Trust in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends
To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David.
1 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and hear me;
# Iam restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked;
# For they bring down trouble upon me,
And in wrath they hate me.
4 My heart is severely pained within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,
And horror has overwhelmed me.
6 So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
7 Indeed, I would wander far off,
Andremain in the wilderness.
Selah
8 I would hasten my escape
From the windy stormandtempest.”
9 Destroy, O Lord,anddivide their tongues,
# For I have seenviolence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around it on its walls;
# Iniquity and troublearealso in the midst of it.
11 Destructionisin its midst;
# Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.
12 Foritisnot an enemywhoreproaches me;
Then I could bearit.
# Norisitonewhohates me who hasexaltedhimselfagainst me;
Then I could hide from him.
13 Butitwasyou, a man my equal,
# My companion and my acquaintance.
14 We took sweet counsel together,
# Andwalked to the house of God in the throng.
15 Let death seize them;
# Let themgo down alive into hell,
For wickednessisin their dwellingsandamong them.
16 As for me, I will call upon God,
And theLordshall save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battlethatwasagainst me,
# Forthere were many against me.
19 God will hear, and afflict them,
# Even He who abides from of old.
Selah
Because they do not change,
Therefore they do not fear God.
20 He hasput forth his hands against those whowere at peace with him;
He has broken his covenant.
21 Thewordsof his mouth were smoother than butter,
But warwasin his heart;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet theyweredrawn swords.
22 Cast your burden on theLord,
# AndHe shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
23 But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;
# Bloodthirsty and deceitful menshall not live out half their days;
But I will trust in You.