Prayer for the Destruction of the Treacherous.

For the music director; on stringed instruments. A [a]Maskil of David.

1Listen to my prayer, God;

And do not hide Yourself from my pleading.

2Give Your attention to me and answer me;

I am restless in my complaint and [b]severely distracted,

3Because of the voice of the enemy,

Because of the pressure of the wicked;

For they bring down [c]trouble upon me

And in anger they hold a grudge against me.

4My heart is in anguish within me,

And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

5Fear and trembling come upon me,

And [d]horror has [e]overwhelmed me.

6I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and [f]be at rest.

7“Behold, I would flee far away,

I would spend my nights in the wilderness. Selah

8“I would hurry to my place of refuge

From the stormy wind and heavy gale.”

9Confuse them, Lord, divide their tongues,

For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

10Day and night they go around her upon her walls,

And evil and harm are in her midst.

11Destruction is in her midst;

Oppression and deceit do not depart from her [g]streets.

12For it is not an enemy who taunts me,

Then I could endure it;

Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me,

Then I could hide myself from him.

13But it is you, a man [h]my equal,

My companion and my confidant;

14We who had sweet [i]fellowship together,

Walked in the house of God among the commotion.

15May [j]death come deceitfully upon them;

May they go down alive to [k]Sheol,

For evil is in their dwelling, in their midst.

16As for me, I shall call upon God,

And the LORD will save me.

17Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and moan,

And He will hear my voice.

18He will redeem my soul in peace [l]from the battle which is against me,

For they are many who are aggressive toward me.

19God will hear and humiliate them—

Even the one who [m]sits enthroned from ancient times— Selah

With whom there [n]is no change,

And who do not fear God.

20He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;

He has [o]violated his covenant.

21His [p]speech was smoother than butter,

But his heart was war;

His words were softer than oil,

Yet they were drawn swords.

22Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you;

He will never allow the righteous to [q]be shaken.

23But You, 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.