Psalms 56

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

For the leader. On jonath elem rehokim. Of David. A michtam, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. O God, be gracious to me, for people trample upon me, all the day righting and pressing me.

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

All the day enemies trample me; many there be who contend with me bitterly.

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

In the day of my terror I trust in you.

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 I maintain my cause, in God I fearlessly trust. What can flesh do to 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.

They torture me all the day, they ceaselessly plan to hurt me,

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

banded together in secret, watching my every step, as those who hope for my death.

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

Pay them out for their sin, O God, hurl down the strong in your anger.

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.

You yourself count my wanderings. Put in your bottle my tears are they not in your book?

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 foes be turned back in the day that I call. Of this I am sure, because 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 I maintain my cause, in the Lord I maintain my cause.

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 I fearlessly trust, what can people do to me?

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

Your vows are upon me, O God, I will render thank-offerings to you;

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).

because you have saved me from death, my feet from stumbling, to the end that I walk before God in the light of the living.