Psa 55 | ABEn | STEP | To the director; among hymns of contemplation; to Asaph. Give ear, O God, to my prayer! for you should not overlook my supplication.

‏ Psalms 55

PSALM 55

Betrayal by a Friend

To the director; among hymns of contemplation; to Asaph.

1 Give ear, O God, to my prayer! for you should not overlook my supplication. 2 Take heed to me, and listen to me! I was fretted in my meditation and was disturbed, 3 from the voice of the enemy, and from the affliction of the sinner; for they turned aside against me for lawlessness, and in anger they displayed anger against me. 4 My heart was disturbed in me, and dread of death fell upon me. 5 Fear and trembling came upon me, and [²covered ³me ¹darkness]. 6 And I said, Why shall he not give to me wings as a dove, and I shall spread out and I shall rest? 7 Behold, I was far off being driven into exile, and was lodged in the wilderness. 8 I waited for the one delivering me from faint-heartedness and the gale. 9 Sink them, O lord, and divide their tongues! for I saw lawlessness and dispute in the city. 10 Day and night he shall encircle her upon her walls; and lawlessness and misery will be in the midst of her; 11 and injustice, and [⁴ceased not ⁵from out of ⁶her squares ¹usury ²and ³treachery]. 12 For if an enemy berated me, I would have endured. And if the one detesting me [²against ³me ¹spoke great words], I would have hidden from him. 13 But you, O man, are like-minded, a leader of mine, and my diviner, 14 who together you sweetened foods; in the house of God we went in concord. 15 And let [²come ¹death] upon them, and let them go down into Hades alive! For wickedness in their sojourn, is in the midst of them. 16 I [²to ³God ¹cried out], and the lord listened to me. 17 Evening and morning and at midday I describe and report; and he shall listen to my voice. 18 He shall ransom [²in ³peace ¹my soul] from the ones approaching me; for among many they were with me. 19 God shall listen, and [⁶shall humble ⁷them ¹the one ²existing ³before ⁴the ⁵eons]. PAUSE. [³no ¹For ²there is ⁵with them ⁴bargaining], for they do not fear God. 20 He stretched out his hand in recompensing; they profaned his covenant. 21 He divided them into parts from the anger of his face, and [²approached ¹their hearts]. [²were made tender ¹His words] above olive oil, yet they are arrows. 22 Cast upon the lord your anxiety, and he will nourish you! He will not grant [⁴into ⁵the ⁶eon ³for a tossing about ¹the ²just]. 23 But you, O God, shall lead them down into the well of corruption; men of blood and deceit in no way shall live half their days. But I, O lord, shall hope upon you.