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(A)A Prayer of Trust in God[a]

56 Be merciful to me, O God,
    because I am under attack;
    my enemies persecute me all the time.
All day long my opponents attack me.
    There are so many who fight against me.
When I am afraid, O Lord Almighty,
    I put my trust in you.
I trust in God and am not afraid;
    I praise him for what he has promised.
    What can a mere human being do to me?

My enemies make trouble for me all day long;
    they are always thinking up some way to hurt me!
They gather in hiding places
    and watch everything I do,
    hoping to kill me.
Punish[b] them, O God, for their evil;
    defeat those people in your anger!

You know how troubled I am;
    you have kept a record of my tears.
    Aren't they listed in your book?
The day I call to you,
    my enemies will be turned back.
I know this: God[c] is on my side—
10     the Lord, whose promises I praise.
11 In him I trust, and I will not be afraid.
    What can a mere human being do to me?

12 O God, I will offer you what I have promised;
    I will give you my offering of thanksgiving,
13 because you have rescued me from death
    and kept me from defeat.
And so I walk in the presence of God,
    in the light that shines on the living.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 56:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by David, after the Philistines captured him in Gath.
  2. Psalm 56:7 Probable text Punish; Hebrew Save.
  3. Psalm 56:9 I know this: God; or Because I know that God.

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