1 T o the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. Hear, O God, my voice, in my meditation, From the fear of an enemy Thou keepest my life,

Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; Preserve my life from dread of the enemy.

2 H idest me from the secret counsel of evil doers, From the tumult of workers of iniquity.

Hide me from the secret counsel of evildoers, From the tumult of those who do iniquity,

3 W ho sharpened as a sword their tongue, They directed their arrow -- a bitter word.

Who have sharpened their tongue like a sword. They aimed bitter speech as their arrow,

4 T o shoot in secret places the perfect, Suddenly they shoot him, and fear not.

To shoot from concealment at the blameless; Suddenly they shoot at him, and do not fear.

5 T hey strengthen for themselves an evil thing, They recount of the hiding of snares, They have said, `Who doth look at it?'

They hold fast to themselves an evil purpose; They talk of laying snares secretly; They say, “ Who can see them?”

6 T hey search out perverse things, `We perfected a searching search,' And the inward part of man, and the heart deep.

They devise injustices, saying, “We are ready with a well-conceived plot”; For the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep.

7 A nd God doth shoot them an arrow, Sudden have been their wounds,

But God will shoot at them with an arrow; Suddenly they will be wounded.

8 A nd they cause him to stumble, Against them their own tongue, Every looker on them fleeth away.

So they will make him stumble; Their own tongue is against them; All who see them will shake the head.

9 A nd all men fear, and declare the work of God, And His deed they have considered wisely.

Then all men will fear, And they will declare the work of God, And will consider what He has done.

10 T he righteous doth rejoice in Jehovah, And hath trusted in Him, And boast themselves do all the upright of heart!

The righteous man will be glad in the Lord and will take refuge in Him; And all the upright in heart will glory.