Add parallel Print Page Options

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”

Psalm 56

A Call for God’s Protection

For the choir director: according to “A Silent Dove Far Away.”[a] A Davidic Miktam. When the Philistines seized him in Gath.(A)

Be gracious to me, God, for man tramples me;
he fights and oppresses me all day long.
My adversaries trample me all day,
for many arrogantly fight against me.[b](B)

When I am afraid,
I will trust in You.(C)
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?(D)

They twist my words all day long;
all their thoughts against me are evil.(E)
They stir up strife,[c] they lurk;
they watch my steps
while they wait to take my life.(F)
Will they escape in spite of such sin?
God, bring down the nations in wrath.(G)

You Yourself have recorded my wanderings.[d]
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in Your records?(H)
Then my enemies will retreat on the day when I call.(I)
This I know: God is for me.(J)

10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?(K)

12 I am obligated by vows[e] to You, God;
I will make my thank offerings to You.(L)
13 For You delivered me from death,
even my feet from stumbling,
to walk before God in the light of life.(M)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 56:1 Possibly a tune
  2. Psalm 56:2 Or many fight against me, O exalted One, or many fight against me from the heights
  3. Psalm 56:6 Or They attack
  4. Psalm 56:8 Or misery
  5. Psalm 56:12 Lit On me the vows

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.

Read full chapter

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”

David Flees to Gath

10 David fled that day from Saul’s presence and went to King Achish of Gath.(A) 11 But Achish’s servants said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Don’t they sing about him during their dances:

Saul has killed his thousands,
but David his tens of thousands?”(B)

12 David took this to heart[a] and became very afraid of King Achish of Gath,

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 21:12 Lit David placed these words in his heart