Psalms 55
55
A Lament over Betrayal
1For the leader. On stringed instruments. A maskil of David.
I
2Listen, God, to my prayer;#Ps 5:2–3; 86:6; 130:1–2; Lam 3:56; Jon 2:3.
do not hide from my pleading;
3hear me and give answer.
I rock with grief; I groan
4at the uproar of the enemy,
the clamor of the wicked.
They heap trouble upon me,
savagely accuse me.
5My heart pounds within me;
death’s terrors fall upon me.
6Fear and trembling overwhelm me;
shuddering sweeps over me.
7I say, “If only I had wings like a dove
that I might fly away and find rest.#Ps 11:1.
8Far away I would flee;
I would stay in the desert.#Jer 9:1; Rev 12:6.
Selah
9“I would soon find a shelter
from the raging wind and storm.”
II
10Lord, check and confuse their tongues.
For I see violence and strife in the city
11making rounds on its walls day and night.
Within are mischief and trouble;
12treachery is in its midst;
oppression and fraud never leave its streets.#Jer 5:1; 6:6; Ez 22:2; Heb 1:3; Zep 3:1.
13For it is not an enemy that reviled me—
that I could bear—
Not a foe who viewed me with contempt,
from that I could hide.
14But it was you, my other self,
my comrade and friend,#Ps 41:10; Jer 9:3; Mt 26:21–24 par.
15You, whose company I enjoyed,
at whose side I walked
in the house of God.
III
16Let death take them;
let them go down alive to Sheol,#Ps 49:15; Nm 16:33; Prv 1:2; Is 5:14.
for evil is in their homes and bellies.
17But I will call upon God,
and the Lord will save me.
18At dusk, dawn, and noon
I will grieve and complain,
and my prayer will be heard.#Dn 6:11.
19He will redeem my soul in peace
from those who war against me,
though there are many who oppose me.
20God, who sits enthroned forever,#Ps 29:10; 93:2; Bar 3:3.
will hear me and afflict them.
Selah
For they will not mend their ways;
they have no fear of God.
21He stretched out his hand at his friends
and broke his covenant.
22Softer than butter is his speech,
but war is in his heart.
Smoother than oil are his words,
but they are unsheathed swords.#Ps 12:3; 28:3; 57:5; 62:5; 64:4; Prv 26:24–28; Jer 9:7.
23Cast your care upon the Lord,
who will give you support.
He will never allow
the righteous to stumble.#Ps 37:5; Prv 3:5; 16:3; 1 Pt 5:7.
24But you, God, will bring them down
to the pit of destruction.#Ps 28:1; 30:4; 40:3; 88:5; 143:7; Prv 1:12; Jon 2:7.
These bloodthirsty liars
will not live half their days,
but I put my trust in you.#Ps 25:2; 56:4; 130:5.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Psalm 55
55
Cast Your Burden on the Lord
To the choirmaster: with #Ps. 4, titlestringed instruments. A Maskil#55:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term of David.
1 #
Ps. 54:2; 61:1; 86:6 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
2Attend to me, and answer me;
I am restless #ver. 17; Ps. 64:1 in my complaint and I #[Isa. 38:14; 59:11]moan,
3because of the noise of the enemy,
because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they #[2 Sam. 16:7, 8]drop trouble upon me,
and in anger they bear a grudge against me.
4My heart is in anguish within me;
#
Ps. 116:3
the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5Fear and trembling come upon me,
and #Job 21:6; Isa. 21:4; Ezek. 7:18 horror #Ps. 78:53overwhelms me.
6And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest;
7 # [Jer. 9:2] yes, I would wander far away;
I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
8I would hurry to find a shelter
from #Ps. 83:15the raging wind and tempest.”
9Destroy, O Lord, #[Gen. 11:9] divide their tongues;
for I see #Jer. 6:7violence and strife in the city.
10Day and night they go around it
on its walls,
and #Ps. 5:9iniquity and trouble are within it;
11ruin is in its midst;
# [Ps. 10:7] oppression and fraud
do not depart from its marketplace.
12For it is not an enemy who taunts me—
then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who #Job 19:5deals insolently with me—
then I could hide from him.
13 # [2 Sam. 15:12; 16:23]; See Ps. 41:9 But it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.
14We used to take sweet counsel together;
within God’s house we walked in #Ps. 42:4the throng.
15Let death steal over them;
let them go down to Sheol #Num. 16:30, 33; Prov. 1:12; [Ps. 124:3]alive;
for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.
16But I call to God,
and the Lord will save me.
17 #
Ps. 141:2; Acts 3:1; 10:3, 30 Evening and #Ps. 5:3; 88:13; 92:2 morning and at #Acts 10:9; [Dan. 6:10] noon
I #ver. 2utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.
18He redeems my soul in safety
from the battle that I wage,
for #[Ps. 56:2]many are arrayed against me.
19God will give ear and humble them,
he who is #Deut. 33:27 enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not #Job 10:17; See Job 21:7-15change
and do not fear God.
20My companion#55:20 Hebrew He #Acts 12:1stretched out his hand against his friends;
he violated his covenant.
21His #See Ps. 28:3 speech was #Prov. 5:3, 4 smooth as butter,
yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
yet they were #See Ps. 57:4drawn swords.
22 # See Ps. 37:5 Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
#
Ps. 10:6
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.
23But you, O God, #ver. 15; Ps. 56:7; 59:11 will cast them down
into #Ps. 69:15; 94:13 the pit of destruction;
men of #Ps. 5:6 blood and treachery
shall not #Prov. 10:27; See Job 15:32 live out half their days.
But I will #See Ps. 11:1trust in you.
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