55

Listen to my prayer, O God
Do not ignore my plea but calm down my thoughts
Hear me and answer me
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught

Because of what my enemy is saying
Because of the wicked’s threats
For they bring down suffering on me
And assail me in their anger with no fear and regret

My heart is in anguish within me
The terrors of death have fallen on me
Fear and trembling have beset me
Horror has overwhelmed me

“Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest
I would flee far away
And stay in the desert” I said

I would hurry to my place of shelter
Far from the tempest and storm to feel myself small”
Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words
For I see violence and strife within city walls

Day and night they prowl about on its walls
Malice and abuse are within it
Destructive forces are at work in the city
Threats and lies never leave its streets

If an enemy were insulting me
I could endure it and that’d be right
If a foe were rising against me
I could hide

But it is you, a man like myself
My companion, my close friend
With whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God
As we walked about among the worshipers, it’s hard to forget

Let death take my enemies by surprise
Let them go down alive to the realm of the dead
For evil finds lodging among them
For justice is going down on their heads

As for me, I call to God
And the Lord saves me
Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress
And He hears the voice of me

He rescues me unharmed
From the battle waged against me
He rescues me unharmed
Even though many oppose me

God, who is enthroned from of old
Who does not change, the Mighty Lord—
He will hear them and humble them
Because they have no fear of God

My companion attacks his friends
He violates his covenant
His talk is smooth as butter
Yet war is in his heart

His words are more soothing than oil
Yet they are drawn swords
Yet they are flaming arrows
There is no God in these words

Cast your cares on the Lord
And he will sustain you for the words you obey
He will never let the righteous be shaken
But you, God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of decay

The bloodthirsty and deceitful
Will not live out half their days
But as for me, I trust in You
Only You, the Lord, I praise