For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. ¹ Give ear to my prayer, O God;
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. ² Give heed to me and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted, ³ Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the pressure of the wicked;
For they bring down trouble upon me
And in anger they bear a grudge against me. ⁴ My heart is in anguish within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. ⁵ Fear and trembling come upon me,
And horror has overwhelmed me. ⁶ I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest. ⁷ “Behold, I would wander far away,
I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah. ⁸ “I would hasten to my place of refuge
From the stormy wind and tempest.” ⁹ Confuse, O Lord, divide their tongues,
For I have seen violence 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 Destruction is in her midst;
Oppression and deceit do not depart from her 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 myself from him. ¹³ But it is you, a man my equal,
My companion and my familiar friend; ¹⁴ We who had sweet fellowship together
Walked in the house of God in the throng. ¹⁵ Let death come deceitfully upon them;
Let them go down alive to Sheol,
For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst. ¹⁶ As for me, I shall call upon God,
And the LORD will save me. ¹⁷ Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur,
And He will hear my voice. ¹⁸ He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me,
For they are many who strive with me. ¹⁹ God will hear and answer them—
Even the one who sits enthroned from of old— Selah.
With whom there is no change,
And who do not fear God. ²⁰ He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;
He has violated his covenant. ²¹ His speech was smoother than butter,
But his heart was war;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords. ²² Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. ²³ But 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.