לַמְנַצֵּחַ בִּנְגִינֹת מַשְׂכִּיל לְדָוִד׃   55:1

Psal. 55:1   A poem of David's for the leader with music of strings:

הַאֲזִינָה אֱלֹהִים תְּפִלָּתִי וְאַל־תִּתְעַלַּם מִתְּחִנָּתִי׃   55:2

Psal. 55:2   Hear, O God, my prayer,

                             and may You not hide Yourself from my supplication.

הַקְשִׁיבָה לִּי וַעֲנֵנִי אָרִיד בְּשִׂיחִי וְאָהִימָה׃   55:3

Psal. 55:3   Attend to me and answer me;

                              I will be restless in my anxiety and will murmur,

מִקּוֹל אוֹיֵב מִפְּנֵי עָקַת רָשָׁע כִּי־יָמִיטוּ עָלַי אָוֶן וּבְאַף יִשְׂטְמוּנִי׃   55:4

Psal. 55:4   because of an enemy voice,

                             because of oppression of the wicked,

                      for they would make evil fall on me,

                             and in anger they would spite me.

לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי וְאֵימוֹת מָוֶת נָפְלוּ עָלָי׃   55:5

Psal. 55:5   My heart will writhe within me

                             when the terrors of death have fallen on me.

יִרְאָה וָרַעַד יָבֹא בִי וַתְּכַסֵּנִי פַּלָּצוּת׃   55:6

Psal. 55:6   Fear and trembling will come to me

                             when horror has overwhelmed me.

וָאֹמַר מִי־יִתֶּן־לִּי אֵבֶר כַּיּוֹנָה אָעוּפָה וְאֶשְׁכֹּנָה׃   55:7

Psal. 55:7   So I say, “Would that wing were mine to be like a dove!

                             I would fly away and settle down.”

הִנֵּה אַרְחִיק נְדֹד אָלִין בַּמִּדְבָּר סֶלָה׃   55:8

Psal. 55:8   Behold! I would be wandering far off;

                             I would dwell in the wilderness.            Selah.

אָחִישָׁה מִפְלָט לִי מֵרוּחַ סֹעָה מִסָּעַר׃   55:9

Psal. 55:9   I would hasten my escape from the stormy wind,

                             from the tempest.

But he is stuck in the city and cannot escape.

בַּלַּע אֲדֹנָי פַּלַּג לְשׁוֹנָם כִּי־רָאִיתִי חָמָס וְרִיב בָּעִיר׃  55:10

Psal. 55:10   Engulf, O Master, split their tongue!

                             Surely I see violence and strife in the city.

יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה יְסוֹבְבֻהָ עַל־חוֹמֹתֶיהָ וְאָוֶן וְעָמָל בְּקִרְבָּהּ׃  55:11

Psal. 55:11   Day and night they will go around it on its walls,

                              as iniquity and mischief are in its midst.

הַוּוֹת בְּקִרְבָּהּ וְלֹא־יָמִישׁ מֵרְחֹבָהּ תֹּךְ וּמִרְמָה׃  55:12

Psal. 55:12   Destruction is in its midst;

                               and oppression or treachery will not depart from its open space.

כִּי לֹא־אוֹיֵב יְחָרְפֵנִי וְאֶשָּׂא לֹא־מְשַׂנְאִי עָלַי הִגְדִּיל וְאֶסָּתֵר מִמֶּנּוּ׃  55:13

Psal. 55:13   But an enemy that I can bear could not jeopardize me;

                               no one hating me magnifies himself against me,

                        as I could hide from him.

וְאַתָּה אֱנוֹשׁ כְּעֶרְכִּי אַלּוּפִי וּמְיֻדָּעִי׃  55:14

Psal. 55:14   But you, a man my equal,

                               my friend, and known to me!

The psalmist has been betrayed by a close friend.  And he cannot hide from him as he could from his enemies (see the preceding verse).

אֲשֶׁר יַחְדָּו נַמְתִּיק סוֹד בְּבֵית אֱלֹהִים נְהַלֵּךְ בְּרָגֶשׁ׃  55:15

Psal. 55:15   Who sweet counsel we would take together;

                                in the house of God we would walk with the throng!

Now here we have an unmistakable reference to the Temple.  Thus this psalm was not composed by David, but by a later poet, speaking of his betrayal, not by the evil ones in the midst of the city, but by a friend.

יַשִּׁימָוֶת) [יַשִּׁי] [מָוֶת] עָלֵימֹו יֵרְדוּ שְׁאֹול חַיִּים כִּי־רָעֹות בִּמְגוּרָם בְּקִרְבָּם׃  55:16

Psal. 55:16   Let Him seduce death on their account;

                                let them descend alive to Sheol.

                        For evil things are in their dwelling place in their midst.

Now he returns his attention to the wicked in the streets.  Notice also that the first word, that before the left parenthesis, is missing a space that would make it two words, as shown in the two sets of brackets.

אֲנִי אֶל־אֱלֹהִים אֶקְרָא וַיהוָה יוֹשִׁיעֵנִי׃  55:17

Psal. 55:17   I will call to God

                                and the Lord will save me.

עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְצָהֳרַיִם אָשִׂיחָה וְאֶהֱמֶה וַיִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי׃  55:18

Psal. 55:18   Evening and morning and noon times I would complain and murmur,

                                and He hears my voice.

פָּדָה בְשָׁלוֹם נַפְשִׁי מִקֲּרָב־לִי כִּי־בְרַבִּים הָיוּ עִמָּדִי׃  55:19

Psal. 55:19   With peace He redeems my soul from anyone coming near to me,

                                 for in large numbers they have been with me.

יִשְׁמַע אֵל וְיַעֲנֵם וְיֹשֵׁב קֶדֶם סֶלָה אֲשֶׁר אֵין חֲלִיפוֹת לָמוֹ וְלֹא יָרְאוּ אֱלֹהִים׃  55:20

Psal. 55:20   God will hear,

                                 and He will afflict them as He sits from of old,              Selah.

                        who have no changes and not do fear God.

The phrase who have no changes seems to refer to the evil ones who refuse to change their behavior or thoughts.

שָׁלַח יָדָיו בִּשְׁלֹמָיו חִלֵּל בְּרִיתוֹ׃   55:21

Psal. 55:21   He has extended his hands;

                                  because of his friendship he has profaned his covenant.

In this verse and the next the psalmist comes back to his betraying friend.

חָלְקוּ מַחְמָאֹת פִּיו וּקֲרָב־לִבּוֹ רַכּוּ דְבָרָיו מִשֶּׁמֶן וְהֵמָּה פְתִחוֹת׃   55:22

Psal. 55:22   The words of his mouth were smooth,

                                  but his heart was war;

                         his utterances were softer than oil,

                                  but they were drawn swords.

הַשְׁלֵךְ עַל־יְהוָה יְהָבְךָ וְהוּא יְכַלְכְּלֶךָ לֹא־יִתֵּן לְעוֹלָם מוֹט לַצַּדִּיק׃   55:23

Psal. 55:23   Shed your burden onto the Lord,

                                  and He will sustain you;

                        He will never allow a righteous one's overthrow.

וְאַתָּה אֱלֹהִים תּוֹרִדֵם לִבְאֵר שַׁחַת אַנְשֵׁי דָמִים וּמִרְמָה לֹא־יֶחֱצוּ יְמֵיהֶם וַאֲנִי אֶבְטַח־בָּךְ׃   55:24

Psal. 55:24   But You, God, will send them down to the deepest pit;

                                 ones of blood and deceit will not live half their days;

                        But I, I will trust in You.

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