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Psalm 3
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 3
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 3[a]
Threatened but Trusting
1 A psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom.[b](A)
I
2 How many are my foes, Lord!
How many rise against me!
3 [c]How many say of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”(B)
Selah
4 But you, Lord, are a shield around me;
my glory, you keep my head high.(C)
II
5 With my own voice I will call out to the Lord,
and he will answer me from his holy mountain.
Selah
6 I lie down and I fall asleep,
[and] I will wake up, for the Lord sustains me.(D)
7 I do not fear, then, thousands of people
arrayed against me on every side.
III
8 Arise, Lord! Save me, my God!
For you strike the cheekbone of all my foes;
you break the teeth of the wicked.(E)
9 Salvation is from the Lord!
May your blessing be upon your people!(F)
Selah
Footnotes
- Psalm 3 An individual lament complaining of enemies who deny that God will come to the rescue (Ps 3:2–3). Despite such taunts the psalmist hopes for God’s protection even in sleep (Ps 3:4–7). The Psalm prays for an end to the enemies’ power to speak maliciously (Ps 3:8) and closes peacefully with an expression of trust (Ps 3:9).
- 3:1 The superscription, added later, relates the Psalm to an incident in the life of David.
- 3:3, 3:5, 3:9 Selah: the term is generally considered a direction to the cantor or musicians but its exact meaning is not known. It occurs seventy-one times in thirty-nine Psalms.
Psalm 3
New International Version
Psalm 3
New International Version
Psalm 3[a]
A psalm of David. When he fled from his son Absalom.(A)
1 Lord, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.(B)”[b]
3 But you, Lord, are a shield(C) around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high.(D)
4 I call out to the Lord,(E)
and he answers me from his holy mountain.(F)
5 I lie down and sleep;(G)
I wake again,(H) because the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not fear(I) though tens of thousands
assail me on every side.(J)
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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