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| New American Bible 2002 11 11 IntraText - Text |
Chapter 55
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1 For the leader. On stringed instruments. A maskil of David.
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Listen, God, to my prayer; do not hide from my pleading;
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hear me and give answer. I rock with grief; I groan
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at the uproar of the enemy, the clamor of the wicked. They heap trouble upon me, savagely accuse me.
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My heart pounds within me; death's terrors fall upon me.
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Fear and trembling overwhelm me; shuddering sweeps over me.
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I say, "If only I had wings like a dove that I might fly away and find rest.
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Far away I would flee; I would stay in the desert. Selah
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I would soon find a shelter from the raging wind and storm."
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Lord, check and confuse their scheming. I see violence and strife in the city
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making rounds on its walls day and night. Within are mischief and evil;
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treachery is there as well; oppression and fraud never leave its streets.
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If an enemy had reviled me, that I could bear; If my foe had viewed me with contempt, from that I could hide.
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But it was you, my other self, my comrade and friend,
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You, whose company I enjoyed, at whose side I walked in procession in the house of God.
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Let death take them by surprise; let them go down alive to Sheol, for evil is in their homes and hearts.
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But I will call upon God, and the LORD will save me.
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At dusk, dawn, and noon I will grieve and complain, and my prayer will be heard.
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God will give me freedom and peace from those who war against me, though there are many who oppose me.
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God, who sits enthroned forever, will hear me and humble them. For they will not mend their ways; they have no fear of God.
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They strike out at friends and go back on their promises.
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Softer than butter is their speech, but war is in their hearts. Smoother than oil are their words, but they are unsheathed swords.
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Cast your care upon the LORD, who will give you support. God will never allow the righteous to stumble.
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But you, God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction. These bloodthirsty liars will not live half their days, but I put my trust in you.