55 - Exaudi, Deus

1  Hear my prayer, O God, 🞙
and hide not yourself from my petition.
2  Give heed to me, and hear me, 🞙
for I am troubled in my prayer and am tormented,
3  Because of the cry of the enemy, and oppression by the    
  ungodly; 🞙
for they are of a mind to do me great harm, so maliciously 
are they set against me.
4  My heart is disquieted within me, 🞙
and the fear of death has fallen upon me.
5  Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, 🞙
and a horrible dread has overwhelmed me.
6  And I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove, 🞙
for then would I fly away and be at rest.
7  Indeed, then I would get away to a far off place 🞙
and make my dwelling in the wilderness.

d a y   1 0   :   e v e n i n g   p r a y e r   |   p s a l m   55   |338  t h e   p s a l t e r

8  I would make haste to escape, 🞙
because of the stormy wind and tempest.”
9  Confuse their speech, O Lord, and divide them, 🞙
for I have seen unrighteousness and strife in the city.
10  Day and night they go about within her walls; 🞙
trouble and sorrow are in the midst of her.
11  Great wickedness is there; 🞙
deceit and guile do not leave her streets.
12  For it is not an enemy who has done me this dishonor, 🞙
for then I could have borne it;
13  Neither was it my adversary who exalted himself against me, 🞙
for then I would have hidden myself from him.
14  But it was you, my companion, 🞙
my comrade and my own familiar friend.
15  We took sweet counsel together 🞙
and walked in the house of God as friends.
16  Let death come hastily upon them, and let them go down
  alive into the grave, 🞙
for there is wickedness in their hearts.
17  As for me, I will call upon God, 🞙
and the Lord shall save me.
18  In the evening, and morning, and at noonday will I pray
  and lament, 🞙
and he shall hear my voice.
19  It is he who shall deliver my soul in peace from the battle
  that is against me, 🞙
for there are many who fight me.
20  God, who endures for ever, shall hear me and bring
  them down; 🞙
for they never change, nor do they fear God.
21  My familiar friend has laid his hands upon those who were
  at peace with him, 🞙
and he has broken his covenant.
   339

22  The words of his mouth were softer than butter, yet war
  was in his heart; 🞙
his words were smoother than oil, and yet they were 
drawn swords.
23  O cast your burden upon the Lord, and he shall nourish you, 🞙
and shall not allow the righteous to fall for ever.
24  But as for the bloodthirsty and deceitful, 🞙
you, O God, shall bring them into the pit of destruction.
25  They shall not live out half their days; 🞙
but my trust shall be in you, O Lord.