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A Call for God’s Protection

For the choir director: according to ‘A Silent Dove Far Away.’ A Miktam of David. When the Philistines seized him in Gath.(A)

56 Be gracious to me, God, for a man is trampling me;
he fights and oppresses me all day long.
My adversaries trample me all day,
for many arrogantly fight against me.[a](B)

When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.(C)
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?(D)

They twist my words all day long;
all their thoughts against me are evil.(E)
They stir up strife,[b] they lurk,
they watch my steps
while they wait to take my life.(F)
Will they escape in spite of such sin?
God, bring down the nations in wrath.(G)

You yourself have recorded my wanderings.[c]
Put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?(H)
Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call.(I)
This I know: God is for me.(J)

10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mere humans do to me?(K)

12 I am bound by vows[d] to you, God;
I will make my thanksgiving sacrifices to you.(L)
13 For you rescued me from death,
even my feet from stumbling,
to walk before God in the light of life.(M)

Footnotes

  1. 56:2 Or many fight against me, O exalted one, or many fight against me from the heights
  2. 56:6 Or They attack
  3. 56:8 Or misery
  4. 56:12 Lit On me the vows

56 (0) For the leader. Set to “The Silent Dove in the Distance.” By David; a mikhtam, when the P’lishtim captured him in Gat:

(1) Show me favor, God;
for people are trampling me down —
all day they fight and press on me.
(2) Those who are lying in wait for me
would trample on me all day.
For those fighting against me are many.

Most High, (3) when I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
(4) In God — I praise his word —
in God I trust; I have no fear;
what can human power do to me?
(5) All day long they twist my words;
their only thought is to harm me.
(6) They gather together and hide themselves,
spying on my movements, hoping to kill me.
(7) Because of their crime, they cannot escape;
in anger, God, strike down the peoples.
(8) You have kept count of my wanderings;
store my tears in your water-skin —
aren’t they already recorded in your book?
10 (9) Then my enemies will turn back
on the day when I call;
this I know: that God is for me.

11 (10) In God — I praise his word —
in Adonai — I praise his word —
12 (11) in God I trust; I have no fear;
what can mere humans do to me?

13 (12) God, I have made vows to you;
I will fulfill them with thank offerings to you.
14 (13) For you rescued me from death,
you kept my feet from stumbling,
so that I can walk in God’s presence,
in the light of life.