Psalm 55: Cast Thy Burden Upon the Lord
A lament over betrayal by a friend that ends in trust and daily prayer.
Psalm 55 opens with David's anguish and his longing for 'wings like a dove' to flee the city's violence and strife, a fear deeper than the brief attack described in Psalms 54. The pain sharpens when he names the source: not an enemy, but 'a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.'
The title of the fyue and fiftithe salm. `In Ebreu thus, To the ouercomyng on the doumb culuer of fer drawing awei, the comely song of Dauid, whanne Filisteis helden hym in Geth. `In Jeroms translacioun thus, To the ouercomer for the doumb culuer, for it yede awei fer. Dauid meke and symple made this salm, whanne Palesteyns helden hym in Geth.
God, haue thou merci on me, for a man hath defoulid me; al dai he impugnyde, and troublide me.
Myn enemyes defouliden me al dai; for manye fiyteris weren ayens me.
Of the hiynesse of dai Y schal drede; but God Y schal hope in thee.
In God Y schal preise my wordis; Y hopide in God, Y schal not drede what thing fleisch schal do to me.
Al dai thei cursiden my wordis; ayens me alle her thouytis weren in to yuel.
Thei schulen dwelle, and schulen hide; thei schulen aspie myn heele.
As thei abiden my lijf, for nouyt schalt thou make hem saaf; in ire thou schalt breke togidre puplis.
God, Y schewide my lijf to thee; thou hast set my teeris in thi siyt. As and in thi biheest, Lord;
thanne myn enemyes schulen be turned abak. In what euere dai Y schal inwardli clepe thee; lo! Y haue knowe, that thou art my God.
In God Y schal preise a word; in the Lord Y schal preyse a word. Y schal hope in God; Y schal not drede what thing a man schal do to me.
God, thin auowis ben in me; whiche Y schal yelde heriyngis to thee.
For thou hast delyuerid my lijf fro deth, and my feet fro slidyng; that Y pleese bifore God in the liyt of hem that lyuen.