Psalms 55

1 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.

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.

2 Attend to me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;

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

3 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.

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.

4 My heart is greatly pained within me: and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

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

5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

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

6 And I said, O that I had wings like a dove! for then I would fly away, and be at rest.

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

7 Lo, then I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. (Selah)

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

8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.

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

9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

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

10 Day and night they go about her upon her walls: mischief also and sorrow are in her midst.

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

11 Wickedness is in her midst: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

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

12 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:

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;

13 But it was thou, a man my equal, my guide, and my acquaintance.

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

14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in company.

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

15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down alive into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. (Sheol h7585)

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)

16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.

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

17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

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.

18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.

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

19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. (Selah) Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.

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.

20 He hath put forth his hands against such as are at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.

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

21 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.

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.

22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never allow the righteous to be moved.

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

23 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.

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.