Psalms 56

1 TO THE OVERSEER. [SET] ON “A SILENT DOVE FAR OFF.” A MIKTAM OF DAVID, IN THE PHILISTINES’ TAKING HOLD OF HIM IN GATH. Favor me, O God, for man swallowed me up, All the day fighting he oppresses me,

For the music director. According to “Dove on Distant Oaks.” A psalm (miktam) of David concerning the time the Philistines captured him in Gath. God, please be gracious to me, for people are persecuting me; my attackers fight against me all day long.

2 My enemies have swallowed up all the day, For many [are] fighting against me, O Most High,

My enemies chase me down all the time—there are many of them, attacking me in their arrogance.

3 [In] the day I am afraid I am confident toward You.

But when I'm afraid, I trust in you.

4 In God I praise His word, in God I have trusted, I do not fear what flesh does to me.

I thank God for his promises. I trust in God, so why should I be fearful? What can mere human beings do to me?

5 All the day they wrest my words, All their thoughts [are] for evil concerning me,

They constantly twist my words against me; they spend all their time thinking of evil things to do to me.

6 They assemble, they hide, they watch my heels, When they have expected my soul.

They gather together in their hiding places to keep watch on me, hoping to kill me.

7 They escape by iniquity, In anger put down the peoples, O God.

Will they escape when they do so much evil? God, in anger bring these people down!

8 You have counted my wandering, You place my tear in Your bottle, Are they not in Your scroll?

You've kept track of all my wanderings. You've collected all my tears in your bottle. You've kept a record of each one.

9 Then turn back my enemies in the day I call. This I have known, that God [is] for me.

Then those who hate me will run away when I call for your help. For I know this: God is for me!

10 In God I praise the word, In YHWH I praise the word.

I thank God for his promises. I thank the Lord for his promises.

11 In God I trusted, I do not fear what man does to me,

I trust in God, so why should I be fearful? What can mere human beings do to me?

12 On me, O God, [are] Your vows, I repay thank-offerings to You.

God, I will keep my promises to you. I will give thank offerings to you,

13 For You have delivered my soul from death, Do You not [keep] my feet from falling? To habitually walk before God in the light of the living!

for you have saved me from death and kept me from falling. Now I walk in the presence of God, in the light that gives life.