In God I Trust

To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A (A)Miktam[a] of David, when the (B)Philistines seized him in Gath.

56 (C)Be gracious to me, O God, for man (D)tramples on me;
    all day long an attacker oppresses me;
my enemies trample on me all day long,
    for many attack me proudly.
When I am afraid,
    I (E)put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust; (F)I shall not be afraid.
    What can flesh do to me?

All day long they injure my cause;[b]
    all their thoughts are against me for evil.
They (G)stir up strife, they (H)lurk;
    they (I)watch my steps,
    as they have waited for my life.
For their crime will they escape?
    (J)In wrath (K)cast down the peoples, O God!

You have kept count of my tossings;[c]
    (L)put my tears in your bottle.
    (M)Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back
    (N)in the day when I call.
    This I know, that[d] (O)God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; (P)I shall not be afraid.
    What can man do to me?

12 I must perform my (Q)vows to you, O God;
    I will (R)render thank offerings to you.
13 (S)For you have delivered my soul from death,
    yes, my feet from falling,
(T)that I may walk before God
    (U)in the light of life.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 56:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
  2. Psalm 56:5 Or they twist my words
  3. Psalm 56:8 Or wanderings
  4. Psalm 56:9 Or because

Trust in God under Persecution

To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

56 Be gracious to me, O God,
for men trample upon me;
    all day long foemen oppress me;
my enemies trample upon me all day long,
    for many fight against me proudly.
When I am afraid,
    I put my trust in thee.
In God, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust without a fear.
    What can flesh do to me?

All day long they seek to injure my cause;
    all their thoughts are against me for evil.
They band themselves together, they lurk,
    they watch my steps.
As they have waited for my life,
    so recompense[a] them for their crime;
    in wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

Thou hast kept count of my tossings;
    put thou my tears in thy bottle!
    Are they not in thy book?
Then my enemies will be turned back
    in the day when I call.
    This I know, that[b] God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust without a fear.
    What can man do to me?

12 My vows to thee I must perform, O God;
    I will render thank offerings to thee.
13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death,
    yea, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 56:7 Cn: Heb deliver
  2. Psalm 56:9 Or because

David Flees to Gath

10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to (A)Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? (B)Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,

‘Saul has struck down his thousands,
    and David his ten thousands’?”

12 And David (C)took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

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David Flees to Gath

10 And David rose and fled that day from Saul, and went to A′chish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of A′chish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,

    ‘Saul has slain his thousands,
    and David his ten thousands’?”

12 And David took these words to heart, and was much afraid of A′chish the king of Gath.

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