Psalms 55
55
Betrayal of a Friend and Trust in God
For the music director, with stringed instruments.
A maskil of David.#The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
1Give ear, O God, to my prayer,
and do not hide yourself from my plea.
2Attend to me and answer me.
I am restless in my lamenting and I groan,
3because 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.
4My heart trembles within me,
and deathly terrors fall on me.
5Fear and trembling come on me,
and horror overwhelms me.
6So I say, “Oh, that#Literally “Who will give that” I had wings like a dove.
I would fly away and be at rest.
7Look, I would flee far away.
I would dwell in the wilderness. Selah
8I would hurry to my refuge
from the raging wind and storm.”
9Confuse, O Lord; divide their speech,
because I see violence and strife in the city.
10Day and night they go around it on its walls,
and iniquity and trouble are in its midst.
11Destruction is within it,
and oppression and deceit
do not depart from its public square.
12For it is not an enemy that taunts me,
or I could bear it.
It is not one who hates me that magnifies himself over me,
or I could hide myself from him.
13But it is you, a man my equal,
my friend and confidant.
14We who would take sweet counsel together;
in the house#Or “temple” of God
we would walk with the throng.
15Let death deceive them. May they descend to Sheol alive,
because evil is in their home and heart.#Literally “inward part”
16As for me, I will call to God,
and Yahweh will save me.
17Morning, noon and night#Literally “evening and morning and noon” I will lament and groan loudly,
and he will hear my voice.
18He safely redeems my life from the battle against me,#Or “my battle”
because those standing against me are among many.
19God will hear and answer them,#Or “and humble them”
he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
Because they do not change,
and they do not fear God.
20He has put forth his hands against his friends;#Literally “those at peace with him”
he has defiled his covenant.
21The buttery words#Literally “butter” of his mouth were smooth,
but there was battle in his heart.
His words were smoother than oil,
but they were drawn swords.
22Cast your burden on Yahweh,
and he will sustain you.
He will never allow the righteous to be moved.#Or “shaken”
23But you, O God, you will bring them down to the pit of corruption.
The men of bloodshed and deceit will not live half their days,
but I will trust you.
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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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