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(For the music leader. To the tune “A Silent Dove in the Distance.”[a] A special psalm by David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.)

A Prayer of Trust in God

(A) Have pity, God Most High!
    My enemies chase me all day.
Many of them are pursuing
    and attacking me,
but even when I am afraid,
    I keep on trusting you.
I praise your promises!
I trust you and am not afraid.
    No one can harm me.

Enemies spend the whole day
    finding fault with me;
all they think about
    is how to do me harm.
They attack from ambush,
watching my every step
    and hoping to kill me.
They won't get away[b]
    with these crimes, God,
because when you get angry,
    you destroy people.

You have kept record
    of my days of wandering.
You have stored my tears
in your bottle
    and counted each of them.

When I pray, Lord God,
    my enemies will retreat,
because I know for certain
    that you are with me.
10 I praise your promises!
11 I trust you and am not afraid.
    No one can harm me.

12 I will keep my promises
to you, my God,
    and bring you gifts.
13 You protected me from death
    and kept me from stumbling,
so that I would please you
and follow the light
    that leads to life.

(For the music leader. To the tune “Don't Destroy.”[c] A special psalm by David when he was in the cave while running from Saul.)

Praise and Trust in Times of Trouble

(B) God Most High, have pity on me!
Have mercy. I run to you
    for safety.
In the shadow of your wings,
I seek protection
    till danger dies down.
I pray to you, my protector.
You will send help from heaven
    and save me,
but you will bring trouble
    on my attackers.
You are faithful,
    and you can be trusted.

My enemies are fierce,
    much worse than lions!
They have spears and arrows
    instead of teeth,
and they have sharp swords
    instead of tongues.

May you, my God, be honored
    above the heavens;
may your glory be seen
    everywhere on earth.

(C) Enemies set traps for my feet
    and struck me down.
They dug a pit in my path,
    but fell in it themselves.
I am faithful to you,
    and you can trust me.
I will sing and play music
    for you, my God.
I feel wide awake!
I will wake up my harp
    and wake up the sun.
I will praise you, Lord,
    for everyone to hear,
and I will sing hymns to you
    in every nation.
10 Your love reaches higher
    than the heavens;
your loyalty extends
    beyond the clouds.

11 May you, my God, be honored
    above the heavens;
may your glory be seen
    everywhere on earth.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 56 A Silent … Distance: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  2. 56.7 They … away: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  3. Psalm 57 Don't Destroy: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

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