1 For the chief musician; on stringed instruments. A maschil of David. Give ear to my prayer, God; and do not hide yourself from my plea. 2 Pay attention to me and answer me; I have no rest in my troubles 3 because of the voice of my enemies, because of the oppression of the wicked; for they bring trouble on me and persecute me in anger. 4 My heart trembles within me, and the terrors of death have fallen on me. 5 Fearfulness and trembling have come on me, and horror has overwhelmed me. 6 I said, “Oh, if only I had wings like a dove! Then would I fly away and be at rest. 7 See, then I would wander far away; I would stay in the wilderness. Selah 8 I would hurry to a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest.” 9 Devour them, Lord, confuse their language! For I have seen violence and strife in the city. 10 Day and night they go about on its walls; iniquity and mischief are in the middle of it. 11 Wickedness is in the middle of it; oppression and deceit do not leave its streets. 12 For it was not an enemy who rebuked me, then I could have borne it; neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, then I would have hidden myself from him. 13 But it was you, a man equal to myself, my companion and my close friend. 14 We had sweet fellowship together; we walked in the house of God with the throng. 15 Let death come suddenly on them; let them go down alive to Sheol, for wickedness is where they live, right among them. 16 As for me, I will call on God, and Yahweh will save me. 17 In the evening, morning and at noonday I complain and moan; he will hear my voice. 18 He will safely rescue my life from the battle that was against me, for those who fought against me were many. 19 God, the one who rules from eternity, will hear them and humiliate them. Selah They never change, and they do not fear God. 20 My friend has raised his hands against those who were at peace with him; he has not respected the covenant that he had. 21 His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was hostile; his words were softer than oil, yet they were actually drawn swords. 22 Place your burdens on Yahweh, and he will sustain you; he will never allow a righteous person to totter. 23 But you, God, will bring the wicked down into the pit of destruction; bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live even half as long as others, but I will trust in you.
Psalms · Unlocked Literal Bible
Psalm 55 Unlocked Literal 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)