English Standard Version

New International Version

Cast Your Burden on the Lord

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

Give ear to my prayer, O God,
and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!

1

Psalm 55^a

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskilb of David.

Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;

2

Attend to me, and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint and I moan,

2

hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught

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.

3

because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me
and assail me in their anger.

4

My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

4

My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.

5

Fear and trembling come upon me,
and horror overwhelms me.

5

Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.

6

And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest;

6

I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.

7

yes, I would wander far away;
I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah

7

I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;c

8

I would hurry to find a shelter
from the raging wind and tempest.”

8

I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm.”

9

Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;
for I see violence and strife in the city.

9

Lord, confuse the wicked, confound their words,
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;

10

Day and night they prowl about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.

11

ruin is in its midst;
oppression and fraud
do not depart from its marketplace.

11

Destructive forces are at work in the city;
threats and lies never leave its streets.

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.

12

If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.

13

But it is you, a man, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend.

13

But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,

14

We used to take sweet counsel together;
within God’s house we walked in the throng.

14

with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
at the house of God,
as we walked about
among the worshipers.

15

Let death steal over them;
let them go down to Sheol alive;
for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

15

Let death take my enemies by surprise;
let them go down alive to the realm of the dead,
for evil finds lodging among them.

16

But I call to God,
and the Lord will save me.

16

As for me, I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.

17

Evening and morning and at noon
I utter my complaint and moan,
and he hears my voice.

17

Evening, morning and noon
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.

18

He redeems my soul in safety
from the battle that I wage,
for many are arrayed against me.

18

He rescues me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose 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.

19

God, who is enthroned from of old,
who does not change —
he will hear them and humble them,
because they have no fear of God.

20

My companionb stretched out his hand against his friends;
he violated his covenant.

20

My companion attacks his friends;
he violates 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.

21

His talk is smooth as butter,
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
yet they are drawn swords.

22

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

22

Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let
the righteous be shaken.

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.

23

But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful
will not live out half their days.
But as for me, I trust in you.

Parallel

English Standard Version

New International Version

Psalms 55

Psalms 55