Psalm 55
Lexham English Bible
Betrayal of a Friend and Trust in God
For the music director, with stringed instruments.
A maskil of David.[a]
55 Give ear, O God, to my prayer,
and do not hide yourself from my plea.
2 Attend to me and answer me.
I am restless in my lamenting and I groan,
3 because 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.
4 My heart trembles within me,
and deathly terrors fall on me.
5 Fear and trembling come on me,
and horror overwhelms me.
6 So I say, “Oh, that[b] I had wings like a dove.
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 Look, I would flee far away.
I would dwell in the wilderness. Selah
8 I would hurry to my refuge
from the raging wind and storm.”
9 Confuse, O Lord; divide their speech,
because I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around it on its walls,
and iniquity and trouble are in its midst.
11 Destruction is within it,
and oppression and deceit
do not depart from its public square.
12 For 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.
13 But it is you, a man my equal,
my friend and confidant.
14 We who would take sweet counsel together;
in the house[c] of God
we would walk with the throng.
15 Let death deceive them. May they descend to Sheol alive,
because evil is in their home and heart.[d]
16 As for me, I will call to God,
and Yahweh will save me.
17 Morning, noon and night[e] I will lament and groan loudly,
and he will hear my voice.
18 He safely redeems my life from the battle against me,[f]
because those standing against me are among many.
19 God will hear and answer them,[g]
he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
Because they do not change,
and they do not fear God.
20 He has put forth his hands against his friends;[h]
he has defiled his covenant.
21 The buttery words[i] of his mouth were smooth,
but there was battle in his heart.
His words were smoother than oil,
but they were drawn swords.
22 Cast your burden on Yahweh,
and he will sustain you.
He will never allow the righteous to be moved.[j]
23 But 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.
Footnotes
- Psalm 55:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
- Psalm 55:6 Literally “Who will give that”
- Psalm 55:14 Or “temple”
- Psalm 55:15 Literally “inward part”
- Psalm 55:17 Literally “evening and morning and noon”
- Psalm 55:18 Or “my battle”
- Psalm 55:19 Or “and humble them”
- Psalm 55:20 Literally “those at peace with him”
- Psalm 55:21 Literally “butter”
- Psalm 55:22 Or “shaken”
Psalm 55
GOD’S WORD Translation
For the choir director; on stringed instruments; a maskil by David.
55 Open your ears to my prayer, O God.
Do not hide from my plea for mercy.
2 Pay attention to me, and answer me.
My thoughts are restless, and I am confused
3 because my enemy shouts at me
and a wicked person persecutes me.
They bring misery crashing down on me,
and they attack me out of anger.
4 My heart is in turmoil.
The terrors of death have seized me.
5 Fear and trembling have overcome me.
Horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “If only I had wings like a dove—
I would fly away and find rest.
7 Indeed, I would run far away.
I would stay in the desert. Selah
8 I would hurry to find shelter
from the raging wind and storm.”
9 Completely confuse their language, O Lord,
because I see violence and conflict in the city.
10 Day and night they go around on ⌞top of⌟ the city walls.
Trouble and misery are everywhere.
11 Destruction is everywhere.
Oppression and fraud never leave the streets.[a]
12 If an enemy had insulted me,
then I could bear it.
If someone who hated me had attacked me,
then I could hide from him.
13 But it is you, my equal,
my best friend,
one I knew so well!
14 We used to talk to each other in complete confidence
and walk into God’s house with the festival crowds.
15 Let death suddenly take ⌞wicked people⌟!
Let them go into the grave while they are still alive,
because evil lives in their homes as well as in their hearts.
16 But I call on God,
and the Lord saves me.
17 Morning, noon, and night I complain and groan,
and he listens to my voice.
18 With ⌞his⌟ peace, he will rescue my soul
from the war waged against me,
because there are many ⌞soldiers fighting⌟ against me.
19 God will listen.
The one who has sat enthroned from the beginning
will deal with them. Selah
They never change. They never fear God.
20 ⌞My best friend⌟ has betrayed his friends.
He has broken his solemn promise.
21 His speech is smoother than butter,
but there is war in his heart.
His words are more soothing than oil,
but they are like swords ready to attack.
22 Turn your burdens over to the Lord,
and he will take care of you.
He will never let the righteous person stumble.
23 But you, O God, will throw ⌞wicked people⌟ into the deepest pit.
Bloodthirsty and deceitful people will not live out half their days.
But I will trust you.
Footnotes
- 55:11 Or “its marketplace.”
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