Psalm 55
Prayer in Time of Betrayal by a Friend
1 For the director. On stringed instruments. A maskil of David.
2 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my supplication.
3 Listen to my cry and answer me,
for my troubles afford me no peace.
4 I am terrified by the shouts of the enemy
and the uproar of the wicked.
For they inflict troubles upon me,
and in their anger they revile me.
5 My heart is filled with anguish,
and I am beset by the terrors of death.
6 Fear and trembling overpower me;
horror overwhelms me.
7 I say, “If only I had wings like a dove
so that I could fly away and be at rest!
8 I would flee away
and seek shelter in the wilderness. Selah
9 I would hurry to a place of refuge,
far from the savage wind and tempest.”
10 Restrain the wicked, O Lord, and confound their speech,
for I see violence and strife in the city.
11 Day and night they make their rounds on its walls,
and within it are iniquity and malice.
12 Destruction is also in its midst;
oppression and treachery pervade its streets.
13 If it was an enemy who reviled me,
I could endure that.
If a foe had treated me with contempt,
I could manage to avoid him.
14 But it was you, one like myself,
a companion and a dear friend,
15 with whom I engaged in pleasant conversation
as we walked with the festive throng
in the house of God.
16 Let death strike my enemies by surprise;
let them descend alive to the netherworld,
for evil dwells in their homes
and in the depths of their hearts.
17 But I make my appeal to God,
and the Lord will save me.
18 Evening, morning, and noon
I will cry out in my distress,
and he will hear my voice.
19 He will deliver me in peace and safety
from those who are arrayed against me,
even though there are many of them.
20 God will hear me and humiliate them,
he who has been enthroned forever. Selah
For they neither change their ways
nor have any fear of God.
21 My companion treats his friends harshly
and breaks his covenant.
22 His speech is smoother than butter,
but war is in his heart.
His words are more soothing than oil,
yet in reality they are drawn swords.
23 Entrust your cares to the Lord,
and he will uphold you;
he will never allow the righteous to waver.
24 But you, O God, will send the wicked
down to the pit of destruction;
those who are bloodthirsty and treacherous
will not live out half their days.
But as for me,
I will put my trust in you.
Footnotes
- Psalm 55:1
- Psalm 55:1
- Psalm 55:2
- Psalm 55:5
- Psalm 55:5
- Psalm 55:10
- Psalm 55:10
- Psalm 55:13
- Psalm 55:16
- Psalm 55:17
- Psalm 55:18
- Psalm 55:19
- Psalm 55:23
- Psalm 55:24
