He Will Never Allow the Righteous to Be Shaken
For the choir director. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.
aGive ear to my prayer, O God;
And bdo not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Give aheed to me and answer me;
I am restless in my bcomplaint and cam surely distracted,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the apressure of the wicked;
For they bshake wickedness down upon me
And in anger they cbear a grudge against me.
4 My aheart is in anguish within me,
And the terrors of bdeath have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and atrembling come upon me,
And bhorror has covered me.
6 I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and abe at rest.
7 Behold, I would wander far away,
I would alodge in the wilderness. Selah.
8 I would hasten to my place of refuge
From the astormy wind and tempest.”
9 Confuse, O Lord, adivide their tongues,
For I have seen bviolence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around her upon her walls,
And wickedness and mischief are in her midst.
11 aDestruction is in her midst;
bOppression and deceit do not depart from her streets.
12 For it is anot an enemy who reproaches me,
Then I could bear it;
Nor is it one who hates me who bhas magnified himself against me,
Then I could hide myself from him.
13 But it is you, a man my equal,
My aclose companion and my bfamiliar friend;
14 We who had sweet counsel together
aWalked in the house of God in the throng.
15 Let death come adeceitfully upon them;
Let them bgo down alive to Sheol,
For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.
16 As for me, I shall acall upon God,
And Yahweh will save me.
17 aEvening and bmorning and at cnoon, I will bring my complaint and moan,
And He will hear my voice.
18 He will aredeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me,
For they are bmany who strive with me.
19 God will ahear and answer them—
Even the one bwho sits enthroned from of old— Selah.
Because they do not change,
And cdo not fear God.
20 My companion has put forth his hands against athose who were at peace with him;
He has bviolated his covenant.
21 His speech was asmoother than butter,
But his heart was war;
His words were asofter than oil,
Yet they were drawn bswords.
22 aCast your burden upon Yahweh and He will sustain you;
bHe will never allow the righteous to cbe shaken.
23 But You, O God, will bring them down to the apit of corruption;
bMen of bloodshed and deceit will cnot live out half their days.
But I will dtrust in You.