Psalms 64 – Preserve My Life from Fear of the Enemy
A prayer for protection from secret plots and bitter words.
In this chapter of the Psalms overview, David prays for protection from enemies who scheme in secret, sharpening their tongues like swords and aiming bitter words as though shooting arrows at an innocent target. He asks God to hear his voice before real harm is done.
To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. Hear, O God, my voice, in my meditation, From the fear of an enemy Thou keepest my life,
Hidest me from the secret counsel of evil doers, From the tumult of workers of iniquity.
Who sharpened as a sword their tongue, They directed their arrow -- a bitter word.
To shoot in secret places the perfect, Suddenly they shoot him, and fear not.
They strengthen for themselves an evil thing, They recount of the hiding of snares, They have said, `Who doth look at it?'
They search out perverse things, `We perfected a searching search,' And the inward part of man, and the heart `are' deep.
And God doth shoot them `with' an arrow, Sudden have been their wounds,
And they cause him to stumble, Against them `is' their own tongue, Every looker on them fleeth away.
And all men fear, and declare the work of God, And His deed they have considered wisely.
The righteous doth rejoice in Jehovah, And hath trusted in Him, And boast themselves do all the upright of heart!