1Dem Chorleiter. Mit Saitenspiel. Ein Lehrgedicht von David.2Gott, höre mein Gebet, / verschließ dich meinem Flehen nicht!3Hör doch auf mich und antworte mir! / Ich irre mit meiner Klage umher und bin ganz verstört.4Meine Feinde bedrohen mich, / die Gottlosen toben. / Sie wälzen Unheil auf mich, / verfolgen mich mit zornigem Hass.5Die Angst schnürt mir die Kehle zu, / Todesfurcht hat mich überfallen.6Furcht und Zittern setzen mir zu, / kaltes Grauen steigt hoch.7Ich wünschte, ich hätte Flügel. / Wie eine Taube flöge ich fort / und suchte nach einem Ruheort.8Weit weg würde ich fliehen, / in der Wüste hausen über Nacht. ♪9Ich suchte schnellstens eine Bleibe, / eine Sicherheit vor Starkwind und Sturm.10Reiß sie auseinander, Herr, dass sie sich nicht mehr verstehen! / In der Stadt sehe ich nur Streit und Gewalt.11Ihre Mauern sind Tag und Nacht bewacht, / doch Unheil und Elend sind mitten darin.12Verderben breitet sich in ihr aus, / Gewalt und Betrug beherrschen Straße und Platz.13Denn nicht mein Feind beschimpft mich, / das würde ich ertragen; / nicht mein Hasser tut groß gegen mich, / vor ihm könnte ich mich verbergen.14Doch du, ein Mensch wie ich, / mein Freund und mein Vertrauter!15Wie haben wir unsre Gespräche genossen, / vereint mit der Menge in Gottes Haus!16Sie alle soll der Tod überfallen, / mögen sie lebend hinab zu ihm fahren, / denn Bosheit füllt ihr Inneres aus.17Doch ich, ich rufe zu Gott, / und Jahwe hilft mir.18Abends und morgens und mittags / klage ich und stöhne. / Da hat er meine Stimme gehört,19hat meine Seele zum Frieden erlöst, / dass keiner mir zu nahe kommt. / Denn viele waren gegen mich.20Gott wird mich hören und macht sie vor mir klein, / er, der seit Ewigkeiten herrscht. ♪ Sie wollen sich nicht ändern / und nehmen Gott nicht ernst.21Der Verräter vergreift sich an seinen Freunden, / er bricht den feierlichen Bund.22Seine Worte sind süß wie Sahne, / doch sein Herz denkt nur an Krieg. / Glatt wie Öl fließt seine Rede, / doch jedes Wort ist wie ein Dolch.23Wirf auf Jahwe deine Last / und er wird dich erhalten. / Niemals lässt er zu, dass der Gerechte fällt.24Du, Gott, wirst sie in den Abgrund stürzen, / die Männer von Blut und Betrug. / Noch vor der Lebensmitte sind sie tot. / Ich aber weiß mich sicher bei dir.
For the director of music. A maskil of David to be played on stringed instruments.
1God, listen to my prayer. Pay attention to my cry for help.2Hear me and answer me. My thoughts upset me. I’m very troubled.3I’m troubled by what my enemies say about me. I’m upset because they say they will harm me. They cause me all kinds of suffering. When they are angry, they attack me with their words.4I feel great pain deep down inside me. The terrors of death have fallen on me.5Fear and trembling have taken hold of me. Panic has overpowered me.6I said, ‘I wish I had wings like a dove! Then I would fly away and be at rest.7I would escape to a place far away. I would stay out in the desert.8I would hurry to my place of safety. It would be far away from the winds and storms I’m facing.’9Lord, confuse the sinners and keep them from understanding one another. I see people destroying things and fighting in the city.10Day and night they prowl around on top of its walls. The city is full of crime and trouble.11Forces that destroy are at work inside it. Its streets are full of people who cheat others and take advantage of them.12If an enemy were making fun of me, I could stand it. If he were getting ready to oppose me, I could hide.13But it’s you, someone like myself. It’s my companion, my close friend.14We used to enjoy good friendship at the house of God. We used to walk together among those who came to worship.15Let death take my enemies by surprise. Let them be buried alive, because their hearts and homes are full of evil.16But I call out to God. And the LORD saves me.17Evening, morning and noon I groan and cry out. And he hears my voice.18Even though many enemies are fighting against me, he brings me safely back from the battle.19God has been on his throne since ancient times and does not change. He will hear my enemies and make them humble. That’s because they have no respect for God.20My companion attacks his friends. He breaks his promise.21His talk is as smooth as butter. But he has war in his heart. His words flow like olive oil. But they are like swords ready for battle.22Turn your worries over to the LORD. He will keep you going. He will never let godly people be shaken.23God, you will bring sinners down to the grave. Murderers and liars won’t live out even half of their lives. But I trust in you.
1To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil[1] of David. Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy! (Ps 4,1; Ps 54,2; Ps 61,1; Ps 86,6)2Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan, (Ps 55,17; Ps 64,1; Jes 38,14; Jes 59,11)3because of the noise of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked. For they drop trouble upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me. (2Sam 16,7)4My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. (Ps 116,3)5Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. (Hi 21,6; Ps 78,53; Jes 21,4; Hes 7,18)6And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest;7yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; (Jer 9,2)8I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest.” (Ps 83,15)9Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues; for I see violence and strife in the city. (1Mo 11,9; Jer 6,7)10Day and night they go around it on its walls, and iniquity and trouble are within it; (Ps 5,9)11ruin is in its midst; oppression and fraud do not depart from its marketplace. (Ps 10,7)12For it is not an enemy who taunts me— then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him. (Hi 19,5)13But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. (2Sam 15,12; 2Sam 16,23; Ps 41,9)14We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng. (Ps 42,4)15Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart. (4Mo 16,30; 4Mo 16,33; Ps 124,3; Spr 1,12)16But I call to God, and the Lord will save me.17Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. (Ps 5,3; Ps 55,2; Ps 88,13; Ps 92,2; Ps 141,2; Dan 6,10; Apg 3,1; Apg 10,3; Apg 10,9; Apg 10,30)18He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me. (Ps 56,2)19God will give ear and humble them, he who is enthroned from of old, because they do not change and do not fear God. (5Mo 33,27; Hi 10,17; Hi 21,7)20My companion[2] stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant. (Apg 12,1)21His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords. (Ps 28,3; Ps 57,4; Spr 5,3)22Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. (Ps 10,6; Ps 37,5)23But you, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in you. (Hi 15,32; Ps 5,6; Ps 11,1; Ps 55,15; Ps 56,7; Ps 59,11; Ps 69,15; Ps 94,13; Spr 10,27)