1 For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea. 2 Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught 3 at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they bring down disaster upon me and resent me in their anger. 4 My heart pounds within me, and the terrors of death assail me. 5 Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me. 6 I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest. 7 How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain. Selah 8 I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.” 9 O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city. 10 Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within. 11 Destruction is within; oppression and deceit never leave the streets. 12 For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide. 13 But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend. 14 We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God. 15 Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes. 16 But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. 17 Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. 18 He redeems my soul in peace from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. 19 God will hear and humiliate them—the One enthroned for the ages—Selah because they do not change and they have no fear of God. 20 My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. 21 His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed. 22 Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken. 23 But You, O 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.
Psalms · Majority Standard Bible
Psalm 55 Majority Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Greek and Latin Bibles number most Psalms one lower than Hebrew and English Bibles.
Cross references (23)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Peter 3:12; Psalm 86:6; Psalm 61:1; Psalm 27:9; Psalm 80:1
- 2 Isaiah 38:14; Psalm 77:3; Psalm 66:19; Isaiah 59:11; Psalm 64:1
- 3 2 Samuel 16:7–8; Psalm 35:11; Psalm 27:12; Psalm 73:8; Psalm 12:5
- 4 Psalm 116:3; Mark 14:33–34; 2 Corinthians 1:8–10; Hebrews 5:7; Psalm 18:4–5
- 5 Psalm 119:120; Job 21:6; Luke 22:44; Psalm 88:15–16; Psalm 61:2
- 6 Psalm 11:1; Revelation 12:14; Psalm 139:9
- 7 Jeremiah 9:2; 2 Samuel 15:14; Jeremiah 37:12; Proverbs 6:4–5; 2 Samuel 17:21–22
- 8 Isaiah 4:6; Matthew 7:25–27; Psalm 18:4; Isaiah 17:12–13
- 9 Jeremiah 6:7; 2 Samuel 15:31; Genesis 11:7–9; Acts 23:6–10; 2 Samuel 17:1–14
- 10 Psalm 59:14–15; Isaiah 59:6–15; John 18:28; Acts 9:24; Ezekiel 9:4
- 11 Isaiah 59:7; Psalm 5:9; Jeremiah 5:26–27; Psalm 10:7; Acts 7:51–52
- 12 Psalm 41:9; John 13:18; Matthew 26:21–23; Psalm 35:26; John 18:2–3
- 13 Micah 7:5; Jeremiah 9:4; 2 Samuel 15:12; Mark 14:44–45; Psalm 41:9
- 14 Psalm 42:4; Ezekiel 33:31; Isaiah 2:3; Psalm 122:1
- 15 Psalm 59:13; Psalm 9:17; Psalm 109:6–20; Acts 1:18–20; Psalm 64:7
- 16 Psalm 50:15; Luke 6:11–12; Psalm 91:15; Psalm 73:28; Psalm 109:4
- 17 Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Psalm 141:2; Hebrews 5:7; Acts 3:1
- 18 Psalm 57:3; Matthew 26:53; 1 John 4:4; Psalm 3:6–7; 2 Chronicles 32:7–8
- 19 Deuteronomy 33:27; Zephaniah 1:12; Ecclesiastes 8:11; Revelation 6:10–11; Micah 5:2
- 20 Psalm 7:4; Psalm 89:34; Acts 12:1; Psalm 109:5; Psalm 120:6–7
- 21 Psalm 57:4; Proverbs 5:3–4; Psalm 28:3; Proverbs 26:28; Psalm 12:2
- 22 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 37:5; Philippians 4:6–7; Matthew 6:25; Psalm 62:6
- 23 Proverbs 10:27; Psalm 5:6; Job 15:32; Psalm 7:15–16; Psalm 73:18
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The title of this Psalm hath fruit in the prolixity thereof, if it be understood: and because the Psalm is short, let us make up our not having to tarry over the Psalm by tarrying over the title. For upon this dependeth every verse which is sung.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
This is what the Prophet David proclaimed to us when He said, Cast thy burden on the Lord, and He will sustain thee.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 9 (1899)