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Psalm 56

Trust in God under Persecution

To the leader: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. Of David. A Miktam, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me;
    all day long foes oppress me;
my enemies trample on me all day long,
    for many fight against me.
O Most High,(A) when I am afraid,
    I put my trust in you.(B)
In God, whose word I praise,
    in God I trust; I am not afraid;
    what can flesh do to me?(C)

All day long they seek to injure my cause;
    all their thoughts are against me for evil.(D)
They stir up strife; they lurk;
    they watch my steps,
as they hoped to take my life.(E)
    Do not deliver them for any reason;[a]
    in wrath cast down the peoples, O God!(F)

You have kept count of my tossings;
    put my tears in your bottle.
    Are they not in your record?(G)
Then my enemies will retreat
    in the day when I call.
    This I know, that[b] God is for me.(H)
10 In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 in God I trust; I am not afraid.
    What can a mere mortal do to me?

12 My vows to you I must perform, O God;
    I will render thank offerings to you.(I)
13 For you have delivered my soul from death
    and my feet from falling,
so that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.(J)

Footnotes

  1. 56.7 Gk Compare Syr Jerome: Heb deliver them because of their iniquity
  2. 56.9 Or because

15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, 16 “Brothers and sisters,[a] the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus,(A) 17 for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”(B) 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out.(C) 19 This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their language Hakeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the book of Psalms,

‘Let his house become desolate,
    and let there be no one to live in it’;

and

‘Let another take his position of overseer.’(D)

21 “So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.”(E) 23 So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen(F) 25 to take the place[b] in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles.

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Footnotes

  1. 1.16 Gk Men, brothers
  2. 1.25 Other ancient authorities read the share