Trust in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends

To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments.^[a] A Contemplation^[a] of David.

55 Give ear to my prayer, O God,And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.² Attend to me, and hear me;I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,³ Because of the voice of the enemy,Because of the oppression of the wicked;For they bring down trouble upon me,And in wrath they hate me.

⁴ My heart is severely pained within me,And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.⁵ Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,And horror has overwhelmed me.⁶ So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!I would fly away and be at rest.⁷ Indeed, I would wander far off,And remain in the wilderness. Selah⁸ I would hasten my escapeFrom the windy storm and tempest.”

⁹ Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues,For I have seen violence and strife in the city.¹⁰ Day and night they go around it on its walls;Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.¹¹ Destruction is in its midst;Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.

¹² For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;Then I could bear it.Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me;Then I could hide from him.¹³ But it was you, a man my equal,My companion and my acquaintance.¹⁴ We took sweet counsel together,And walked to the house of God in the throng.

¹⁵ Let death seize them;Let them go down alive into hell,For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.

¹⁶ As for me, I will call upon God,And the Lord shall save me.¹⁷ Evening and morning and at noonI will pray, and cry aloud,And He shall hear my voice.¹⁸ He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,For there were many against me.¹⁹ God will hear, and afflict them,Even He who abides from of old. SelahBecause they do not change,Therefore they do not fear God.

²⁰ He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;He has broken his covenant.²¹ The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,But war was in his heart;His words were softer than oil,Yet they were drawn swords.

²² Cast your burden on the Lord,And He shall sustain you;He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

²³ But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days;But I will trust in You.