Psalms 55

¹God, listen to my prayer.

Do not ignore my prayer.

²Pay attention to me and answer me.

I am troubled and upset

³by what the enemy says

and how the wicked look at me.

They bring troubles down on me.

In anger they attack me.

⁴I am frightened inside.

The terror of death has attacked me.

⁵I am scared and shaking.

Terror grips me.

⁶I said, “I wish I had wings like a dove.

Then I would fly away and rest.

⁷I would wander far away.

I would stay in the desert. Selah

⁸I would hurry to my place of escape,

far away from the wind and storm.”

⁹Lord, destroy and confuse their words.

I see violence and fighting in the city.

¹⁰Day and night they are all around its walls.

Evil and trouble are everywhere inside.

¹¹Destruction is everywhere in the city.

Trouble and lying never leave its streets.

¹²It was not an enemy insulting me.

I could stand that.

It was not someone who hated me.

I could hide from him.

¹³But it is you, a person like me.

You were my companion and good friend.

¹⁴We had a good friendship.

We went together to God’s Temple.

¹⁵Let death take away my enemies.

Let them die while they are still young

because evil lives with them.

¹⁶But I will call to God for help.

And the Lord will save me.

¹⁷Morning, noon and night I am troubled and upset.

But he will listen to me.

¹⁸Many are against me.

But he keeps me safe in battle.

¹⁹God who lives forever

will hear me and punish them.

But they will not change.

They do not fear God. Selah

²⁰The one who was my friend attacks his friends.

He breaks his promises.

²¹His words are slippery like butter.

But war is in his heart.

His words are smoother than oil,

but they cut like knives.

²²Give your worries to the Lord.

He will take care of you.

He will never let good people down.

²³But, God, you will bring down

the wicked to the grave.

Murderers and liars will live

only half a lifetime.

But I will trust in you.