Psalms 55

¹The title of the fyue and fiftithe salm. `In Ebreu thus, To the ouercomyng on the doumb culuer of fer drawing awei, the comely song of Dauid, whanne Filisteis helden hym in Geth. `In Jeroms translacioun thus, To the ouercomer for the doumb culuer, for it yede awei fer. Dauid meke and symple made this salm, whanne Palesteyns helden hym in Geth.

²God, haue thou merci on me, for a man hath defoulid me; al dai he impugnyde, and troublide me.

³Myn enemyes defouliden me al dai; for manye fiyteris weren ayens me.

⁴Of the hiynesse of dai Y schal drede; but God Y schal hope in thee.

⁵In God Y schal preise my wordis; Y hopide in God, Y schal not drede what thing fleisch schal do to me.

⁶Al dai thei cursiden my wordis; ayens me alle her thouytis weren in to yuel.

⁷Thei schulen dwelle, and schulen hide; thei schulen aspie myn heele.

⁸As thei abiden my lijf, for nouyt schalt thou make hem saaf; in ire thou schalt breke togidre puplis.

⁹God, Y schewide my lijf to thee; thou hast set my teeris in thi siyt. As and in thi biheest, Lord;

¹⁰thanne myn enemyes schulen be turned abak. In what euere dai Y schal inwardli clepe thee; lo! Y haue knowe, that thou art my God.

¹¹In God Y schal preise a word; in the Lord Y schal preyse a word. Y schal hope in God; Y schal not drede what thing a man schal do to me.

¹²God, thin auowis ben in me; whiche Y schal yelde heriyngis to thee.

¹³For thou hast delyuerid my lijf fro deth, and my feet fro slidyng; that Y pleese bifore God in the liyt of hem that lyuen.

Psalms 55

¹Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.

²Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;

³Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.

⁴My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

⁵Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

⁶And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.

⁷Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.

⁸I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.

⁹Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

¹⁰Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.

¹¹Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

¹²For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

¹³But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

¹⁴We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

¹⁵Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.

¹⁶As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.

¹⁷Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

¹⁸He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.

¹⁹God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.

²⁰He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.

²¹The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

²²Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

²³But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.