Psalm 56
For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A
poem by David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.
1 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 the LORD,
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.