Psalm 55

Revised Standard Version

⁴ My heart is in anguish within me,
    the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
⁵ Fear and trembling come upon me,
    and horror overwhelms me.
⁶ And I say, “O that I had wings like a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest;
⁷ yea, I would wander afar,
    I would lodge in the wilderness,Selah
⁸ I would haste to find me a shelter
    from the raging wind and tempest.”

⁹ Destroy their plans,^[b] O Lord, confuse their tongues;
    for I see violence and strife in the city.
¹⁰ Day and night they go around it
    on its walls;
and mischief and trouble are within it,
¹¹     ruin is in its midst;
oppression and fraud
    do not depart from its market place.

¹² It is not an enemy who taunts me—
    then I could bear it;
it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me—
    then I could hide from him.
¹³ But it is you, my equal,
    my companion, my familiar friend.
¹⁴ We used to hold sweet converse together;
    within God’s house we walked in fellowship.
¹⁵ Let death^[c] come upon them;
    let them go down to Sheol alive;
    let them go away in terror into their graves.^[d]

¹⁶ But I call upon God;
    and the Lord will save me.
¹⁷ Evening and morning and at noon
    I utter my complaint and moan,
    and he will hear my voice.
¹⁸ He will deliver my soul in safety
    from the battle that I wage,
    for many are arrayed against me.
¹⁹ God will give ear, and humble them,
    he who is enthroned from of old;
because they keep no law,^[e]
    and do not fear God.Selah

²⁰ My companion stretched out his hand against his friends,
    he violated his covenant.
²¹ His speech was smoother than butter,
    yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
    yet they were drawn swords.

²² Cast your burden^[f] on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.

²³ But thou, O God, wilt cast them down
    into the lowest pit;
men of blood and treachery
    shall not live out half their days.
But I will trust in thee.