1 To the chief music-maker; put to Jonath elem rehokim. Of David. Michtam. When the Philistines took him in Gath.

2 \56:1\Have mercy on me, O God, for man is attempting my destruction; every day he makes cruel attacks against me.

3 \56:2\My haters are ever ready to put an end to me; great numbers are lifting themselves up against me.

4 \56:3\In the time of my fear, I will have faith in you.

5 \56:4\In God will I give praise to his word; in God have I put my hope; I will have no fear of what flesh may do to me.

6 \56:5\Every day they make wrong use of my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil.

7 \56:6\They come together, they are waiting in secret places, they take note of my steps, they are waiting for my soul.

8 \56:7\By evil-doing they will not get free from punishment. In wrath, O God, let the peoples be made low.

9 \56:8\You have seen my wanderings; put the drops from my eyes into your bottle; are they not in your record?

10 \56:9\When I send up my cry to you, my haters will be turned back; I am certain of this, for God is with me.

11 \56:10\In God will I give praise to his word; in the Lord will I give praise to his word.

12 \56:11\In God have I put my hope, I will have no fear of what man may do to me.

13 \56:12\I keep the memory of my debt to you, O God; I will give you the offerings of praise.

14 \56:13\Because you have taken my soul from the power of death; and kept my feet from falling, so that I may be walking before God in the light of life.

For the Chief Musician; set to Jonath elem rehokim. A Psalm of David. Michtam: when the Philistines took him in Gath.

1 Be merciful unto me, O God; for man would swallow me up:

All the day long he fighting oppresseth me.

2 Mine enemies would swallow me up all the day long;

For they are many that fight proudly against me.

3 What time I am afraid,

I will put my trust in thee.

4 In God (I will praise his word),

In God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid;

What can flesh do unto me?

5 All the day long they wrest my words:

All their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves,

They mark my steps,

Even as they have waited for my soul.

7 Shall they escape by iniquity?

In anger cast down the peoples, O God.

8 Thou numberest my wanderings:

Put thou my tears into thy bottle;

Are they not in thy book?

9 Then shall mine enemies turn back in the day that I call:

This I know, that God is for me.

10 In God (I will praise his word),

In Jehovah (I will praise his word),

11 In God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid;

What can man do unto me?

12 Thy vows are upon me, O God:

I will render thank-offerings unto thee.

13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death:

Hast thou not delivered my feet from falling,

That I may walk before God

In the light of the living?