1 L isten to my prayer, O God. Do not hide Yourself from what I ask.

¶ Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not hide thyself from my supplication.

2 H ear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I have no peace,

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

3 b ecause of the voice of those who hate me and the power of the sinful. For they bring trouble upon me, and in anger they keep on having bad thoughts against me.

because 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.

4 M y heart is in pain within me. The fears of death have come upon me.

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

5 I have begun shaking with fear. Fear has power over me.

Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.

6 A nd I say, “If only I had wings like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest.

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

7 Y es, I would go far away. I would live in the desert.

Behold, then I would flee far away and dwell in the wilderness. Selah.

8 I would hurry to my safe place, away from the wild wind and storm.”

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

9 M ix them up, O Lord. Divide their tongues. For I have seen fighting and trouble in the city.

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

10 T hey go around on its walls day and night. Sin and wrong-doing are within it.

Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; iniquity also and sorrow are in the midst of it.

11 D estroying powers are in the city. Trouble and lies never leave its streets.

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

12 I would be able to take it if one who hates me were putting me to shame. I could hide from him. It is not one who hates me who has put himself up against me.

For 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:

13 B ut it is you, a man like myself, one who has gone with me, my close friend.

But it was thou, who in my estimation was, my lord, and of my own family.

14 W e shared together. And we walked with the people in the house of God.

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

15 L et death take them by surprise. Let them go down alive to the grave. For sin is with them where they live.

Let them be condemned unto death, and let them go down alive into Sheol for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.

16 A s for me, I will call on God and the Lord will save me.

¶ As for me, I will call upon God, and the LORD shall save me.

17 I will cry out and complain in the evening and morning and noon, and He will hear my voice.

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

18 H e will save my soul in peace from those who make war against me. For there are many who fight me.

He has ransomed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, for there were many against me.

19 G od sits on His throne forever. And He will hear them and bring trouble upon them, because there has been no change in them. They do not fear God.

God shall hear and bring them down, even he that abides from of old. Selah. Because they do not change, nor do they fear God.

20 H e goes against those who were at peace with him. He has broken his agreement.

He has put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him; he has defiled his covenant.

21 W hat he says is smoother than butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are raised swords.

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

22 G ive all your cares to the Lord and He will give you strength. He will never let those who are right with Him be shaken.

Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee; he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

23 B ut You, O God, will bring the sinful down into the hole that destroys. Men who kill and lie will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.

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