Psalm 55

Cast Your Burden on the Lord

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Maskil of David.

1  Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
2  Attend to me, and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
3  because of the noise of the enemy,
because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they drop trouble upon me,
and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

4  My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5  Fear and trembling come upon me,
and horror overwhelms me.
6  And I say, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest;
7  yes, I would wander far away;
I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
8  I would hurry to find a shelter
from the raging wind and tempest."

9  Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;
for I see violence and strife in the city.
10  Day and night they go around it
on its walls,
and iniquity and trouble are within it;
11  ruin is in its midst;
oppression and fraud
do not depart from its marketplace.

12  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.
13  But it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.
14  We used to take sweet counsel together;
within God's house we walked in the throng.
15  Let death steal over them;
let them go down to Sheol alive;
for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

16  But I call to God,
and the Lord will save me.
17  Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.
18  He redeems my soul in safety
from the battle that I wage,
for many are arrayed against me.
19  God will give ear and humble them,
he who is enthroned from of old, Selah
because they do not change
and do not fear God.

20  My companiont stretched out his hand against his friends;
he violated his covenant.
21  His speech was smooth as butter,
yet war was in his heart;
his words were softer than oil,
yet they were drawn swords.

22  Cast your burden on the Lord,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.

23  But you, O God, will cast them down
into the pit of destruction;
men of blood and treachery
shall not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.

Psalm 55

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; And hide not thyself from my supplication.

2 Attend unto me, and answer me: I am restless in my complaint, and moan,

3 Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they cast iniquity upon me, And in anger they persecute me.

4 My heart is sore pained within me: And the terrors of death are fallen upon me.

5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, And horror hath overwhelmed me.

6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! Then would I fly away, and be at rest.

7 Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah

8 I would haste me to a shelter From the stormy wind and tempest.

9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongue; For I have seen violence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: Iniquity also and mischief are in the midst of it.

11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: Oppression and guile depart not from its streets.

12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; Then I could have borne it: Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; Then I would have hid myself from him:

13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, My companion, and my familiar friend.

14 We took sweet counsel together; We walked in the house of God with the throng.

15 Let death come suddenly upon them, Let them go down alive into Sheol; For wickedness is in their dwelling, in the midst of them.

16 As for me, I will call upon God; And Jehovah will save me.

17 Evening, and morning, and at noonday, will I complain, and moan; And he will hear my voice.

18 He hath redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me; For they were many that strove with me.

19 God will hear, and answer them, Even he that abideth of old, Selah The men who have no changes, And who fear not God.

20 He hath put forth his hands against such as were at peace with him: He hath profaned his covenant.

21 His mouth was smooth as butter, But his heart was war: His words were softer than oil, Yet were they drawn swords.

22 Cast thy burden upon Jehovah, and he will sustain thee: He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.

23 But thou, O God, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; But I will trust in thee.