Psalm 55:1–8

Give ear to my prayer, O God,

and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!

Attend to me, and answer me;

I am restless in my complaint and I moan,

because of the noise of the enemy,

because of the oppression of the wicked.

For they drop trouble upon me,

and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

My heart is in anguish within me;

the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

Fear and trembling come upon me,

and horror overwhelms me.

And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest;

yes, I would wander far away;

I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah

I would hurry to find a shelter

from the raging wind and tempest.”

Listen to my prayer, O God,

do not ignore my plea;

hear me and answer me.

My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught

because of what my enemy is saying,

because of the threats of the wicked;

for they bring down suffering on me

and assail me in their anger.

My heart is in anguish within me;

the terrors of death have fallen on me.

Fear and trembling have beset me;

horror has overwhelmed me.

I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest.

I would flee far away

and stay in the desert;

I would hurry to my place of shelter,

far from the tempest and storm.”

Listen to my prayer, O God.

Do not ignore my cry for help!

Please listen and answer me,

for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.

My enemies shout at me,

making loud and wicked threats.

They bring trouble on me

and angrily hunt me down.

My heart pounds in my chest.

The terror of death assaults me.

Fear and trembling overwhelm me,

and I can’t stop shaking.

Oh, that I had wings like a dove;

then I would fly away and rest!

I would fly far away

to the quiet of the wilderness.

Interlude

How quickly I would escape—

far from this wild storm of hatred.

Give ear, O God, to my prayer,

and do not hide yourself from my plea.

Attend to me and answer me.

I am restless in my lamenting and I groan,

because of the voice of an enemy,

because of the oppression of the wicked,

because they bring down evil on me,

and in anger they hold a grudge against me.

My heart trembles within me,

and deathly terrors fall on me.

Fear and trembling come on me,

and horror overwhelms me.

So I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove.

I would fly away and be at rest.

Look, I would flee far away.

I would dwell in the wilderness. Selah

I would hurry to my refuge

from the raging wind and storm.”

Give ear to my prayer, O God;

And hide not thyself from my supplication.

Attend unto me, and hear me:

I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;

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.

My heart is sore pained within me:

And the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me,

And horror hath overwhelmed me.

And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove!

For then would I fly away, and be at rest.

Lo, then would I wander far off,

And remain in the wilderness. Selah.

I would hasten my escape

From the windy storm and tempest.