Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;
for I see violence and strife in the city.
Day and night they go around it
on its walls,
and iniquity and trouble are within it;
ruin is in its midst;
oppression and fraud
do not depart from its marketplace.
For 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.
But it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.
We used to take sweet counsel together;
within God’s house we walked in the throng.
Let death steal over them;
let them go down to Sheol alive;
for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.
Comment: We have here a picture of the centre of government with groups of people surreptitiously, persistently and treasonously discussing probably the overthrowing of their rightful king. And the the very hurtful part bursts onto the page. The leader of the rebellion was David’s close friend – they had worshipped, conferred in depth previously. At the end David wishes for the total downfall of not only their leader but of all the horde of rebellious ones.
Prayer: Thank You for good friends, but You alone are totally dependable. I want integrity and faithfulness to be hallmarks of my life. Help me for this to be true of me, O Lord.
As I read it! 