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In God I Trust, I Shall Not Be Afraid

For the choir director. According to [a]Jonath Elem Rehokim. A [b]Mikhtam of David. [c]When the Philistines seized him in Gath.

56 Be gracious to me, O God, for man has [d](A)trampled upon me;
All day long, an attacker (B)oppresses me.
My foes have [e](C)trampled upon me all day long,
For many (D)attack me proudly.
[f]When I am (E)afraid,
[g]I will (F)trust in You.
(G)In God, whose word I praise,
In God I trust;
I shall not be afraid.
(H)What can mere [h]man do to me?
All day long they [i](I)distort my words;
All their [j](J)thoughts are against me for evil.
They [k](K)attack, they lurk,
They (L)watch my heels,
As they have (M)hoped to take my [l]life.
On account of their wickedness, (N)will they have an escape?
In anger, (O)bring down the peoples, O God!

You (P)have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my (Q)tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in (R)Your book?
Then my enemies will (S)turn back (T)in the day when I call;
This I know, [m]that (U)God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
In Yahweh, whose word I praise,
11 In God I [n]trust, I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 Your (V)vows are binding upon me, O God;
I will [o]fulfill thank offerings to You.
13 [p]For You have (W)delivered my soul from death,
Indeed (X)my feet from stumbling,
So that I may (Y)walk before God
In the (Z)light of the [q]living.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 56 Title Or The silent dove of those who are far off, The dove of the distant terebinths
  2. Psalm 56 Title Possibly Epigrammatic Poem, Atonement Psalm
  3. Psalm 56 Title 1 Sam 21:10, 11
  4. Psalm 56:1 Or snapped at
  5. Psalm 56:2 Or snapped at
  6. Psalm 56:3 Lit In the day
  7. Psalm 56:3 Or I am one who puts
  8. Psalm 56:4 Lit flesh
  9. Psalm 56:5 Or trouble my affairs
  10. Psalm 56:5 Or purposes
  11. Psalm 56:6 Or stir up strife
  12. Psalm 56:6 Lit soul
  13. Psalm 56:9 Or because
  14. Psalm 56:11 Or trust without fear
  15. Psalm 56:12 Lit pay
  16. Psalm 56:13 Or Have You not delivered
  17. Psalm 56:13 Or life

Prayer for Deliverance and Confidence in God

For the music director, according to The Silent Dove of Distant Lands.

Of David. A miktam.

When the Philistines seized him in Gath.[a]

56 Be gracious to me, O God, because humankind has trampled me;
fighting all the day he oppresses me.
My enemies[b] trample all day,
because many are attacking me proudly.
When[c] I fear, I trust you.
God, whose word I praise,
God I trust; I do not fear.
What can mere flesh do to me?
All day they twist my words;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
They attack,[d] they hide, they watch my steps,[e]
as they lie in wait for my life.
Because of iniquity will they escape?
In anger cast down the peoples, O God.
You have kept count of my wonderings.
Put my tears in your bottle;
are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back when[f] I call.[g]
This I know because[h] God is for me.
10 God, whose word I praise,
Yahweh, whose word I praise,
11 God I trust; I do not fear.
What can mere humankind do to me?
12 My vows to you, O God, are binding upon me.
I will pay thank offerings to you,
13 because you have delivered my soul from death.
Have you not kept my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of the living?

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 56:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  2. Psalm 56:2 Or “lurking foes”
  3. Psalm 56:3 Literally “The day”
  4. Psalm 56:6 Or “they stir up strife”
  5. Psalm 56:6 Literally “heels”
  6. Psalm 56:9 Literally “in the day”
  7. Psalm 56:9 i.e., call on God
  8. Psalm 56:9 Or “that”

David Flees to Gath

10 Then David arose and fled that day from Saul and went to (A)Achish king of Gath. 11 But the (B)servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? (C)Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying,

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

12 And David (D)took these words [a]to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 21:12 Lit in his

David Flees to Achish in Gath

10 So David got up and fled on that day from the presence of Saul, and he came to Achish the king of Gath. 11 The servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Is it not for this one that they sang in the dances, saying, ‘Saul killed his thousands, but David his ten thousands?’” 12 David took these words seriously[a] and felt severely threatened by[b] Achish the king of Gath.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 21:12 Literally “David put these words in his heart”
  2. 1 Samuel 21:12 Literally “he was very afraid from the face of”