי פַּלַּ֣ג לְשֹׁונָ֑ם כִּֽי־רָאִ֨יתִי חָמָ֖ס וְרִ֣יב בָּעִֽיר׃
10 During [each] day and night they march around on top of its walls, committing crimes and causing trouble.
יֹומָ֤ם וָלַ֗יְלָה יְסֹובְבֻ֥הָ עַל־חֹומֹתֶ֑יהָ וְאָ֖וֶן וְעָמָ֣ל בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃
11 They destroy [things] everywhere. They oppress and defraud [people] in the (marketplaces/public squares).
הַוֹּ֥ות בְּקִרְבָּ֑הּ וְֽלֹא־יָמִ֥ישׁ מֵ֝רְחֹבָ֗הּ תֹּ֣ךְ וּמִרְמָֽה׃
12 If it were an enemy who was making fun of me, I could endure it. If it were someone who hates me, who despises me, I could hide from him.
כִּ֤י לֹֽא־אֹויֵ֥ב יְחָֽרְפֵ֗נִי וְאֶ֫שָּׂ֥א לֹֽא־מְ֭שַׂנְאִי עָלַ֣י הִגְדִּ֑יל וְאֶסָּתֵ֥ר מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
13 But it is someone who is just like me, my companion, someone who was my friend [who is doing this to me].
וְאַתָּ֣ה אֱנֹ֣ושׁ כְּעֶרְכִּ֑י אַ֝לּוּפִ֗י וּמְיֻדָּֽעִי׃
14 We previously had many good talks together; we walked around together in God’s temple.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר יַ֭חְדָּו נַמְתִּ֣יק סֹ֑וד בְּבֵ֥ית אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים נְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בְּרָֽגֶשׁ׃
15 I desire/hope that my enemies will die suddenly; while they are still young, cause them to go down to the place where the dead people are. They they think evil things. (Sheol h7585)
יַשִּׁימָוֶת (יַשִּׁ֤י מָ֨וֶת) ׀ עָלֵ֗ימֹו יֵרְד֣וּ שְׁאֹ֣ול חַיִּ֑ים כִּֽי־רָעֹ֖ות בִּמְגוּרָ֣ם בְּקִרְבָּֽם׃ (Sheol h7585)
16 But I [will] ask Yahweh, [my] God, to help me, and he will save me.
אֲ֭נִי אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֶקְרָ֑א וַ֝יהוָ֗ה יֹושִׁיעֵֽנִי׃
17 [Each] morning and [each] noontime and [each] evening I tell him what I am concerned about, and I moan, and he hears my voice.
עֶ֤רֶב וָבֹ֣קֶר וְ֭צָהֳרַיִם אָשִׂ֣יחָה וְאֶהֱמֶ֑ה וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע קֹולִֽי׃
18 I have [very] many enemies, but he will rescue me and bring me back safely from the battles that I fight.
פָּ֘דָ֤ה בְשָׁלֹ֣ום נַ֭פְשִׁי מִקֲּרָב־לִ֑י כִּֽי־בְ֝רַבִּ֗ים הָי֥וּ עִמָּדִֽי׃
19 God is the one who has ruled everything forever, and he will listen to me. He will cause my enemies to be [defeated and] disgraced, because they do not change their evil behavior and they do not revere God.
יִשְׁמַ֤ע ׀ אֵ֨ל ׀ וֽ͏ְיַעֲנֵם֮ וְיֹ֤שֵׁ֥ב קֶ֗דֶם סֶ֥לָה אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֵ֣ין חֲלִיפֹ֣ות לָ֑מֹו וְלֹ֖א יָרְא֣וּ אֱלֹהִֽים׃
20 My companion, [whom I mentioned previously], betrayed his friends and broke the agreement that he made with them.
שָׁלַ֣ח יָ֭דָיו בִּשְׁלֹמָ֗יו חִלֵּ֥ל בְּרִיתֹֽו׃
21 What he said was [easy to listen to, like] butter [is easy to swallow] [MET], but in his inner being he hated people; his words were [soothing] like [olive] oil, [but they hurt people like] sharp swords do [MET].
חָלְק֤וּ ׀ מַחְמָאֹ֣ת פִּיו֮ וּֽקֲרָב־לִ֫בֹּ֥ו רַכּ֖וּ דְבָרָ֥יו מִשֶּׁ֗מֶן וְהֵ֣מָּה פְתִחֹֽות׃
22 Put your troubles in Yahweh’s hands, and he will take care of you; he will never allow righteous [people] to experience disasters.
הַשְׁלֵ֤ךְ עַל־יְהוָ֨ה ׀ יְהָבְךָ֮ וְה֪וּא יְכַ֫לְכְּלֶ֥ךָ לֹא־יִתֵּ֖ן לְעֹולָ֥ם מֹ֗וט לַצַּדִּֽיק׃
23 God, you will cause murderers [MTY] and liars to die before they have lived half as long as they expect to live; but [as for me], I will trust in you.
וְאַתָּ֤ה אֱלֹהִ֨ים ׀ תֹּורִדֵ֬ם ׀ לִבְאֵ֬ר שַׁ֗חַת אַנְשֵׁ֤י דָמִ֣ים וּ֭מִרְמָה לֹא־יֶחֱצ֣וּ יְמֵיהֶ֑ם וַ֝אֲנִ֗י אֶבְטַח־בָּֽךְ׃

< Psalms 55 >