Psalms 56

1 God, be merciful to me because men have harassed me; all day my enemies pursue me.

“To the chief musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, by David, a Michtham, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.” Be gracious unto me, O God; for man longeth to swallow me up; all the time he oppresseth me fighting.

2 My enemies harass me all day long; there are many of them who proudly attack me.

Those that regard me with envy long to swallow [me] up all the time; for many are they that fight against me, O thou Most High.

3 But whenever I am afraid, I trust in you.

The day [when] I am afraid, I will still trust in thee.

4 God, I praise/thank you because you do what you have promised; I trust in you, and then I am not afraid. Ordinary humans certainly cannot [RHQ] harm me!

In God will I praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid: what can flesh do unto me?

5 All day long my enemies claim that I said things that I did not say (OR, try to destroy what I am doing); they are always thinking of ways to harm me.

All the day they wrest my words: against me are all their thoughts for evil.

6 In order to cause trouble for me, they hide and watch everything that I do, waiting for [an opportunity] to kill me [MTY].

They come together in troops, they hide themselves, they are those that watch my heels, as though they hoped [to take] my soul.

7 So, God, punish them for the wicked things that they are doing; show that you are angry by defeating those people!

Because of their wrong-doing let me escape from them: in anger cast down the people, O God.

8 You have counted [all] the times that I have been wandering alone/distressed; [it is as though] you have put [all] my tears in a bottle [in order that you can see how much I have cried]. [You have counted my tears and written] the number in your book.

My wanderings hast thou well numbered: put thou my tears into thy bottle; behold, they are numbered by thee.

9 When I call out to you, [my] God, my enemies will be defeated; I know that will happen, because you are fighting for me.

Then shall my enemies retire backward on the day when I call [on thee]: this I know—that God is for me.

10 I praise/thank you that you do what you have promised; Yahweh, I [will always] praise you for that [DOU].

In God will I praise the word: in the Lord will I praise the word.

11 I trust in you, and as a result, I will not be afraid. I know that humans cannot really [RHQ] harm me!

In God have I put my trust; I will not be afraid: what can man do unto me?

12 I will bring to you the offering that I promised; I will bring an offering to you to thank you,

Upon me, O God, [rest] thy vows: I will pay thanksgiving offerings unto thee.

13 because you have rescued me from being killed; you have kept me from stumbling. As a result, I will continue to live in your presence in the light that [shines on those who are still] alive (OR, in the light that [enables people to] live).

For thou hast delivered my soul from death—yea, behold, my feet from slipping, that I may walk before God in the light of the life.