Psalms 55

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

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

1To the Overseer with stringed instruments. --An instruction, by David. Give ear, O God, <FI>to<Fi> my prayer, And hide not from my supplication.

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

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

2Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise,

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.

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.

3Because 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.

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

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

4My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me.

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

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

5Fear and trembling come in to me, And horror doth cover me.

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

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

6And I say, `Who doth give to me a pinion as a dove? I fly away and rest,

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

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

7Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. Selah.

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

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

8I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind.

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

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

9Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city.

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

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

10By day and by night they go round it, on its walls. Both iniquity and perverseness <FI>are<Fi> in its midst,

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

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

11Mischiefs <FI>are<Fi> in its midst. Fraud and deceit depart not from its street.

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;

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:

12For an enemy reproacheth me not, or I bear <FI>it<Fi> , He who is hating me Hath not magnified himself against me, Or I hide from him.

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

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

13But thou, a man--as mine equal, My familiar friend, and mine acquaintance.

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

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

14When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we walk in company.

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.

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

15Desolations <FI>are<Fi> upon them, They go down <FI>to<Fi> Sheol--alive, For wickedness <FI>is<Fi> in their dwelling, in their midst.

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

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

16I--to God I call, and Jehovah saveth me.

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.

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

17Evening, and morning, and noon, I meditate, and make a noise, and He heareth my voice,

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

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

18He hath ransomed in peace my soul From him who is near to me, For with the multitude they were with me.

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.

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

19God doth hear and afflict them, And He sitteth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, and fear not God,

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

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

20He hath sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He hath polluted his covenant.

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.

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

21Sweeter than honey hath been his mouth, And his heart <FI>is<Fi> war! Softer have been his words than oil, And they <FI>are<Fi> drawn <FI>swords<Fi> .

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

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

22Cast on Jehovah that which He hath given thee, And He doth sustain thee, He doth not suffer for ever the moving of the righteous.

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.

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.

23And 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!