Psa 55 | NASB1995 | STEP | For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Give ear to my prayer , O God ; And do not hide Yourself from my supplication .

‏ Psalms 55

Prayer for the Destruction of the Treacherous.

For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A ^{▼▼ Possibly Contemplative, or Didactic, or Skillful Psalm}Maskil of David.

1 ^bGive ear to my prayer, O God;
And ^cdo not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Give ^dheed to me and answer me;
I am restless in my ^ecomplaint and ^{▼▼ Or I must moan
,} ^gam surely distracted,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the ^hpressure of the wicked;
For they ⁱbring down ^{▼▼ Or wickedness}trouble upon me
And in anger they ^kbear a grudge against me.

4 My ^lheart is in anguish within me,
And the terrors of ^mdeath have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and ⁿtrembling come upon me,
And ^{▼▼ Lit shuddering
,} ^phorror has overwhelmed me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and ^{▼▼ Lit settle down
,} ^rbe at rest.
7 “Behold, I would wander far away,
I would ^slodge in the wilderness. ^{▼▼ Selah may mean: Pause, Crescendo or Musical interlude}Selah.
8 “I would hasten to my place of refuge
From the ^ustormy wind and tempest.”

9 ^{▼▼ Lit Swallow up}Confuse, O Lord, ^wdivide their tongues,
For I have seen ^xviolence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around her upon her walls,
And iniquity and mischief are in her midst.
11 ^yDestruction is in her midst;
^zOppression and deceit do not depart from her ^{▼▼ Or plaza}streets.

12 For it is ^abnot an enemy who reproaches me,
Then I could bear it;
Nor is it one who hates me who ^achas exalted himself against me,
Then I could hide myself from him.
13 But it is you, a man ^{▼▼ Lit according to my valuation}my equal,
My ^aecompanion and my ^{▼▼ Or acquaintance
,} ^agfamiliar friend;
14 We who had sweet ^{▼▼ Lit counsel; or intimacy}fellowship together
^aiWalked in the house of God in the throng.
15 Let ^{▼▼ Another reading is desolations be upon them}death come ^akdeceitfully upon them;
Let them ^algo down alive to ^{▼▼ I.e. the nether world}Sheol,
For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.

16 As for me, I shall ^ancall upon God,
And the Lord will save me.
17 ^aoEvening and ^apmorning and at ^aqnoon, I will complain and murmur,
And He will hear my voice.
18 He will ^arredeem my soul in peace ^{▼▼ Or so that none may approach me}from the battle which is against me,
For they are ^atmany who strive with me.
19 God will ^auhear and ^{▼▼ Or afflict}answer them—
Even the one ^awwho ^{▼▼ Or abides from}sits enthroned from of old— Selah.
With whom there ^{▼▼ Lit are no changes}is no change,
And who ^azdo not fear God.
20 He has put forth his hands against ^bathose who were at peace with him;
He has ^{▼▼ Lit profaned
,} ^bcviolated his covenant.
21 His ^{▼▼ Lit mouth}speech was ^besmoother than butter,
But his heart was war;
His words were ^bfsofter than oil,
Yet they were drawn ^bgswords.

22 ^bhCast ^{▼▼ Or what He has given you}your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
^bjHe will never allow the righteous to ^{▼▼ Or totter
,} ^blbe shaken.
23 But You, O God, will bring them down to the ^{▼▼ Or lowest pit
,} ^bnpit of destruction;
^boMen of bloodshed and deceit will ^bpnot live out half their days.
But I will ^bqtrust in You.

‏ Psalms 55

Prayer for the Destruction of the Treacherous.

For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A ▼▼ Possibly Contemplative, or Didactic, or Skillful PsalmMaskil of David.

For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A ^{▼▼ Possibly Contemplative, or Didactic, or Skillful Psalm}Maskil of David.