55:1Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
55:2Attend unto me, and answer me: I wander about in my plaint, and I moan aloud,
55:3Because of the voice of the enemy; because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in anger they persecute me.
55:4My heart is writhing within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
55:5Fear and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
55:6And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away, and be at rest;
55:7Behold, I would flee afar off, I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah;
55:8I would hasten my escape from the stormy wind, from the tempest.
55:9Swallow them up, Lord; divide their tongue: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
55:10Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; and iniquity and mischief are in the midst of it.
55:11Perversities are in the midst thereof; and oppression and deceit depart not from its streets.
55:12For it is not an enemy that hath reproached me -- then could I have borne it; neither is it he that hateth me that hath magnified himself against me -- then would I have hidden myself from him;
55:13But it was thou, a man mine equal, mine intimate, my familiar friend. ...
55:14We who held sweet intercourse together. To the house of God we walked amid the throng.
55:15Let death seize upon them, let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is in their dwellings, in their midst.
55:16As for me, unto God will I call; and Jehovah will save me.
55:17Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and moan aloud; and he will hear my voice.
55:18He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle against me: for there were many about me.
55:19*God will hear, and afflict them: he that is seated of old, (Selah) ... because there is no change in them, and they fear not God.
55:20He hath put forth his hands against such as are at peace with him; he hath profaned his covenant.
55:21Smooth were the milky words of his mouth, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet are they drawn swords.
55:22Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and *he* will sustain thee: he will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
55:23And thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. But as for me, I will confide in thee.
56:0To the chief Musician. On Jonathelem-rechokim. Of David. Michtam; when the Philistines took him in Gath.
56:1Be gracious unto me, O God; for man would swallow me up: all the day long fighting he oppresseth me.
56:2Mine enemies would swallow me up all the day long; for they are many that fight against me haughtily.
56:3In the day that I am afraid, I will confide in thee.
56:4In God will I praise his word, in God I put my confidence: I will not fear; what can flesh do unto me?
56:5All the day long they wrest my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil.
56:6They gather themselves together, they hide themselves; they mark my steps, because they wait for my soul.
56:7Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God.
56:8*Thou* countest my wanderings; put my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
56:9Then shall mine enemies return backward in the day when I call: this I know, for God is for me.
56:10In God will I praise his word; in Jehovah will I praise his word.
56:11In God have I put my confidence: I will not fear; what can man do unto me?
56:12Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render thanks unto thee.
56:13For thou hast delivered my soul from death; wilt thou not keep my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
57:0To the chief Musician. 'Destroy not.' Of David. Michtam; when he fled from Saul in the cave.
57:1Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me; for my soul taketh refuge in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings do I take refuge, until the calamities be overpast.
57:2I will call unto God, the Most High; unto *God that performeth all for me.
57:3He will send from the heavens and save me; he hath covered with reproach him that would swallow me up. Selah. God hath sent forth his loving-kindness and his truth.
57:4My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down among them that breathe out flames, the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
57:5Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let thy glory be above all the earth!
57:6They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down: they have digged a pit before me; they are fallen into the midst thereof. Selah.
57:7My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing, yea, I will sing psalms.
57:8Awake, my glory; awake, lute and harp: I will wake the dawn.
57:9I will give thee thanks among the peoples, O Lord; of thee will I sing psalms among the nations:
57:10For thy loving-kindness is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
57:11Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let thy glory be above all the earth!