Psalm 55, side by side

¹For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea.

¹Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.

²Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught

²Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;

³at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they release disaster upon me and revile me in their anger.

³Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.

⁴My heart murmurs within me, and the terrors of death assail me.

⁴My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

⁵Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me.

⁵Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

⁶I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest.

⁶And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.

⁷How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain. Selah

⁷Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.

⁸I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”

⁸I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.

⁹O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.

⁹Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

¹⁰Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within.

¹⁰Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.

¹¹Destruction is within; oppression and deceit never leave the streets.

¹¹Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

¹²For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide.

¹²For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

¹³But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend.

¹³But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

¹⁴We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God.

¹⁴We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

¹⁵Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes.

¹⁵Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.

¹⁶But I call to God, and the LORD saves me.

¹⁶As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.

¹⁷Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.

¹⁷Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

¹⁸He redeems my soul in peace from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.

¹⁸He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.

¹⁹God will hear and humiliate them— the One enthroned for the ages— Selah because they do not change and they have no fear of God.

¹⁹God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.

²⁰My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.

²⁰He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.

²¹His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.

²¹The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

²²Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.

²²Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

²³But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.

²³But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.