1 To the Overseer with stringed instruments. — An instruction, by David. Give ear, O God, [to] my prayer, And hide not from my supplication. 2 Attend to me, and answer me, I mourn in my meditation, and make a noise, 3 Because of the voice of an enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked, For they cause sorrow to move against me, And in anger they hate me. 4 My heart is pained within me, And terrors of death have fallen on me. 5 Fear and trembling come in to me, And horror doth cover me. 6 And I say, 'Who doth give to me a pinion as a dove? I fly away and rest, 7 Lo, I move far off, I lodge in a wilderness. Selah. 8 I hasten escape for myself, From a rushing wind, from a whirlwind. 9 Swallow up, O Lord, divide their tongue, For I saw violence and strife in a city. 10 By day and by night they go round it, on its walls. Both iniquity and perverseness [are] in its midst, 11 Mischiefs [are] in its midst. Fraud and deceit depart not from its street. 12 For an enemy reproacheth me not, or I bear [it], He who is hating me Hath not magnified himself against me, Or I hide from him. 13 But thou, a man — as mine equal, My familiar friend, and mine acquaintance. 14 When together we sweeten counsel, Into the house of God we walk in company. 15 Desolations [are] upon them, They go down [to] Sheol — alive, For wickedness [is] in their dwelling, in their midst. 16 I — to God I call, and Jehovah saveth me. 17 Evening, and morning, and noon, I meditate, and make a noise, and He heareth my voice, 18 He hath ransomed in peace my soul From him who is near to me, For with the multitude they were with me. 19 God doth hear and afflict them, And He sitteth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, and fear not God, 20 He hath sent forth his hands against his well-wishers, He hath polluted his covenant. 21 Sweeter than honey hath been his mouth, And his heart [is] war! Softer have been his words than oil, And they [are] drawn [swords]. 22 Cast on Jehovah that which He hath given thee, And He doth sustain thee, He doth not suffer for ever the moving of the righteous. 23 And Thou, O God, dost bring them down To a pit of destruction, Men of blood and deceit reach not to half their days, And I — I do trust in Thee!
Psalms · Young's Literal Translation
Psalm 55 Young's Literal Translation
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)