Psalms 55

1 To the chief music-maker, on Neginoth. Maschil. Of David. Give hearing to my prayer, O God; and let not your ear be shut against my request.

For the leader. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David. Listen, God, to my prayer. Don’t hide yourself from my pleading.

2 Give thought to me, and let my prayer be answered: I have been made low in sorrow;

Hear me, and answer; for bitter is my lament.

3 I am troubled because of the voice of the cruel ones, because of the loud cry of the evil-doers; for they put a weight of evil on me, and they are cruel in their hate for me.

I am wild with the noise of the foe, with the clamour of the ungodly; for they hurl disaster upon me, and attack me with fury.

4 My heart is deeply wounded, and the fear of death has come on me.

My heart shudders within me, terrors of deaths press on me,

5 Fear and shaking have come over me, with deep fear I am covered.

fear and trembling attack me, and horror wraps me round.

6 And I said, If only I had wings like a dove! for then I would go in flight from here and be at rest.

O for the wings of a dove: I would fly away and rest.

7 I would go wandering far away, living in the waste land. (Selah)

I would wander far away, find refuge in the wilderness. (Selah)

8 I would quickly take cover from the driving storm and from the violent wind.

I would find myself a shelter from raging wind and tempest.

9 Send destruction on them, O Lord, make a division of tongues among them: for I have seen fighting and violent acts in the town.

Confuse them, Lord, upset their plans; for I see violence and strife in the city.

10 By day and night they go round the town, on the walls; trouble and sorrow are in the heart of it.

By day and by night they make their rounds on the city walls, while within is crime and trouble,

11 Evil is there; cruel rule and deceit are ever in the streets.

within is ruin. Her market-place is never free of deceit and tyranny.

12 For it was not my hater who said evil of me; that would have been no grief to me; it was not one outside the number of my friends who made himself strong against me, or I would have kept myself from him in a secret place;

The taunts were not those of a foe that I could have borne; the disdain was not that of an enemy I could have shunned them:

13 But it was you, my equal, my guide, my well-loved friend.

but it was you, my equal, my dear and familiar friend.

14 We had loving talk together, and went to the house of God in company.

We used to be so close, together we walked in God’s house with the crowd.

15 Let the hand of death come on them suddenly, and let them go down living into the underworld; because evil is in their houses and in their hearts. (Sheol h7585)

May death suddenly take them, may they go down to Sheol alive, for evil lives in their homes and their hearts. (Sheol h7585)

16 As for me, I will make my prayer to God, and he will be my saviour.

But I will call on God, the Lord will save me.

17 In the evening and in the morning and in the middle of the day I will make my prayer with sounds of grief; and my voice will come to his ears.

Evening and morning and noon I lament and moan. He will hear my voice;

18 He has taken my soul away from the attack which was made against me, and given it peace; for great numbers were against me.

though I am attacked by many he will rescue me, unharmed from the war.

19 God will give thought to me; he who from early times is strong will send pain and trouble on them. (Selah) Because they are unchanged, they have no fear of God.

God, who sits on his ancient throne will hear and will humble them, for they never change, they never fear God. (Selah)

20 He has put out his hand against those who were at peace with him; he has not kept his agreement.

My friend turned against me, betrayed his word.

21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, but they were sharp swords.

His mouth was smoother than butter, but war filled his heart. His words were softer than oil, but sharper than swords.

22 Put your cares on the Lord, and he will be your support; he will not let the upright man be moved.

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you. He will never let the righteous be shaken.

23 But you, O God, will send them down into the underworld; the cruel and the false will be cut off before half their days are ended; but I will have faith in you.

But you, God, will hurl them down to the deepest pit. Bloody and treacherous people will not live out half their days; but I will trust you.