Psalms 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.

¹Be merciful to me, God, for man wants to swallow me up.

All day long, he attacks and oppresses me.

²My enemies want to swallow me up all day long,

for they are many who fight proudly against me.

³When I am afraid,

I will put my trust in you.

⁴In God, I praise his word.

In God, I put my trust.

I will not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me?

⁵All day long they twist my words.

All their thoughts are against me for evil.

⁶They conspire and lurk,

watching my steps.

They are eager to take my life.

⁷Shall they escape by iniquity?

In anger cast down the peoples, God.

⁸You count my wanderings.

You put my tears into your container.

Aren’t they in your book?

⁹Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call.

I know this: that God is for me.

¹⁰In God, I will praise his word.

In the LORD, I will praise his word.

¹¹I have put my trust in God.

I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

¹²Your vows are on me, God.

I will give thank offerings to you.

¹³For 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.