Psalm 3
The Message
3 1-2 God! Look! Enemies past counting!
Enemies sprouting like mushrooms,
Mobs of them all around me, roaring their mockery:
“Hah! No help for him from God!”
3-4 But you, God, shield me on all sides;
You ground my feet, you lift my head high;
With all my might I shout up to God,
His answers thunder from the holy mountain.
5-6 I stretch myself out. I sleep.
Then I’m up again—rested, tall and steady,
Fearless before the enemy mobs
Coming at me from all sides.
7 Up, God! My God, help me!
Slap their faces,
First this cheek, then the other,
Your fist hard in their teeth!
8 Real help comes from God.
Your blessing clothes your people!
Psalm 3
New King James Version
The Lord Helps His Troubled People
A Psalm of David (A)when he fled from Absalom his son.
3 Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
2 Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in God.” Selah
3 But You, O Lord, are (B)a shield [a]for me,
My glory and (C)the One who lifts up my head.
4 I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And (D)He heard me from His (E)holy hill. Selah
5 (F)I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
6 (G)I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Arise, O Lord;
Save me, O my God!
(H)For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 (I)Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah
Footnotes
- Psalm 3:3 Lit. around
Psalm 3
English Standard Version
Save Me, O My God
A Psalm of David, (A)when he fled from Absalom his son.
3 O Lord, (B)how many are my foes!
Many are (C)rising against me;
2 many are saying of my soul,
(D)“There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah[a]
3 But you, O Lord, are (E)a shield (F)about me,
my glory, and (G)the lifter of my head.
4 I (H)cried aloud to the Lord,
and he (I)answered me from his (J)holy hill. Selah
5 I (K)lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
6 I (L)will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have (M)set themselves against me all around.
7 (N)Arise, O Lord!
Save me, O my God!
For you (O)strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you (P)break the teeth of the wicked.
8 (Q)Salvation belongs to the Lord;
your blessing be on your people! Selah
Footnotes
- Psalm 3:2 The meaning of the Hebrew word Selah, used frequently in the Psalms, is uncertain. It may be a musical or liturgical direction
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
