Psalm 55, An Expressive Transliteration

Psalm 55, An Expressive Transliteration

For the director, musical; with strings.
A maskil wrote by David that he brings.

Please listen to my prayer, O God, do not
ignore my plea; please hear and answer me.
My thoughts, great trouble to me, I’m distraught
because of what he says, my enemy,
because of all the wicked and their threats;
for they bring down great suffering on me,
their anger, their assailings, they beget.

My heart within is anguish unto me;
fell on me, terrors, death’s, most weightily.
Fear, trembling, both of them, have me, beset;
o’erwhelmed me, horror. Said, “if I could get
wings of a dove, I’d fly away and rest.
I’d flee and in the desert I would stay;
I’d hurry to my solace, shelt’ring place,
far from the tempest and the stormy wastes.”

The wicked, LORD, confuse, confound their words,
for I see violence, and strife ‘gainst men
within the city. Daily, prowling herds,
about its walls; there’s malice, harm within.
Destructive forces, in the city, work;
both lies and threats, the streets, they don’t dessert.

If ‘twere an enemy insulting me
I could endure; a foe against, I’d flee.
I’d hide, but it is you, just like myself,
a man and my companion, friend, known, well-.
with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship —
at God’s house, where we walked ‘mongst worshipers.

May death be something of a dark surprise
to all my enemies; go down alive
into death’s realm, for, with them, evil lives.

For me, I call to God; the LORD saves me.
I cry out in distress, morn, noon, and eve,
he hears my voice and rescues me unharmed
from battles waged ‘gainst me, though not alarmed;
they may oppose me, many. God, enthroned,
he’ll hear them, he’s not changing from of old,
he’ll humble them; they have no fear of God.

Companion, mine, attacking all his friends;
he violates his sacred covenant.
His talk is smooth as butter but within
his heart, there’s war; his words more soothing than
sweet oil, yet razors, swords are all of them.

Your cares upon the LORD where you should cast
and he’ll sustain you; never in the past,
the righteous, shaken, God, he won’t allow.
The wicked to the pit, you will bring down.
Bloodthirsty ones, deceit in all their ways
will never live out half their normal days.

But as for me, I trust you LORD, always.