| 1
| Hear my prayer,O God; *
do not hide yourself from my petition.
|
| 2
| Listen to me and answer me; *
I have no peace, because of my cares.
|
| 3
| I am shaken by the noise of the enemy *
and by the pressure of the wicked;
|
| 4
| For they have cast an evil spell upon me
*
and are set against me in fury.
|
| 5
| My heart quakes within me, *
and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
|
| 6
| Fear and trembling have come over me, *
and horror overwhelms me.
|
| 7
| And I said, "Oh, that I had wings like
a dove! *
I would fly away and be at rest.
|
| 8
| I would flee to a far-off place *
and make my lodging in the wilderness.
|
| 9
| I would hasten to escape *
from the stormy wind and tempest."
|
| 10
| Swallow them up, O Lord;
confound their speech; *
for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
|
| 11
| Day and night the watchmen make their rounds
upon her walls, *
but trouble and misery are in the midst of her.
|
| 12
| There is corruption at her heart; *
her streets are never free of oppression and deceit.
|
| 13
| For had it been an adversary who taunted
me,
then I could have borne it; *
or had it been an enemy who vaunted himself against me,
then I could have hidden from him.
|
| 14
| But it was you, a man after my own heart,
*
my companion, my own familiar friend.
|
| 15
| We took sweet counsel together, *
and walked with the throng in the house of God.
|
| 16
| Let death come upon them suddenly;
let them go down alive to the grave; *
for wickedness is in their dwellings, in their very midst.
|
| 17
| But I will call upon God, *
and the LORD will deliver me.
|
| 18
| In the evening, in the morning, and at noonday,
I will complain and lament, *
and he will hear my voice.
|
| 19
| He will bring me safely back from the battle
waged against me; *
for there are many who fight me.
|
| 20
| God, who is enthroned of old, will hear me
and bring them down; *
they never change; they do not fear God.
|
| 21
| My companion stretched forth his hand against
his comrade; *
he has broken his covenant.
|
| 22
| His speech is softer than butter, *
but war is in his heart.
|
| 23
| His words are smoother than oil, *
but they are drawn swords.
|
| 24
| Cast your burden upon the LORD,
and he will sustain you; *
he will never let the righteous stumble.
|
| 25
| For you will bring the bloodthirsty and deceitful
*
down to the pit of destruction, O God.
|
| 26
| They shall not live out half their days,
*
but I will put my trust in you.
|
