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For the choir director; according to yonath elem rechokim; [a] a miktam by David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.

56 Have pity on me, O God, because people are harassing me.
All day long warriors oppress me.
All day long my enemies spy on me.
They harass me.
There are so many fighting against me.
Even when I am afraid, I still trust you.

I praise God’s word.
I trust God.
I am not afraid.
What can mere flesh ⌞and blood⌟ do to me?

All day long my enemies twist my words.
Their every thought is an evil plan against me.
They attack, and then they hide.
They watch my every step as they wait to take my life.
With the wrong they do, can they escape?
O God, angrily make the nations fall.
(You have kept a record of my wanderings.
Put my tears in your bottle.
They are already in your book.)
Then my enemies will retreat when I call ⌞to you⌟.
This I know: God is on my side.

10 I praise God’s word.
I praise the Lord’s word.
11 I trust God.
I am not afraid.
What can mortals do to me?

12 I am bound by my vows to you, O God.
I will keep my vows by offering songs of thanksgiving to you.
13 You have rescued me from death.
You have kept my feet from stumbling
so that I could walk in your presence, in the light of life.

Footnotes

  1. 56:0 Unknown musical term.

Psalm 56[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

Be merciful to me,(A) my God,
    for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(B)
    all day long they press their attack.(C)
My adversaries pursue me all day long;(D)
    in their pride many are attacking me.(E)

When I am afraid,(F) I put my trust in you.(G)
    In God, whose word I praise—(H)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(I)
    What can mere mortals do to me?(J)

All day long they twist my words;(K)
    all their schemes are for my ruin.
They conspire,(L) they lurk,
    they watch my steps,(M)
    hoping to take my life.(N)
Because of their wickedness do not[c] let them escape;(O)
    in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(P)

Record my misery;
    list my tears on your scroll[d](Q)
    are they not in your record?(R)
Then my enemies will turn back(S)
    when I call for help.(T)
    By this I will know that God is for me.(U)

10 In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can man do to me?

12 I am under vows(V) to you, my God;
    I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death(W)
    and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.(X)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 56:1 In Hebrew texts 56:1-13 is numbered 56:2-14.
  2. Psalm 56:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  3. Psalm 56:7 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text does not have do not.
  4. Psalm 56:8 Or misery; / put my tears in your wineskin