Psalm 57
New Living Translation
Psalm 57
For the choir director: A psalm[a] of David, regarding the time he fled from Saul and went into the cave. To be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”
1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
until the danger passes by.
2 I cry out to God Most High,[b]
to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
3 He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
disgracing those who hound me. Interlude
My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.
4 I am surrounded by fierce lions
who greedily devour human prey—
whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows,
and whose tongues cut like swords.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens!
May your glory shine over all the earth.
6 My enemies have set a trap for me.
I am weary from distress.
They have dug a deep pit in my path,
but they themselves have fallen into it. Interlude
7 My heart is confident in you, O God;
my heart is confident.
No wonder I can sing your praises!
8 Wake up, my heart!
Wake up, O lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
9 I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
10 For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth.
Psalm 57
Legacy Standard Bible
Let Your Glory Be Above All the Earth
For the choir director. [a]Al-tashheth. Of David. A [b]Mikhtam. [c]When he fled from Saul in the cave.
57 Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me,
For my soul (A)takes refuge in You;
And in the (B)shadow of Your wings I will take refuge
Until destruction (C)passes by.
2 I will call to God Most High,
To God who (D)accomplishes all things for me.
3 He will (E)send from heaven and save me;
He reproaches him who [d](F)tramples upon me. [e]Selah.
God will send His (G)lovingkindness and His [f]truth.
4 My soul is among (H)lions;
I am lying down among those who breathe forth fire,
Sons of men whose (I)teeth are spears and arrows
And their (J)tongue a sharp sword.
5 (K)Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
6 They have [g]set a (L)net for my steps;
My soul is (M)bowed down;
They (N)dug a pit before me;
They themselves have (O)fallen into the midst of it. Selah.
7 (P)My (Q)heart is set, O God, my heart is set;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!
8 Awake, (R)my glory!
Awake, (S)harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
9 (T)I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to You among the [h]nations.
10 For Your (U)lovingkindness is great to the heavens
And Your [i]truth to the skies.
11 (V)Be exalted above the heavens, O God;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.
Footnotes
- Psalm 57 Title Lit Do Not Destroy
- Psalm 57 Title Possibly Epigrammatic Poem, Atonement Psalm
- Psalm 57 Title 1 Sam 22:1; 24:3
- Psalm 57:3 Or snaps at
- Psalm 57:3 Selah may mean Pause, Crescendo, Musical Interlude
- Psalm 57:3 Or faithfulness
- Psalm 57:6 Or spread
- Psalm 57:9 Lit peoples
- Psalm 57:10 Or faithfulness
1 Samuel 24
New Living Translation
David Spares Saul’s Life
24 [a]After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi. 2 So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats.
3 At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave!
4 “Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe.
5 But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” 7 So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.
After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way, 8 David came out and shouted after him, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him.
9 Then he shouted to Saul, “Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you? 10 This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the Lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm the king—he is the Lord’s anointed one.’ 11 Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me.
12 “May the Lord judge between us. Perhaps the Lord will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. 13 As that old proverb says, ‘From evil people come evil deeds.’ So you can be sure I will never harm you. 14 Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a single flea? 15 May the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!”
16 When David had finished speaking, Saul called back, “Is that really you, my son David?” Then he began to cry. 17 And he said to David, “You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil. 18 Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the Lord put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn’t do it. 19 Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today. 20 And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule. 21 Now swear to me by the Lord that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!”
22 So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went back to their stronghold.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 24:1 Verses 24:1-22 are numbered 24:2-23 in Hebrew text.
1 Samuel 24
Legacy Standard Bible
David Does Not Kill Saul
24 Now (A)when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, (B)he was told, saying, “Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.” 2 Then (C)Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Rocks of the Wild Goats. 3 And he came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul (D)went in to [a]relieve himself. Now (E)David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave. 4 Then the men of David said to him, “Behold, (F)this is the day of which Yahweh said to you, ‘Behold, (G)I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good in your eyes.’” Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly. 5 And it happened afterward that (H)David’s heart struck him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. 6 So he said to his men, “(I)Far be it from me because of Yahweh that I should do this thing to my lord, the anointed of Yahweh, to send forth my hand against him, since he is the anointed of Yahweh.” 7 And David tore his men to pieces with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul. And Saul arose, [b]left the cave, and went on his way.
8 Now afterward David arose and went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, (J)David bowed with his [c]face to the ground and prostrated himself. 9 And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks [d]to do you evil’? 10 (K)Behold, this day your eyes have seen that Yahweh had given you today into my hand in the cave, and (L)some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, ‘I will not send forth my hand against my lord, for he is the anointed of Yahweh.’ 11 Now, (M)my father, see! Indeed, see the edge of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the edge of your robe and did not kill you, know and see that there is no evil or transgression in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, though you (N)are lying in wait for my life to take it. 12 (O)May Yahweh judge between [e]you and me, and may Yahweh avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you. 13 As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘(P)Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness’; but my hand shall not be against you. 14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? (Q)After a dead dog, after (R)a single flea? 15 (S)Therefore Yahweh be judge and execute justice between [f]you and me; and may He see and (T)plead my cause and execute justice for me to escape from your hand.”
16 Now it happened that when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “(U)Is this your voice, my son David?” Then Saul lifted up his voice and wept. 17 (V)And he said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for (W)you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt evil with you. 18 And you have declared today that you have done good to me, that (X)Yahweh surrendered me into your hand, and yet you did not kill me. 19 For if a man (Y)finds his enemy, will he let him go away [g]safely? May Yahweh therefore reward you with good in return for what you have done to me this day. 20 So now, behold, (Z)I know that you will surely be king, and that (AA)the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. 21 So now (AB)swear to me by Yahweh that you will not cut off my seed after me and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s household.” 22 So David swore to Saul. And Saul went to his home, but David and his men went up to (AC)the fortress.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Samuel 24:3 Lit cover his feet
- 1 Samuel 24:7 Lit from
- 1 Samuel 24:8 Lit nose
- 1 Samuel 24:9 Or your harm
- 1 Samuel 24:12 Lit me and you
- 1 Samuel 24:15 Lit me and you
- 1 Samuel 24:19 Lit on a good road
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.