Psalms 55

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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;

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

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

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

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

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

14(not in this translation)

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.

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.

15(not in this translation)

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

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

16(not in this translation)

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

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.

17(not in this translation)

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

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

18(not in this translation)

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

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.

19(not in this translation)

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

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

20(not in this translation)

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> .

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.

21(not in this translation)

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.

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

22(not in this translation)

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!

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.

23(not in this translation)