Psalms 55

₁Hear my prayer, O God;

don't turn away from my plea!

₂Listen to me and answer me;

I am worn out by my worries.

₃I am terrified by the threats of my enemies,

crushed by the oppression of the wicked.

They bring trouble on me;

they are angry with me and hate me.

₄I am terrified,

and the terrors of death crush me.

₅I am gripped by fear and trembling;

I am overcome with horror.

₆I wish I had wings, like a dove.

I would fly away and find rest.

₇I would fly far away

and make my home in the desert.

₈I would quickly find myself a shelter

from the raging wind and the storm.

₉Confuse the speech of my enemies, O Lord!

I see violence and riots in the city,

₁₀surrounding it day and night,

filling it with crime and trouble.

₁₁There is destruction everywhere;

the streets are full of oppression and fraud.

₁₂If it were an enemy that mocked me,

I could endure it;

if it were an opponent boasting over me,

I could hide myself from him.

₁₃But it is you, my companion,

my colleague and close friend.

₁₄We had intimate talks with each other

and worshipped together in the Temple.

₁₅May my enemies die before their time;

may they go down alive into the world of the dead!

Evil is in their homes and in their hearts.

₁₆But I call to the LORD God for help,

and he will save me.

₁₇Morning, noon, and night

my complaints and groans go up to him,

and he will hear my voice.

₁₈He will bring me safely back

from the battles that I fight

against so many enemies.

₁₉God, who has ruled from eternity,

will hear me and defeat them;

for they refuse to change,

and they do not fear him.

₂₀My former companion attacked his friends;

he broke his promises.

₂₁His words were smoother than cream,

but there was hatred in his heart;

his words were as soothing as oil,

but they cut like sharp swords.

₂₂Leave your troubles with the LORD,

and he will defend you;

he never lets honest people be defeated.

₂₃But you, O God, will bring those murderers and liars to their graves

before half their life is over.

As for me, I will trust in you.