55
1 To the Overseer with stringed instruments. -- An  instruction, by David. Give ear, O God, [to] my prayer, And  hide not from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and  make a noise,
3 Because of the voice of an enemy, Because of the oppression  of the wicked, For they cause sorrow to move against me, And in  anger they hate me.
4 My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have  fallen on me.
5 Fear and trembling come in to me, And horror doth cover me.
6 And I say, `Who doth give to me a pinion as a dove? I fly  away and rest,
7 Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. Selah.
8 I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a  whirlwind.
9 Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence  and strife in a city.
10 By day and by night they go round it, on its walls. Both  iniquity and perverseness [are] in its midst,
11 Mischiefs [are] in its midst. Fraud and deceit depart not  from its street.
12 For an enemy reproacheth me not, or I bear [it], He who is  hating me Hath not magnified himself against me, Or I hide from  him.
13 But thou, a man -- as mine equal, My familiar friend, and  mine acquaintance.
14 When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we  walk in company.
15 Desolations [are] upon them, They go down [to] Sheol --  alive, For wickedness [is] in their dwelling, in their midst.
16 I -- to God I call, and Jehovah saveth me.
17 Evening, and morning, and noon, I meditate, and make a  noise, and He heareth my voice,
18 He hath ransomed in peace my soul From him who is near to  me, For with the multitude they were with me.
19 God doth hear and afflict them, And He sitteth of old.  Selah. Because they have no changes, and fear not God,
20 He hath sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He  hath polluted his covenant.
21 Sweeter than honey hath been his mouth, And his heart [is]  war! Softer have been his words than oil, And they [are] drawn  [swords].
22 Cast on Jehovah that which He hath given thee, And He doth  sustain thee, He doth not suffer for ever the moving of the  righteous.
23 And Thou, O God, dost bring them down To a pit of  destruction, Men of blood and deceit reach not to half their  days, And I -- I do trust in Thee!