55
Prayer for the Destruction of the Treacherous.
For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A
AMaskil of David.
1 AGive ear to my prayer, O God;
And
Bdo not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Give
Aheed to me and answer me;
I am restless in my
Bcomplaint and
1Cam surely distracted,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the
Apressure of the wicked;
For they
Bbring down
1trouble upon me
And in anger they
Cbear a grudge against me.
4 My
Aheart is in anguish within me,
And the terrors of
Bdeath have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and
Atrembling come upon me,
And
1Bhorror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and
1Abe at rest.
7 “Behold, I would wander far away,
I would
Alodge in the wilderness.
1Selah.
8 “I would hasten to my place of refuge
From the
Astormy wind
and tempest.”
9 1Confuse, O Lord,
Adivide their tongues,
For I have seen
Bviolence 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 ADestruction is in her midst;
BOppression and deceit do not depart from her
1streets.
12 For it is
Anot an enemy who reproaches me,
Then I could bear it;
Nor is it one who hates me who
Bhas exalted himself against me,
Then I could hide myself from him.
13 But it is you, a man
1my equal,
My
Acompanion and my
2Bfamiliar friend;
14 We who had sweet
1fellowship together
AWalked in the house of God in the throng.
15 Let
1death come
Adeceitfully upon them;
Let them
Bgo down alive to
2Sheol,
For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.
16 As for me, I shall
Acall upon God,
And the Loʀᴅ will save me.
17 AEvening and
Bmorning and at
Cnoon, I will complain and murmur,
And He will hear my voice.
18 He will
Aredeem my soul in peace
1from the battle
which is against me,
For they are
Bmany
who strive with me.
19 God will
Ahear and
1answer them—
Even the one
Bwho
2sits enthroned from of old— Selah.
With whom there
3is no change,
And who
Cdo not fear God.
20 He has put forth his hands against
Athose who were at peace with him;
He has
1Bviolated his covenant.
21 His
1speech was
Asmoother than butter,
But his heart was war;
His words were
Asofter than oil,
Yet they were drawn
Bswords.
22 ACast
1your burden upon the Loʀᴅ and He will sustain you;
BHe will never allow the righteous to
2Cbe shaken.
23 But You, O God, will bring them down to the
1Apit of destruction;
BMen of bloodshed and deceit will
Cnot live out half their days.
But I will
Dtrust in You.