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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”

Pleading for Help and Grateful Trust in God.

For the music 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, God, for a man has [d](A)trampled upon me;
[e]Fighting all day long he (B)oppresses me.
My enemies have (C)trampled upon me all day long,
For [f]they are many who (D)fight proudly against me.
[g]When I am (E)afraid,
[h]I will (F)put my trust in You.
(G)In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid.
(H)What can mere [i]mortals do to me?
All day long they (I)distort my words;
All their [j](J)thoughts are against me for evil.
They [k](K)attack, they lurk,
They (L)watch my [l]steps,
As they have (M)waited to take my [m]life.
Because of their wickedness, will there be an (N)escape for them?
In anger (O)make the peoples fall down, God!

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

Footnotes

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

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”

10 Then David set out 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 slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

12 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