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.
To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, [A Psalm] 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 to me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
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 wrath they hate me.
4 My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me.
My heart is severely pained within me: and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling come in to me, And horror doth cover me.
Fearfulness and trembling have come upon 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,
And I said, O that I had wings like a dove! [for then] I would fly away, and be at rest.
7 Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. (Selah)
Lo, [then] I would wander far off, [and] remain in the wilderness. (Selah)
8 I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.
I would hasten my escape from the windy storm [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 tongues: for I have seen 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 they go about it upon its walls: mischief also and sorrow [are] in the midst of it.
11 Mischiefs [are] in its midst. Fraud and deceit depart not from its street.
Wickedness [is] in the midst of it: deceit and guile depart not from her 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 [it was] not an enemy [that] reproached me; then I could have borne [it]: neither [was it] he that hated me [that] magnified [himself] against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
13 But thou, a man — as mine equal, My familiar friend, and mine acquaintance.
But [it was] thou, a man my equal, my guide, and my acquaintance.
14 When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we walk in company.
We took sweet counsel 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)
Let death seize upon them, [and] let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness [is] in their dwellings, [and] among them. (Sheol h7585)
16 I — to God I call, and Jehovah saveth me.
As for me, I will call upon 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 at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: 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 hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle [that was] against me: for there were many 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 afflict them, even he that abideth of old. (Selah) 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.
He hath put forth his hands against such as are at peace with him: he hath broken 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].
[The words] of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war [was] in his heart: his words were softer 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 be moved.
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!
But thou, O God, wilt 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.
