Psalms 55
1 To the Overseer with stringed instruments. — An instruction, by David. Give ear, O God, [to] my prayer, And hide not from my supplication.
Unto the end. In verses, the understanding of David. Listen to my prayer, O God, and despise not my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my (meditation) and make a noise,
Be attentive to me, and heed me. I have been grieved in my training, and I have been disturbed
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.
at the voice of the adversary and at the tribulation of the sinner. For they have diverted iniquities toward me, and they have been harassing me with rage.
4 My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me.
My heart has become disturbed within me, and the dread of death has fallen over me.
5 Fear and trembling come in to me, And horror doth cover me.
Fear and trembling have overwhelmed me, and darkness has buried me.
6 And I say, 'Who doth give to me a pinion as a dove? I fly away and rest,
And I said, “Who will give me wings like the dove, so that I may fly away and take rest?”
7 Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. (Selah)
Behold, I have fled far away, and I linger in solitude.
8 I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.
I waited for him who saved me from a weak-minded spirit and from a tempest.
9 Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city.
Cast them down, O Lord, and divide their tongues. For I have seen iniquity and contradiction in the city.
10 By day and by night they go round it, on its walls. Both iniquity and perverseness [are] in its midst,
Day and night, iniquity will surround it upon its walls, and hardship is in its midst,
11 Mischiefs [are] in its midst. Fraud and deceit depart not from its street.
with injustice. And usury and deceit have not fallen away from its streets.
12 For an enemy reproacheth me not, or I bear [it], He who is hating me Hath not magnified himself against me, Or I hide from him.
For if my enemy had spoken evil about me, certainly, I would have sustained it. And if he who hated me had been speaking great things against me, I would perhaps have hidden myself from him.
13 But thou, a man — as mine equal, My familiar friend, and mine acquaintance.
Truly, you are a man of one mind: my leader and my acquaintance,
14 When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we walk in company.
who took sweet food together with me. In the house of God, we walked side-by-side.
15 Desolations [are] upon them, They go down [to] Sheol — alive, For wickedness [is] in their dwelling, in their midst. (Sheol h7585)
Let death come upon them, and let them descend alive into Hellfire. For there is wickedness in their dwellings, in their midst. (Sheol h7585)
16 I — to God I call, and Jehovah saveth me.
But I have cried out to God, and the Lord will save me.
17 Evening, and morning, and noon, I meditate, and make a noise, and He heareth my voice,
Evening and morning and midday, I will discourse and announce, and he will heed my voice.
18 He hath ransomed in peace my soul From him who is near to me, For with the multitude they were with me.
He will redeem my soul in peace from those who draw near to me. For, among the many, they were with me.
19 God doth hear and afflict them, And He sitteth of old. (Selah) Because they have no changes, and fear not God,
God will hear, and He who is before time will humble them. For there is no change with them, and they have not feared God.
20 He hath sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He hath polluted his covenant.
He has stretched forth his hand in retribution. They have contaminated his covenant.
21 Sweeter than honey hath been his mouth, And his heart [is] war! Softer have been his words than oil, And they [are] drawn [swords].
They were divided by the wrath of his countenance, and his heart has drawn near. His words are smoother than oil, and they are arrows.
22 Cast on Jehovah that which He hath given thee, And He doth sustain thee, He doth not suffer for ever the moving of the righteous.
Cast your cares upon the Lord, and he will nurture you. He will not allow the just to be tossed about forever.
23 And Thou, O God, dost bring them down To a pit of destruction, Men of blood and deceit reach not to half their days, And I — I do trust in Thee!
Truly, O God, you will lead them away into the well of death. Bloody and deceitful men will not divide their days in half. But I will hope in you, O Lord.
