"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."
— Psalm 55:22 (NIV)
Psalm 55:22 is the "cast your cares on the Lord" verse. This page gives the verse, where it sits in Psalm 55, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about worry, Love and anxiety, and 1 Peter 5:7.
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The verse
The King James reads: "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."
"Cast" is shalak (H7993), to throw or fling off. "Cares" (KJV "burden") is yehab (H3053), what has been given to you to carry. "Sustain" is kul (H3557), to hold up or provide for. "Righteous" is tsaddiq (H6662), and "shaken" (KJV "moved") is mot (H4131), to slip or totter.
Where it sits in Psalm 55
Psalm 55 is a psalm of David written in deep distress. He wishes he could escape: "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest" (Psalm 55:6).
The pain is personal. "If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it... But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend" (Psalm 55:12-13). In the middle of it David prays, "Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice" (Psalm 55:17). The psalm ends, "But as for me, I trust in you" (Psalm 55:23).
What the verse is saying
The verse is David talking to himself and to anyone listening after a betrayal. Throw the weight onto the Lord, because you were not made to carry it alone. The promise is not that the burden disappears at once, but that God will hold you up under it.
"He will never let the righteous be shaken" means God will not let his people finally fall. Peter echoes this verse in 1 Peter 5:7: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Jesus gives the same invitation in Matthew 11:28.
Questions people ask
What does Psalm 55:22 say?
In the NIV it says, "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." The KJV says, "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee."
What does "cast your burden on the Lord" mean?
The Hebrew word shalak means to throw. Casting your burden means handing God the weight you are carrying, through prayer, instead of holding it alone.
Who wrote Psalm 55?
The heading credits David.
What is the context of Psalm 55:22?
David is in distress after being betrayed by a close friend (Psalm 55:12-14). He cries out to God "evening, morning and noon" (Psalm 55:17) and ends with "But as for me, I trust in you" (Psalm 55:23).
What other verses are like Psalm 55:22?
1 Peter 5:7 (cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you), Matthew 11:28 (come to me, all you who are weary and burdened), and Philippians 4:6-7 (do not be anxious about anything) are close companions.
