PSALM 55

Prayer for the Destruction of the Treacherous.

For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A †Maskil of David.

1 aGive ear to my prayer, O God;

And bdo not hide Yourself from my supplication.

2 Give aheed to me and answer me;

I am restless in my bcomplaint and 1cam surely distracted,

3 Because of the voice of the enemy,

Because of the apressure of the wicked;

For they bbring down 1trouble upon me

And in anger they cbear a grudge against me.

4 My aheart is in anguish within me,

And the terrors of bdeath have fallen upon me.

5 Fear and atrembling come upon me,

And 1bhorror has overwhelmed me.

6 I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and 1abe at rest.

7 “Behold, I would wander far away,

I would alodge in the wilderness.

1Selah.

8 “I would hasten to my place of refuge

From the astormy wind and tempest.”

9 1Confuse, O Lord, adivide their tongues,

For I have seen bviolence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they go around her upon her walls,

And iniquity and mischief are in her midst.

11 aDestruction is in her midst;

bOppression and deceit do not depart from her 1streets.

12 For it is anot an enemy who reproaches me,

Then I could bear it;

Nor is it one who hates me who bhas exalted himself against me,

Then I could hide myself from him.

13 But it is you, a man 1my equal,

My acompanion and my 2bfamiliar friend;

14 We who had sweet 1fellowship together

aWalked in the house of God in the throng.

15 Let 1death come adeceitfully upon them;

Let them bgo down alive to 2Sheol,

For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.

16 As for me, I shall acall upon God,

And the Lord will save me.

17 aEvening and bmorning and at cnoon, I will complain and murmur,

And He will hear my voice.

18 He will aredeem my soul in peace 1from the battle which is against me,

For they are bmany who strive with me.

19 God will ahear and 1answer them—

Even the one bwho 2sits enthroned from of old—

Selah.

With whom there 3is no change,

And who cdo not fear God.

20 He has put forth his hands against athose who were at peace with him;

He has 1bviolated his covenant.

21 His 1speech was asmoother than butter,

But his heart was war;

His words were asofter than oil,

Yet they were drawn bswords.

22 aCast 1your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;

bHe will never allow the righteous to 2cbe shaken.

23 But You, O God, will bring them down to the 1apit of destruction;

bMen of bloodshed and deceit will cnot live out half their days.

But I will dtrust in You.