Psalms 55
55
Psalm 55
For the choir director; on stringed instruments; a maskil by David.
1Open your ears to my prayer, O God.
Do not hide from my plea for mercy.
2Pay attention to me, and answer me.
My thoughts are restless, and I am confused
3because my enemy shouts at me
and a wicked person persecutes me.
They bring misery crashing down on me,
and they attack me out of anger.
4My heart is in turmoil.
The terrors of death have seized me.
5Fear and trembling have overcome me.
Horror has overwhelmed me.
6I said, “If only I had wings like a dove—
I would fly away and find rest.
7Indeed, I would run far away.
I would stay in the desert. Selah
8I would hurry to find shelter
from the raging wind and storm.”
9Completely confuse their language, O Lord,
because I see violence and conflict in the city.
10Day and night they go around on ⌞top of⌟ the city walls.
Trouble and misery are everywhere.
11Destruction is everywhere.
Oppression and fraud never leave the streets.#55:11 Or “its marketplace.”
12If an enemy had insulted me,
then I could bear it.
If someone who hated me had attacked me,
then I could hide from him.
13But it is you, my equal,
my best friend,
one I knew so well!
14We used to talk to each other in complete confidence
and walk into God’s house with the festival crowds.
15Let death suddenly take ⌞wicked people⌟!
Let them go into the grave while they are still alive,
because evil lives in their homes as well as in their hearts.
16But I call on God,
and the Lord saves me.
17Morning, noon, and night I complain and groan,
and he listens to my voice.
18With ⌞his⌟ peace, he will rescue my soul
from the war waged against me,
because there are many ⌞soldiers fighting⌟ against me.
19God will listen.
The one who has sat enthroned from the beginning
will deal with them. Selah
They never change. They never fear God.
20 ⌞My best friend⌟ has betrayed his friends.
He has broken his solemn promise.
21His speech is smoother than butter,
but there is war in his heart.
His words are more soothing than oil,
but they are like swords ready to attack.
22Turn your burdens over to the Lord,
and he will take care of you.
He will never let the righteous person stumble.
23But you, O God, will throw ⌞wicked people⌟ into the deepest pit.
Bloodthirsty and deceitful people will not live out half their days.
But I will trust you.
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Psalms 55: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Psalms 55
55
For the music director. With stringed instruments. A psalm (maskil) of David.
1God, please hear my prayer; don't ignore my cry for help!
2Please listen, and give me an answer. I'm terribly troubled by my problems! I'm frantic!
3For my enemies are screaming at me; the wicked are intimidating#55:3. Literally, “pressuring.” me. They rain down suffering on me, angrily assaulting me in their hatred.
4My heart thumps in agony! Terrified, I feel I'm about to die!
5I'm in a panic, trembling with fear; feelings of horror wash over me.
6I tell myself, If only God would give me wings like a dove so I could fly away and be at peace!
7I would fly far away to escape, and stay in the wilderness. Selah.
8I would hurry to a place to hide, out of the wind, safe from the raging storm.
9Confuse them, Lord! Muddle what they're saying, for I see violence and conflict in the city.
10They patrol the city walls day and night, and wickedness and trouble are within the city.#55:10. This could mean that though the city walls are patrolled, the evil is inside the city; or that violence and conflict are symbolically the ones on patrol, so inevitably wickedness and trouble are within the city as well.
11The ones causing destruction are inside the city; frauds and cheats are always on the streets.
12The problem#55:12. Implied. is that it's not an enemy who mocks me—I could stand that. It's not someone who hates me who insults me—I could avoid them.
13No, it's you, a man just like me, my best friend who I know so well!
14Our friendship was so close. We used to have great talks together as we walked with everyone to the house of God.
15May death come quickly to them; may they go down into the grave alive, because evil finds its home in them.
16As for me, I cry out to God, and the Lord will save me.
17I weep and groan morning, noon, and night, and he listens to me.
18He rescues me, keeping me safe and sound from my attackers, because there are so many against me.
19God who has ruled from the beginning will hear me and answer them. Selah. For they refuse to change and don't respect God.
20As for my best friend,#55:20. Implied. he attacked his friends who had no quarrel with him; he broke the promises he had made to them.
21What he says is as smooth as butter, but inside he plans war; his words are as soothing as oil, but they cut like sharp swords.
22Throw your burdens onto the Lord and he will take care of you. He will never allow those who live right to fall.
23But you, God, will bring down murderers and liars, throwing them into the pit of destruction before they have even lived half their lives. As for me, I will trust in you.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com