Psalm
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Psalm 55

Prayer for the Destruction of the Treacherous.

For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A [a]Maskil of David.

1Give ear to my prayer, O God;
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Give heed to me and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint and [b]am surely distracted,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the pressure of the wicked;
For they bring down [c]trouble upon me
And in anger they bear a grudge against me.

4 My heart is in anguish within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling come upon me,
And [d]horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and [e]be at rest.
7 “Behold, I would wander far away,
I would lodge in the wilderness. [f]Selah.
8 “I would hasten to my place of refuge
From the stormy wind and tempest.”

9 [g]Confuse, O Lord, divide their tongues,
For I have seen violence 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 Destruction is in her midst;
Oppression and deceit do not depart from her [h]streets.

12 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me,
Then I could bear it;
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me,
Then I could hide myself from him.
13 But it is you, a man [i]my equal,
My companion and my [j]familiar friend;
14 We who had sweet [k]fellowship together
Walked in the house of God in the throng.
15 Let [l]death come deceitfully upon them;
Let them go down alive to [m]Sheol,
For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.

16 As for me, I shall call upon God,
And the Lord will save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur,
And He will hear my voice.
18 He will redeem my soul in peace [n]from the battle which is against me,
For they are many who strive with me.
19 God will hear and [o]answer them—
Even the one who [p]sits enthroned from of old— Selah.
With whom there [q]is no change,
And who do not fear God.
20 He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;
He has [r]violated his covenant.
21 His [s]speech was smoother than butter,
But his heart was war;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.

22 Cast [t]your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to [u]be shaken.
23 But You, O God, will bring them down to the [v]pit of destruction;
Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days.
But I will trust in You.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 55:1 Possibly Contemplative, or Didactic, or Skillful Psalm
  2. Psalm 55:2 Or I must moan
  3. Psalm 55:3 Or wickedness
  4. Psalm 55:5 Lit shuddering
  5. Psalm 55:6 Lit settle down
  6. Psalm 55:7 Selah may mean: Pause, Crescendo or Musical interlude
  7. Psalm 55:9 Lit Swallow up
  8. Psalm 55:11 Or plaza
  9. Psalm 55:13 Lit according to my valuation
  10. Psalm 55:13 Or acquaintance
  11. Psalm 55:14 Lit counsel; or intimacy
  12. Psalm 55:15 Another reading is desolations be upon them
  13. Psalm 55:15 I.e. the nether world
  14. Psalm 55:18 Or so that none may approach me
  15. Psalm 55:19 Or afflict
  16. Psalm 55:19 Or abides from
  17. Psalm 55:19 Lit are no changes
  18. Psalm 55:20 Lit profaned
  19. Psalm 55:21 Lit mouth
  20. Psalm 55:22 Or what He has given you
  21. Psalm 55:22 Or totter
  22. Psalm 55:23 Or lowest pit
Psalm 55