1 ARST God, listen to my prayer, and do not turn away from me while I am pleading with you. BSB BSB: For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea.
2 ARST Listen to me and answer me because I am overwhelmed by all my troubles. BSB BSB: Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught
3 ARST My enemies terrify me; wicked people oppress me. They cause me to have great troubles; they are angry with me, and they hate me. BSB BSB: at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they bring down disaster upon me and resent me in their anger.
4 ARST I am terrified, and I am very much afraid that I will die. BSB BSB: My heart pounds within me, and the terrors of death assail me.
5 ARST I am very fearful and I tremble; I am completely terrified. BSB BSB: Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me.
6 ARST I said,“I wish that I had wings like a dove! If I had wings, I would fly away and find a place to rest. BSB BSB: I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest.
7 ARST I would fly far away and live in the wilderness. BSB BSB: How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain. Selah
8 ARST I would quickly find a safe place where my enemies could not strike me like a strong wind and rainstorm.” BSB BSB: I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”
9 ARST Lord, confuse my enemies and cause their plans to fail. I saw them hurting others by their violence and causing riots throughout the city. BSB BSB: O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 ARST During each day and night they march around on top of its walls, committing crimes and causing trouble. BSB BSB: Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within.
11 ARST They destroy things everywhere. They oppress people and defraud people in the marketplaces. BSB BSB: Destruction is within; oppression and deceit never leave the streets.
12 ARST If it were an enemy who was making fun of me, I could endure it. If it were someone who hates me, who despises me, I could hide from him. BSB BSB: For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide.
13 ARST But it is someone who is just like me, my companion, someone who was my friend who is doing this to me. BSB BSB: But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend.
14 ARST We previously had many good talks together; we walked around together in God’ s temple. BSB BSB: We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God.
15 ARST I desire that my enemies will go down alive to the place where the dead people are. I want this because they do evil things in their homes. BSB BSB: Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes.
16 ARST But I will ask Yahweh, my God, to help me, and he will save me. BSB BSB: But I call to God, and the LORD saves me.
17 ARST Each morning, noontime, and evening I tell him what I am concerned about, and I moan, and he hears my voice. BSB BSB: Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.
18 ARST He saves my life and makes me safe when I am fighting a terrible battle against my enemies. There are many enemies coming to fight against me! BSB BSB: He redeems my soul in peace from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.
19 ARST God is the one who has ruled everything forever, and he will put those who fought against me in their place. He will cause my enemies to be defeated and disgraced because they do not change their evil behavior and because they do not have any respect for God. BSB BSB: God will hear and humiliate them—the One enthroned for the ages—Selah because they do not change and they have no fear of God.
20 ARST My companion, whom I mentioned previously, betrayed his friends and broke the agreement that he made with them. BSB BSB: My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant.
21 ARST What he said was as easy to listen to as butter is easy to swallow, but in his inner being he hated people; his words were as soothing as olive oil, but they hurt people as sharp swords do. BSB BSB: His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.
22 ARST Put your troubles in Yahweh’ s hands, and he will take care of you; he will never allow disaster to destroy righteous people. BSB BSB: Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.
23 ARST God, you will cause murderers and liars to die before they have lived half as long as they expect to live; but as for me, I will trust in you. BSB BSB: But You, O God, will bring them down to the Pit of destruction; men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.