Prayer for the Destruction of the Treacherous.
For the music director; on stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.
55 (A)Listen to my prayer, God;
And (B)do not hide Yourself from my pleading.
2 Give Your (C)attention to me and answer me;
I am restless in my (D)complaint and (E)severely distracted,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the (F)pressure of the wicked;
For they (G)bring down trouble upon me
And in anger they (H)hold a grudge against me.
4 My (I)heart is in anguish within me,
And the terrors of (J)death have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and (K)trembling come upon me,
And (L)horror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and (M)be at rest.
7 Behold, I would flee far away,
I would (N)spend my nights in the wilderness. Selah
8 I would hurry to my place of refuge
From the (O)stormy wind and heavy gale.”
9 Confuse them, Lord, (P)divide their tongues,
For I have seen (Q)violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around her upon her walls,
And evil and harm are in her midst.
11 (R)Destruction is in her midst;
(S)Oppression and deceit do not depart from her streets.
12 For it is (T)not an enemy who taunts me,
Then I could endure it;
Nor is it one who hates me who (U)has exalted himself against me,
Then I could hide myself from him.
13 But it is you, a man my equal,
My (V)companion and my (W)confidant;
14 We who had sweet fellowship together,
(X)Walked in the house of God among the commotion.
15 May death come (Y)deceitfully upon them;
May they (Z)go down alive to Sheol,
For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.
16 As for me, I shall (AA)call upon God,
And the Lord will save me.
17 (AB)Evening and (AC)morning and at (AD)noon, I will complain and moan,
And He will hear my voice.
18 He will (AE)redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me,
For they are (AF)many who are aggressive toward me.
19 God will (AG)hear and humiliate them—
Even the one (AH)who sits enthroned from ancient times— Selah
With whom there is no change,
And who (AI)do not fear God.
20 He has put forth his hands against (AJ)those who were at peace with him;
He has (AK)violated his covenant.
21 His speech was (AL)smoother than butter,
But his heart was war;
His words were (AM)softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn (AN)swords.
22 (AO)Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
(AP)He will never allow the righteous to (AQ)be shaken.
23 But You, God, will bring them down to the (AR)pit of destruction;
(AS)Men of bloodshed and deceit will (AT)not live out half their days.
But I will (AU)trust in You.
Footnotes
- Psalm 55 Title
- Psalm 55:2
- Psalm 55:3
- Psalm 55:5
- Psalm 55:5
- Psalm 55:6
- Psalm 55:11
- Psalm 55:13
- Psalm 55:14
- Psalm 55:15
- Psalm 55:15
- Psalm 55:18
- Psalm 55:19
- Psalm 55:19
- Psalm 55:20
- Psalm 55:21
- Psalm 55:22
Cross references
- Psalm 55:1 : Ps 54:2; 61:1; 86:6
- Psalm 55:1 : Ps 27:9
- Psalm 55:2 : Ps 66:19; 86:6, 7
- Psalm 55:2 : 1 Sam 1:16; Job 9:27; Ps 64:1; 77:3; 142:2
- Psalm 55:2 : Is 38:14; 59:11; Ezek 7:16
- Psalm 55:3 : Ps 17:9
- Psalm 55:3 : 2 Sam 16:7, 8
- Psalm 55:3 : Ps 71:11; 143:3
- Psalm 55:4 : Ps 38:8
- Psalm 55:4 : Ps 18:4, 5; 116:3
- Psalm 55:5 : Ps 119:120
- Psalm 55:5 : Job 21:6; Is 21:4; Ezek 7:18
- Psalm 55:6 : Job 3:13
- Psalm 55:7 : 1 Sam 23:14
- Psalm 55:8 : Is 4:6; 25:4; 29:6
- Psalm 55:9 : Gen 11:9
- Psalm 55:9 : Ps 11:5; Jer 6:7
- Psalm 55:11 : Ps 5:9
- Psalm 55:11 : Ps 10:7; 17:9
- Psalm 55:12 : Ps 41:9
- Psalm 55:12 : Ps 35:26
- Psalm 55:13 : 2 Sam 15:12
- Psalm 55:13 : Job 19:14; Ps 41:9
- Psalm 55:14 : Ps 42:4
- Psalm 55:15 : Ps 64:7; Prov 6:15; Is 47:11; 1 Thess 5:3
- Psalm 55:15 : Num 16:30, 33
- Psalm 55:16 : Ps 57:2, 3
- Psalm 55:17 : Ps 141:2; Dan 6:10; Acts 3:1; 10:3, 30
- Psalm 55:17 : Ps 5:3; 88:13; 92:2
- Psalm 55:17 : Acts 10:9
- Psalm 55:18 : Ps 103:4
- Psalm 55:18 : Ps 56:2
- Psalm 55:19 : Ps 78:59
- Psalm 55:19 : Deut 33:27; Ps 90:2; 93:2
- Psalm 55:19 : Ps 36:1
- Psalm 55:20 : Ps 7:4; 120:7
- Psalm 55:20 : Num 30:2; Ps 89:34
- Psalm 55:21 : Ps 12:2; 28:3; Prov 5:3, 4
- Psalm 55:21 : Ps 12:2; 28:3; Prov 5:3, 4
- Psalm 55:21 : Ps 57:4; 59:7
- Psalm 55:22 : Ps 37:5; 1 Pet 5:7
- Psalm 55:22 : Ps 37:24
- Psalm 55:22 : Ps 15:5; 112:6
- Psalm 55:23 : Ps 73:18; Is 38:17; Ezek 28:8
- Psalm 55:23 : Ps 5:6
- Psalm 55:23 : Job 15:32; Prov 10:27
- Psalm 55:23 : Ps 25:2; 56:3
