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.
“For the leader of the music. To be sung on stringed instruments. A psalm of David.” Give ear to my prayer, O God! 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 hear me! I wander about mourning and wailing,
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.
On account of the clamors of the enemy, On account of the violence of the wicked. For they bring evil upon me, And in wrath set themselves against me.
4 My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me.
My heart trembleth in my bosom, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling come in to me, And horror doth cover me.
Fear and trembling have seized me, And horror hath overwhelmed me.
6 And I say, 'Who doth give to me a pinion as a dove? I fly away and rest,
Then I say, O that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7 Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. (Selah)
Behold, I would wander far away, And take up my abode in a wilderness. (Pause)
8 I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.
I would hasten away to a shelter From the rushing wind and tempest.
9 Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city.
Confound, O Lord! divide their counsels! For I behold violence and strife 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 do these go about its walls; In the midst of it are iniquity and mischief.
11 Mischiefs [are] in its midst. Fraud and deceit depart not from its street.
Wickedness is in the midst of it; Oppression and fraud depart not 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.
It was not an enemy that reviled me, Then I could have borne it; Nor one that hated me, who rose up against me; From him I could have hid myself.
13 But thou, a man — as mine equal, My familiar friend, and mine acquaintance.
But it was thou, a man my equal, My friend, and my acquaintance.
14 When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we walk in company.
We held sweet converse together, And walked to the house of God in company.
15 Desolations [are] upon them, They go down [to] Sheol — alive, For wickedness [is] in their dwelling, in their midst. (Sheol h7585)
May sudden death seize upon them! May they go down to the underworld alive! For wickedness is in their dwellings, in the midst of them. (Sheol h7585)
16 I — to God I call, and Jehovah saveth me.
As for me, I will call upon God, And Jehovah will save me.
17 Evening, and morning, and noon, I meditate, and make a noise, and He heareth my voice,
At evening, at morn, and at noon I mourn and sigh, And he will hear 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 deliver me in peace from my conflict; For many have risen up against 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 me, and bring them down, —He that hath been judge of old. (Pause) Because they have no changes, Therefore they fear not God.
20 He hath sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He hath polluted his covenant.
They lift up their hands against their friend, And break their covenant with him.
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].
Their speech was softer than butter, But war was in their heart; Their words were smoother than oil, Yet were they drawn swords.
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 thy burden upon the LORD, and he will sustain thee; He will never suffer the righteous to fall!”
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!
Yea, thou, O God! wilt bring them down into the lowest pit! Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in thee!
