55:1 [For the music director; on stringed instruments. A ①Maskil of David.]
Listen to my prayer, God;
And do not hide Yourself from my pleading.
▷ ①Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
55:2 Give Your attention to me and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint and ①severely distracted,
▷ ①Another reading is I must moan
55:3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the pressure of the wicked;
For they bring down ①trouble upon me
And in anger they hold a grudge against me.
▷ ①Or wickedness
55:4 My heart is in anguish within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
55:5 Fear and trembling come upon me,
And ①horror has ②overwhelmed me.
▷ ①Lit shuddering ②Lit covered
55:6 I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and ①be at rest.
▷ ①Lit settle down
55:7 Behold, I would flee far away,
I would spend my nights in the wilderness. Selah
55:8 I would hurry to my place of refuge
From the stormy wind and heavy gale.”
55:9 Confuse them, Lord, divide their tongues,
For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
55:10 Day and night they go around her upon her walls,
And evil and harm are in her midst.
55:11 Destruction is in her midst;
Oppression and deceit do not depart from her ①streets.
▷ ①Or plaza
55:12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me,
Then I could endure it;
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me,
Then I could hide myself from him.
55:13 But it is you, a man ①my equal,
My companion and my confidant;
▷ ①Lit according to my valuation
55:14 We who had sweet ①fellowship together,
Walked in the house of God among the commotion.
▷ ①Lit counsel; or intimacy
55:15 May ①death come deceitfully upon them;
May they go down alive to ②Sheol,
For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.
▷ ①Another reading is devastation be upon them ②I.e., the netherworld
55:16 As for me, I shall call upon God,
And the LORD will save me.
55:17 Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and moan,
And He will hear my voice.
55:18 He will redeem my soul in peace ①from the battle which is against me,
For they are many who are aggressive toward me.
▷ ①Or so that none may approach me
55:19 God will hear and humiliate them—
Even the one who ①sits enthroned from ancient times—Selah With whom there ②is no change,
And who do not fear God.
▷ ①Or remains from ②Lit are no changes
55:20 He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;
He has ①violated his covenant.
▷ ①Lit profaned
55:21 His ①speech was smoother than butter,
But his heart was war;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.
▷ ①Lit mouth
55:22 Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to ①be shaken.
▷ ①Or totter
55:23 But You, God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction;
Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days.
But I will trust in You.