Psalms 55
1 For the chief musician; on stringed instruments. A maschil of David. Give ear to my prayer, God; and do not hide yourself from my plea.
Unto the end, in verses, understanding for David. Hear, O God, my prayer, and despise not my supplication:
2 Pay attention to me and answer me; I have no rest in my troubles
Be attentive to me and hear me. I am grieved in my exercise; and am troubled,
3 because of the voice of my enemies, because of the oppression of the wicked; for they bring trouble on me and persecute me in anger.
At the voice of the enemy, and at the tribulation of the sinner. For they have cast iniquities upon me: and in wrath they were troublesome to me.
4 My heart trembles within me, and the terrors of death have fallen on me.
My heart is troubled within me: and the fear of death is fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come on me, and horror has overwhelmed me.
Fear and trembling are come upon me: and darkness hath covered me.
6 I said, “Oh, if only I had wings like a dove! Then would I fly away and be at rest.
And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly and be at rest?
7 See, then I would wander far away; I would stay in the wilderness. (Selah)
Lo, I have gone far off flying away; and I abode in the wilderness.
8 I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest.”
I waited for him that hath saved me from pusillanimity of spirit, and a storm.
9 Devour them, Lord, confuse their language! For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
Cast down, O Lord, and divide their tongues; for I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.
10 Day and night they go about on its walls; iniquity and mischief are in the middle of it.
Day and night shall iniquity surround it upon its walls: and in the midst thereof are labour,
11 Wickedness is in the middle of it; oppression and deceit do not leave its streets.
And injustice. And usury and deceit have not departed from its streets.
12 For it was not an enemy who rebuked me, then I could have borne it; neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, then I would have hidden myself from him.
For if my enemy had reviled me, I would verily have borne with it. And if he that hated me had spoken great things against me, I would perhaps have hidden myself from him.
13 But it was you, a man equal to myself, my companion and my close friend.
But thou a man of one mind, my guide, and my familiar,
14 We had sweet fellowship together; we walked in the house of God with the throng.
Who didst take sweetmeats together with me: in the house of God we walked with consent.
15 Let death come suddenly on them; let them go down alive to Sheol, for wickedness is where they live, right among them. (Sheol h7585)
Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into hell. For there is wickedness in their dwellings: in the midst of them. (Sheol h7585)
16 As for me, I will call on God, and Yahweh will save me.
But I have cried to God: and the Lord will save me.
17 In the evening, morning and at noonday I complain and moan; he will hear my voice.
Evening and morning, and at noon I will speak and declare: and he shall hear my voice.
18 He will safely rescue my life from the battle that was against me, for those who fought against me were many.
He shall redeem my soul in peace from them that draw near to me: for among many they were with me.
19 God, the one who rules from eternity, will hear them and humiliate them. (Selah) They never change, and they do not fear God.
God shall hear, and the Eternal shall humble them. For there is no change with them, and they have not feared God:
20 My friend has raised his hands against those who were at peace with him; he has not respected the covenant that he had.
He hath stretched forth his hand to repay. They have defiled his covenant,
21 His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was hostile; his words were softer than oil, yet they were actually drawn swords.
They are divided by the wrath Of his countenance, and his heart hath drawn near. His words are smoother than oil, and the same are darts.
22 Place your burdens on Yahweh, and he will sustain you; he will never allow a righteous person to totter.
Cast thy care upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall not suffer the just to waver for ever.
23 But you, God, will bring the wicked down into the pit of destruction; bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live even half as long as others, but I will trust in you.
But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction. Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee, O Lord.
