Psalms 55

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; And hide not thyself from my supplication.

1Unto the end, for a people that is removed at a distance from the sanctuary: for David, for an inscription of a title (or pillar) when the Philistines held him in Geth.

1 Give hearing to my prayer, O God; and let not your ear be shut against my request.

2Attend unto me, and answer me: I am restless in my complaint, and moan,

2Have mercy on me, O God, for man hath trodden me under foot; all the day long he hath afflicted me fighting against me.

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

3Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they cast iniquity upon me, And in anger they persecute me.

3My enemies have trodden on me all the day long; for they are many that make war against me.

3I 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.

4My heart is sore pained within me: And the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

4From the height of the day I shall fear: but I will trust in thee.

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

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

5In God I will praise my words, in God I have put my trust: I will not fear what flesh can do against me.

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

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

6All the day long they detested my words: all their thoughts were against me unto evil.

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

7Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. [Selah

7They will dwell and hide themselves: they will watch my heel. As they have waited for my soul,

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

8I would haste me to a shelter From the stormy wind and tempest.

8For nothing shalt thou save them: in thy anger thou shalt break the people in pieces. O God,

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

9Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongue; For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

9I have declared to thee my life: thou hast set me tears in thy sight, As also in thy promise.

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

10Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: Iniquity also and mischief are in the midst of it.

10Then shall my enemies be turned back. In what day soever I shall call upon thee, behold I know thou art my God.

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

11Wickedness is in the midst thereof: Oppression and guile depart not from its streets.

11In God will I praise the word, in the Lord will I praise his speech. In God have I hoped, I will not fear what man can do to me.

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

12For it was not an enemy that reproached me; Then I could have borne it: Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; Then I would have hid myself from him:

12In me, O God, are vows to thee, which I will pay, praises to thee:

12For 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;

13But it was thou, a man mine equal, My companion, and my familiar friend.

13Because thou hast delivered my soul from death, my feet from falling: that I may please in the sight of God, in the light of the living.

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

14We took sweet counsel together; We walked in the house of God with the throng.

14(not in this translation)

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

15Let death come suddenly upon them, Let them go down alive into Sheol; For wickedness is in their dwelling, in the midst of them.

15(not in this translation)

15Let 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.

16As for me, I will call upon God; And Jehovah will save me.

16(not in this translation)

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

17Evening, and morning, and at noonday, will I complain, and moan; And he will hear my voice.

17(not in this translation)

17In 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.

18He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me; For they were many that strove with me.

18(not in this translation)

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

19God will hear, and answer them, Even he that abideth of old, [Selah The menwho have no changes, And who fear not God.

19(not in this translation)

19God 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.

20He hath put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him: He hath profaned his covenant.

20(not in this translation)

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

21His mouth was smooth as butter, But his heart was war: His words were softer than oil, Yet were they drawn swords.

21(not in this translation)

21The 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.

22Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.

22(not in this translation)

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

23But thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; But I will trust in thee.

23(not in this translation)

23But 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.