1-3. Open your ears, God, to my prayer;don’t pretend you don’t hear me knocking.Come close and whisper your answer.I really need you.I shudder at the mean voice,quail before the evil eye,As they pile on the guilt,stockpile angry slander.
4-8. My insides are turned inside out;specters of death have me down.I shake with fear,I shudder from head to foot.“Who will give me wings,” I ask—“wings like a dove?”Get me out of here on dove wings;I want some peace and quiet.I want a walk in the country,I want a cabin in the woods.I’m desperate for a changefrom rage and stormy weather.
9-11. Come down hard, Lord—slit their tongues.I’m appalled how they’ve split the cityInto rival gangsprowling the alleysDay and night spoiling for a fight,trash piled in the streets,Even shopkeepers gouging and cheatingin broad daylight.
12-14. This isn’t the neighborhood bullymocking me—I could take that.This isn’t a foreign devil spittinginvective—I could tune that out.It’s you! We grew up together!You! My best friend!Those long hours of leisure as we walkedarm in arm, God a third party to our conversation.
15. Haul my betrayers off alive to hell—let themexperience the horror, let themfeel every desolate detail of a damned life.
16-19. I call to God;God will help me.At dusk, dawn, and noon I sighdeep sighs—he hears, he rescues.My life is well and whole, securein the middle of dangerEven while thousandsare lined up against me.God hears it all, and from his judge’s benchputs them in their place.But, set in their ways, they won’t change;they pay him no mind.
20-21. And this, my best friend, betrayed his best friends;his life betrayed his word.All my life I’ve been charmed by his speech,never dreaming he’d turn on me.His words, which were music to my ears,turned to daggers in my heart.
22-23. Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders—he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out.He’ll never let good peopletopple into ruin.But you, God, will throw the othersinto a muddy bog,Cut the lifespan of assassinsand traitors in half.And I trust in you.