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. To the tune of "Silent Dove in Distant Lands." A poem by David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

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

All day long, he attacks and oppresses me.

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

for they are many who fight proudly against me.

3 When I am afraid,

I will put my trust in you.

4 In God, I praise his word.

In God, I put my trust.

I will not be afraid.

What can flesh do to me?

5 All day long they twist my words.

All their thoughts are against me for evil.

6 They conspire and lurk,

watching my steps.

They are eager to take my life.

7 Shall they escape by iniquity?

In anger cast down the peoples, God.

8 You count my wanderings.

You put my tears into your container.

Aren’t they in your book?

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

I know this: that God is for me.

10 In God, I will praise his word.

In Yahweh, I will praise his word.

11 I have put my trust in God.

I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

12 Your vows are on me, God.

I will give thank offerings to you.

13 For 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.