Psalms, chapter 56

(For the music leader. To the tune “A Silent Dove in the Distance.”Psalm 56 A Silent … Distance: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. A special psalm by David when the Philistines captured him in Gath 56 Title David … Philistines … Gath: David ran to the Philistine city of Gath to get away from Saul (1 Sam 21.10-15), but he was not really “captured.” For Gath, see the map on The Philistines who lived to the west of Judah were traditional enemies of Israel from before the time of David and continued to be enemies long after David's death..)

A Prayer of Trust in God

ave pity, God Most High!

My enemies chase me all day.

2Many of them are pursuing and attacking me,

3but even when I am afraid, I keep on trusting you.

4 I praise your promises! I trust you and am not afraid.

No one can harm me.

5Enemies spend the whole day finding fault with me;

all they think about is how to do me harm.

6They attack from ambush,

watching my every step and hoping to kill me.

7They won't get away with these crimes, God,

because when you get angry, you destroy people.

8You have kept record of my days of wandering.

You have stored my tears in your bottle

and counted each of them.

9When I pray, Lord God, my enemies will retreat,

because I know for certain that you are with me.

10I praise your promises!

11I trust you and am not afraid. No one can harm me.

12I will keep my promises to you, my God,

and bring you gifts.

13You protected me from death

and kept me from stumbling, so that I would please you

and follow the light that leads to life.