Psalm 56
World English Bible
For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A poem by David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
56 Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up.
All day long, he attacks and oppresses me.
2 My enemies want to swallow me up all day long,
for they are many who fight proudly against me.
3 When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in you.
4 In God, I praise his word.
In God, I put my trust.
I will not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
5 All day long they twist my words.
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They conspire and lurk,
watching my steps.
They are eager to take my life.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity?
In anger cast down the peoples, God.
8 You count my wanderings.
You put my tears into your container.
Aren’t they in your book?
9 Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call.
I know this: that God is for me.
10 In God, I will praise his word.
In Yahweh, I will praise his word.
11 I have put my trust in God.
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 Your vows are on me, God.
I will give thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered my soul from death,
and prevented my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
Psalm 56
English Standard Version
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;
2 my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many attack me proudly.
3 When I am afraid,
I (E)put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; (F)I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
5 All day long they injure my cause;[b]
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They (G)stir up strife, they (H)lurk;
they (I)watch my steps,
as they have waited for my life.
7 For their crime will they escape?
(J)In wrath (K)cast down the peoples, O God!
8 You have kept count of my tossings;[c]
(L)put my tears in your bottle.
(M)Are they not in your book?
9 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
- Psalm 56:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
- Psalm 56:5 Or they twist my words
- Psalm 56:8 Or wanderings
- Psalm 56:9 Or because
1 Samuel 21:10-12
World English Bible
10 David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 The servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David the king of the land? Didn’t they sing to one another about him in dances, saying,
‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands?’”
12 David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
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1 Samuel 21:10-12
English Standard Version
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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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
