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;
²many are saying of my soul,
^(D)“There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah^[a]

³But you, O Lord, are ^(E)a shield ^(F)about me,
my glory, and ^(G)the lifter of my head.
⁴I ^(H)cried aloud to the Lord,
and he ^(I)answered me from his ^(J)holy hill. Selah

⁵I ^(K)lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
⁶I ^(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

2 Samuel 15:13-16

English Standard Version

David Flees Jerusalem

¹³And a messenger came to David, saying, ^(A)“The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” ¹⁴Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us ^(B)flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” ¹⁵And the king's servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.” ¹⁶So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ^(C)ten concubines to keep the house.

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2 Samuel 15:30-34

English Standard Version

³⁰But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, ^(A)barefoot and ^(B)with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, ^(C)weeping as they went. ³¹And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, please ^(D)turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

³²While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai ^(E)the Archite came to meet him ^(F)with his coat torn and ^(G)dirt on his head. ³³David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be ^(H)a burden to me. ³⁴But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ^(I)‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.